Hack N Mod - Amazingly Cool Hacks, Mods, and DIY Projects » Wii

Ben Heck: The Man, The Myth, The Legend.

Joe L — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 03:08:08 +0000

If for some strange reason you don’t know of Benjamin Heckendorn (Ben Heck), he’s the king of hacking and modding, a console modder extraordinaire who turns consoles into laptops, and just about any gaming related hack you could possibly think of. You can view all of his projects around HacknMod and by checking out his site, Gizmodo and Engadget.

Don’t Miss:

Some of his laptops are pictured above and below. A the top of the page is an interview with Ben and a brief walk through of his household lab. We definitely agree that tinkering with electronics is an extraordinary hobby and a fantastic way to make a living too

By the way, Hack N Mod is teaming up with Ben Heck for a super secret project to be announced later this year! More details to come – subscribe for free to stay posted.

DIY Need For Speed Racing Arcade

Joe L — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 22:03:29 +0000

You’ve probably played the classic racing games like Burn Out, Need for Speed, and Gran Turiso on consoles but using the standard controller just doesn’t cut it sometimes. Learn to build your own racing cockpit through this super comphrehensive step-by-step guide to bring the speed, thrill, and realism of the game to life. This is definitly not your average build tutorial, it’s a 66 page PDF walking you through each nut and bolt of the assemply process.

Above is an example of the intricate level of detail the tutorial. Each page shows these comprehensive diagrams with detailed measurements showing you how to build your own.

Related Racing and Arcade projects:

Wiimote Controlled 15 Ton Robotic Claw Arm

Saikat — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 03:28:06 +0000

Although you can’t play with Wiimote controlled 15 ton grapples in the living room. This hack isn’t anything like the Lego Mindstorms NXT Robot controlled with a Wiimote or the Wiimote operated Lawnmower. This one has gone king-size. This thing is a beast of a robotic monster and rigging it with a Wiimote making this one of the heavy duty Wiimote hacks we’ve seen.

The Wiimote + the Python programmed control is even more awe inspiring because each grapple arm can spin at a top speed of 72kms/hour or 12 revolutions per minute. Each arm needs to avoid collision with the other. And with each having a reach of 16 meters it’s recommended to stay as far back as possible.

For more achievable DIY Wiimote hacks check out the Top 30 Wiimote Hacks of the Web.

Load Wii Games from an External Hard Drive

Joe L — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:51:02 +0000

Instead of storing your games on their usual CDs, store them on an external hard drive and then load them at your convenience without having to even get off the couch.� Plus you could even grab some “backup copies” from online and store them on your drive too.� The setup process is really quite simple and easy for anyone to follow.� Also, if you don’t have a Wii, you could always just use an emulator to play them on your PC.

For more outstanding Wii projects, including infrared head tracking, see all of our wii hacks.

DIY Virtual Reality using the Wiimote

Joe L — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 20:00:56 +0000

See also: Top 30 Wiimote Hacks of the Web

Anyone who’s interested in virtual reality will find German Timo Fleisch quite fascinating. He’s the one who originally came up with a way to combine Nintendo Wii remotes and IR LED’s, in order to create virtual reality environments. Even though Fleisch is the master-mind behind this technique, with the right equipment and know-how, anybody can setup their very own virtual reality world.

Here are the basics:

First, the user holds an object in front of a monitor. He has a Wii remote set up above the monitor facing the table on which it stands.
The object that is being held is equipped with some IR LED’s so that the remote can identify it and determine its location.
The second remote is pointed towards the user who is also equipped with IR LED’s. Just the same as the object, this allows the system to determine the user’s location.
From there, the computer uses all of this information to display an interactive image based on the object in relation to the user.

“The core of this VR setup is using the Nintendo Wiimote Controller as a tracking camera. As one might already know the Wiimote is equipped with an infra-red camera that is able to recognize up to four infra-red lights. The main idea now is to build a device with four infra-red LEDs that can be recognized by the Wiimote. I call this device infrared beacon. Using the values of the 4 LEDs as recognized by the Wiimote I use an algorithm to reconstruct the original position and orientation of the IR LED beacon. Getting all 3 axis translations and all 3 axis rotation angles of the device is called 6 degree of freedom tracking or short 6DOF tracking.”

