Idea: shovelglove + wii = awesomeness

Take a sledgehammer and wrap an old sweater around it. This is your "shovelglove." Every week day morning, set a timer for 14 minutes. Use the shovelglove to perform shoveling, butter churning, and wood chopping motions until the timer goes off. Stop. Rest on weekends and holidays. Baffled? Intrigued? Charmed? Discuss here.
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ph0rque
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Idea: shovelglove + wii = awesomeness

Post by ph0rque » Wed Feb 13, 2008 5:56 pm

So I just read about scenario-based shovelglove suggestion. Why not take it one step further, and make a Wii-based game that involves shovelgloving? Disclaimer: I have no idea how complex it would be to make a game and an shovelglove wiimote...

What do you think?

tommi
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Post by tommi » Wed Feb 13, 2008 6:46 pm

Having tried the Wii some weeks ago (great concept by the way) i believe that playing Wii is NOT good for your shape.

I have read various articles online about guys losing weight using this console, which is great.

Then one website kind of opened my mind -- if i'm not wrong the phrase that made me change idea was:

"Why people play WiiTennis instead of real tennis? Wouldn't it be better?"

Playing on the Wii is NOT like the real thing, it's REAL FUN and it's MUCH BETTER than doing nothing, but it's like 5% of what you should be actually doing for your health.

A SledgegloWii (now THAT'S a great name, i should register it ;)) would be funny, but nothing like the real thing.

I read it can be possible to hack the Wiimote (which is basically a bluetooth accelerometer if i'm not wrong) and create new programs, one cool thing would be sticking one to the handle of the sledgehammer head and create a software that:

- Counts down 14 minutes (or less, if needed)
- Show you the good way to do moves (maybe alerting you if you're cheating and doing incomplete reps, like not moving the hammer high enough)
- Counts the reps for you and tells you what the next movement will be
- Turns the screen to FLASHING RED in case you're too near, which is great if you spent your savings on that cool HD screen ;)
- In case you selected the fantasy scenario mode, on the screen it should show dragons/orks to kill, with lots of gore and disemboweled dragons laying everywhere
- In case you selected the farmer scenario mode, on the screen it should show dig holes, butter bars, chopped logs

So, i think you had a great idea ph0rque, but only if the Wiimote is used as a measurement aid, not as a substitute
we do what we want because we can

Big Phil
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Post by Big Phil » Fri Feb 15, 2008 1:26 am

You just have to make sure the interface weighs the same as a real slegdehammer. The accelerometer in the Wii interface could be used to make sure you were actually swinging it around fast enough! Calling you a sissy, or showing you the orcs were hardly touched etc. I think it is a great idea!

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reinhard
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Post by reinhard » Fri Feb 15, 2008 3:32 pm

I love the idea (excellent details, too, tommi). Unfortunately I know from coding vastly simpler programs all day long that this is not something I could pull off in my spare time...

Though I'd be happy to contribute, if someone wants to take the lead on an open source shovelglove wii project (or has contacts the the gaming industry).

Reinhard

WinstonWolf
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Post by WinstonWolf » Sat Feb 16, 2008 1:52 pm

Or, it could just be a small interface (no buttons, etc) that simply can transmit details of where the sledgehammer is to the Wii.

Stick it onto the head or haft or something like that.

Mr_B
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Post by Mr_B » Wed Feb 20, 2008 4:52 pm

Why not strap the wiimote to the hammer with cable-ties and then play your favourite wii game?

Just a thort - and doesn't really take inot account the buttons, but nothings perfect...

;)

ph0rque
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Post by ph0rque » Fri Feb 22, 2008 4:36 am

After reading this article, I'm thinking it's a lot more realistic to try and hack this idea together...

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