Power Glove Drone Controller (Photo : YouTube)
Nintendo's Power Glove included state-of-the-art VR tech when it was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1989. The two games for the NES accessory had low sales and the device itself was criticized for being difficult to control and not precise. However, a computer engineer has given new life to the Nintendo accessory by turning it into a WiFi-connected drone controller.
The new gadget is used to operate a Parrot AR Drone quadcopter. Nolan Moore uses small hand motions to guide the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
Moore introduced his invention at the Bay Area Maker Faire 2016 last month. He first tore down the Power Glove then rebuilt it with a Wi-Fi transmitter, flex sensors, and other parts. Moore turned the old-school accessory into a powerful controller that uses Jedi-like hand gestures to guide the UAV's flight.
For example, a flat hand makes the drone hover in the air. Meanwhile, making a fist causes the drone to roll.
The engineer built two versions of the NES peripheral. The original one used an American version produced by Mattel. However, a second gadget included new components that were added to Nintendo's Japanese version that Moore won from eBay.
Moore has other plans for the VR glove. He wants to switch the Wi-Fi module with other options such as Bluetooth or USB human interface device (HID), according to Engadget. Meanwhile, the final form of the hacked Power Glove will be Universal HID.
Moore shares engineering methods he used on his project blog. He explains issues such as the parts he used to build the drone controller, and why he changed the electronic design software.
The Power Glove was featured in the 1989 film "The Wizard." In the movie Lucas Barton is a Power Glove owner who shows off his skills playing "Rad Racer."
In related news, last March a web-based emulator showed up that converted classic NES games such as "Super Mario Bros. 3" and "Mega Man" to 3D versions, according to The Verge. It is called 3DNES.
The software only works with Mozilla's Firefox browser. Tests produced different results for a handful of games run on the retro game emulator.