For a visual explanation and a better idea of how to get started, take a look at his Wiimote Desktop Virtual Reality video:

Control a Lego Mindstorms NXT Robot with a Wiimote

Saikat — Fri, 29 May 2009 03:07:54 +0000

A NXTway-GS robot is a self balancing two wheeled robotic toy built using the Lego Mindstorms robotic kit. Think of this hack as the NXTway based version of the self balancing Segway-like robot we had covered earlier. This hack is for the NXT enthusiast and the guy who likes to do things with his Wii.Â� The project blog takes you through the programming needed to hack the NXT firmware and teach the robot some new moves.

What you will need:

Lego Mindstorms NXT with OSEK firmware and the NXTway-GS program loaded.
A Wiimote.
Ubuntu and Bluetooth modules.
The Python script to parse the Wiimote data and send it to the Lego NXT.

The hack covers the programming and the firmware upgrades through three steps:

Enhance the firmware of the NXT and upload the nxtOSEK open source code to create the operating environment.
Set up the remote connection between the NXT and a laptop.
Install the software to interface the Wiimote with the NXT.

If you are looking for more robotic challenges, jump over to our collection of Robots hacks and Wiimote hacks.

X-Ray Photography of Gaming Controllers, Consoles

Saikat — Thu, 28 May 2009 04:03:41 +0000

This gaming hobbyist has shown that there is more than one way to take a photograph. He has found a unique way to get something more out of his work as an x-ray technician.

His “camera” of choice is an X-Ray machine of course:

Using his spare hours, he has stacked up quite a collection of X-Ray photographs of gaming consoles. From Wii-motes to a PSP and even X-rays of cartridges, he has captured them all in black and white.

The hobby is uncommon and almost weird. The effects though are extraordinary. The X-Ray photographs look like detailed blueprints. Take a look at his collection of photographs on Flickr and you will surely appreciate his work. Â� They would definately make for some cool wallpapers too.

If taking unique snapshots is your game, then look through our collection of photography hacks.

Top 30 Wiimote Hacks of the Web

JJMelo — Tue, 26 May 2009 15:10:54 +0000

Nintendo’s Wii remote (or wiimote) has proven to be an incredibly hackable device.� This is mainly because of its bluetooth connectivity and assortment of sensors which make it a great interface for controlling DIY electronics projects.� So, for your inspiration, we’ve compiled an extensive list of hacks which fully exploit the wiimote’s capabilities.

Pick up LEDs, servo motors and project supplies in our DIY store.
Don’t miss our famous Top 40 Arduino Projects of the Web

That’s the best of the best.� You can subscribe to HacknMod for future posts.� Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments.

All-in-One Wii, Xbox 360 and Ps3 Arcade Cabinet

JJMelo — Mon, 25 May 2009 15:30:09 +0000

If you’ve ever wanted to play virtually any game from any console all on one machine, this hack is for you. It illustrates step-by-step, one man’s ambition to stuff a full-fledged gaming PC, an Xbox 360, a PS3 and a Wii into a custom arcade cabinet. Everything from power consumption to the display, to the custom video-switching mechanism is explained. The end result is what some might describe as the ultimate gaming machine.

If you liked this, you’ll also enjoy:

Wiimote Controlled Lawn Mower

Joe L — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 02:04:49 +0000

Weâ€™ve got another cool hack for you, this time using the amazing Wiimote, from the Southern University of Denmark’s Robot Laboratory. The Wiimote connects to the lawn mower through Bluetooth. From there, a computer interprets the signal and sends commands to the servo engine which controls the direction of movement.

You can actually control this robotic lawn mower by using the Wiimote’s accelerometer. Its creator says the concept could also be implemented on a range of different devices â€“ you could actually take your grandmother for a walk by simply tilting the Wiimote, although she might not be very happy about it (brilliant concept though).

It can also be used on â€˜automaticâ€™ mode – walk the device to set a perimeter then let the GPS attached mow the lawn automatically without any effort on your part.Â� Good thing too since it moves so slow.

Here are some other cool projects that use the Wiimote: