The DIY Wiimote performance computer

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After seeing a physics experiment where a Nintendo Wii remote (wiimote) was used as a type of pendulum, an enterprising soul thought to use the Wiimote's 3-axis accelerometers to measure g-forces and even time acceleration runs, effectively creating a DIY g-meter gauge. The Wiimote might not be the most accurate tool for the job, but it's reasonably good and if you happen to have a Wii and a laptop handy.
VW Vortex member Klee says that he wrote a script to collect the readings into his laptop and then fiddled with the data to get some plotted graphs to show g's and acceleration curves. Nothing overly complicated is involved really, just a laptop with MS Excel and some basic high school physics formulae.

Not content to just get the down low on his Jetta, he also managed to convince his friend to sample an E46 M3 - purely in the name of science, you understand. The M3 was twice as quick to 60, in case you're wondering. Click over to get the script and more technical information about how to do this for yourself.

Thanks Kevin!

[Source: VW Vortex]

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