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From: cdshaw@cs.UAlberta.CA (Chris Shaw)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer,comp.graphics,rec.games.video
Subject: Re: Mac<->Nintendo PowerGlove Interface?
Message-ID: <1990Jan22.223343.10773@cs.UAlberta.CA>
Date: 22 Jan 90 22:33:43 GMT
References: <1611@ndmath.UUCP>
Sender: cdshaw@pembina
Organization: University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
Lines: 41

In article <1611@ndmath.UUCP> milo@ndmath.UUCP (Greg Corson) writes:
>Has anyone out there figured out an interface that would allow the Nintendo
>power-glove to be used with a Macintosh?
>
>It seems that, while the power-glove is probably NOT as nice as a VPL 
>dataglove, it's probably good enough to use for little experiments and as a
>graphical input/control device.
>
>If I understand this gadget properly, it uses some sensors you mount to your
>TV to sense the position of the glove in 3d space.  Then I'm assuming there
>are one or more sensors on each finger to sense bending of the joints.

OK. Firstly, the PowerGlove is a cheapo version of the DataGlove, for a
few reasons:

1) Only the proximal index finger joint is instrumented on the PowerGlove, 
while all five digits are instrumented at the two most proximal joints on the
DataGlove.

2) The single joint on the PowerGlove returns only 4 data values,
approximating finger bends of 0, 30, 60, and 90 degrees. The DataGlove will
nominally give you 256 data values, although for practical purposes you will
get values between -20 degrees and 120 degrees on the proximal joints,
-5 and 100 degrees on the distal joints after a conversion from raw
brightness values.

3) The PowerGlove has no position sensor, but does have a little button box
on the wrist. The DataGlove usually comes with a Polhemus Isotrak 3D position
and orientation sensor system, with the sensor box mounted on the back of the
glove. A stand-alone Polhemus is $3000.

4) The Mattel people won't even tell VPL what their data format is, so 
you'll have to do some reverse engineering, I'm afraid.

>Greg Corson


--
Chris Shaw     University of Alberta
cdshaw@alberta.UUCP
CatchPhrase: Bogus as HELL !