Wii sensorbar replacements, including wireless one

[Kaotik]

You can, as it seems, use even candles as "sensorbar"
http://youtube.com/watch?v=6paa4s8le10
http://youtube.com/watch?v=_1vQFchFr_Q&watch_response

...aaand wireless sensor bar, custom made:
http://doctabu.livejournal.com/64758.html

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What does this all mean? That sensorbar is nothing but "hotspots" which the Wiimote can "see" so it knows where it's pointing to?

 

[btdvox]

Well just like any IR reciever- there is no data being streamed fro mteh sensor bar to the Wii= and i think someone posted that its only connected to power up the LED's inside the sensor bar- its not really new technolgy- any TV wit ha remote controller has it- that being said- its pretty flippin cool!

 

[Shifty Geezer]

What does this all mean? That sensorbar is nothing but "hotspots" which the Wiimote can "see" so it knows where it's pointing to?

Yes. The Sensor Bar is a misnomer, as there's no sensors in it at all. It has an array of IR LEDs arranged in two groups of 4 dots. The Wiimote has an IR camera which sees the IR hotspots. It uses the position of the dots relative to the captured image to determine the position and orientation of the Wiimote relative to the Bar. Thus you can replace the Bar with any suitable IR sources. This also explains the suggestions of problems with sunlight etc. where potentially, any IR source could add confusing interference to what the IR camera sees. eg. If you point the Wiimote to your left, and it sees some candles, it might decide you're pointing straight at the TV.

It's a peculiar solution to the problem, and I can only guess Nintendo went with this to avoid Patent infringements. Something like the Fusion system is what I was expecting when Wii's motion control was first announced.