I just had a random idea that I think has some merit; I thought I'd share it with you guys. It's beyond the scope of my current coding abilities, but I could see how it might be viable for those with the proper skills. It would seem to me that any phone with a camera and bluetooth might be used as a mouse; it would just need software to interpret the camera output to figure out the relative motion of the phone, emulate a bluetooth mouse, and send the proper coordinate change info. Any of the buttons could easily be used for clicking/scrolling. In addition, you wouldn't need to hold the phone against a table, in fact, that's one of this idea's few shortcomings: it wouldn't work flush against a surface for lack of illumination. The other shortcoming is that the combination of bluetooth, image processing, and slow phone CPU might make it a tad laggy. Thoughts?
Entirely possible, but useless and not worth the effort.
Wouldn't really work. cell-phone cameras suck, and aren't designed for that sort of thing. They also only take like 15fps @ 640x480 if you are lucky - that is going to be some pretty jerky mouse movements. Not to mention, since you are holding it aloft, you are going to be shaking it naturally, creating a jerky cursor (or a hell of a lot of programming trying to stabilize the image)

That, and there is always the issue of whether or not the phone will LET you change low-level bluetooth settings to force a mouse profile.

just get a bluetooth mouse and be done with it Wink
Or get a normal USB wireless mouse, because even dedicated Bluetooth mice are regarded as relatively inferior speed-wise.
Isn't the basis of the Wii-mote that it sees two bright lights with an IR camera, and then calculates its position? Maybe you could do something like that with the cell phone camera, and use it to gesture at the screen! There are already Wii-mote drivers for the desktop computer (I think) so maybe you could modify one to work with a cell phone or any other kind of camera device that connects to the computer.
magicdanw wrote:
Isn't the basis of the Wii-mote that it sees two bright lights with an IR camera, and then calculates its position? Maybe you could do something like that with the cell phone camera, and use it to gesture at the screen! There are already Wii-mote drivers for the desktop computer (I think) so maybe you could modify one to work with a cell phone or any other kind of camera device that connects to the computer.


Yes, but the Wiimote was designed to do that, and does that tracking inside the Wiimote itself. Find me a cell phone whose camera was designed to track motions and handles it in hardware.

Again, it is an FPS issue - 15fps that most phones capture at will result in jerky movements at best, and since most phones also limit you to balls slow Java, no matter what you do it will suck. But again, the Wiimote identifies itself has a Bluetooth HID device - cell phones don't. All the original issues still stand, and Wiimote "drivers" (they aren't actually drivers, as there aren't any drivers needed, just various programs that can use the Wiimote to do stuff Smile ) won't help with anything.
yeah I should set up some stuff for my wiimotes but the bluetooth Dogle I have isn't compatible with the software I found, oh well.
TheStorm wrote:
yeah I should set up some stuff for my wiimotes but the bluetooth Dogle I have isn't compatible with the software I found, oh well.


Too bad you don't make any sense whatsoever. Sounds to me like you just fail at connecting the Wiimote to the bluetooth dongle.
if it adds anything, my cell phone(Sony Ericsson W810i) does a bluetooth mouse VIA the buttons(not with the camera,) and I know this isn't very signifigant, but it does mean that you can use a phone as a mouse. Also, I have gotten a Sony Ericsson W300i to do the same thing.
Netham wrote:
if it adds anything, my cell phone(Sony Ericsson W810i) does a bluetooth mouse VIA the buttons(not with the camera,) and I know this isn't very signifigant, but it does mean that you can use a phone as a mouse. Also, I have gotten a Sony Ericsson W300i to do the same thing.
Oh cool, so theoretically it wouldn't be that much more difficult to extend it to use the camera.
I do not know if you can access the camera from J2ME, if you can, then it can't be that hard. I believe the mouse programs on it are in Java.
KermMartian wrote:
Netham wrote:
if it adds anything, my cell phone(Sony Ericsson W810i) does a bluetooth mouse VIA the buttons(not with the camera,) and I know this isn't very signifigant, but it does mean that you can use a phone as a mouse. Also, I have gotten a Sony Ericsson W300i to do the same thing.
Oh cool, so theoretically it wouldn't be that much more difficult to extend it to use the camera.


Um... Yes, it would, for all the same reasons discussed above. Such as the phone being incredibly too slow, and image processing being too slow, and the camera sucking, and not being able to rest it on anything meaning you are waiving it in the air like an idiot.
that's an awfully broad generalization for all the phones out there. My phone camera isn't particularally good, but I do have a 2MP camera on it. I do not know about the processing speed.
Netham wrote:
that's an awfully broad generalization for all the phones out there. My phone camera isn't particularally good, but I do have a 2MP camera on it. I do not know about the processing speed.


Find me a good quality cell phone camera with stabilization and THEN you can call out my generalization. Until then, stfu or contribute something.
I fail to see how you have contributed anything except for a general aura of pessimism, and ignorance. Also, I have no need to prove anything to you.
Kllrnohj is making excellent points... I don't see what your problem is, netham45. This is not omnimaga where every far-fetched project is greeted with unbound enthusiasm and where any criticism--no matter how valid--is promptly deleted.
although this is Kerm's forum and it was Kerm's idea to begin with. just pointing that out.

Netham, so your phone can be a computer mouse using the arrow buttons on the phone?
netham:
Quote:
I fail to see how you have contributed anything except ... ignorance.

kllrnohj is by far one of the most intelligent and well informed members of this forum

Quote:
Also, I have no need to prove anything to you.

don't accuse people of generalization without backing up your own argument. bad form and all that.


that being said, to everyone else, if this thread turns into out of control flaming (on either side), it will likely be locked.
Liazon wrote:
Netham, so your phone can be a computer mouse using the arrow buttons on the phone?


Yes. The middle button is left click, and I havn't found a right click.
  
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