IF YOU see a soldier in action waving a Nintendo Wii remote-control unit with one hand and holding an Apple iPhone in the other, don’t assume they’re slacking off. Soldiers may soon be using such devices to interact with their robotic assistants.
The “Wiimote” control system allows game players to direct on-screen action using a wireless wand that detects acceleration in three dimensions. It has already found some unexpected uses, such as manipulating ultrasound images and monitoring movement deficiencies in people with Parkinson’s disease (New Scientist, 16 February, p 26). Now David Bruemmer and Douglas Few, both engineers at…
