NAB 2009: Beat the Traffic Embraces Bluetooth
Uses Wii remote for interactive reporting
By Glen Dickson -- Broadcasting & Cable, 4/23/2009 9:54:12 AM
NAB 2009: Complete Coverage from Broadcasting & Cable
Beat the Traffic, the company created by Triangle Software which provides real-time 3D traffic maps for TV station, introduced at NAB new interactive control of its graphics displays by incorporating the remote control from Nintendo's popular Wii gaming system.
The "Wiimote" uses Bluetooth networking technology, and by integrating it into the Version 6.0 update of the Beat the Traffic software, traffic reporters can use it to move in real time through traffic maps shown on a flat-panel display and zoom in on congested areas.
Andre Guiziec, Beat the Traffic president and CEO, says that his company worked with the API (Application Programming Interface) for the Wii remote and figured out how to map motion in the system and let it be controlled by the device, which pans left and right, forward and backward with simple hand motions. A traffic reporter can perform a fly-through over a market area, smoothly zoom into the site of an incident, and then click the Wiimote to call up more detailed information or display live video from a traffic camera.
The Bluetooth technology also allows the remote to control the Beat the Traffic system from a distance up to 40 feet away, which Guiziec demonstrated to B&C on the show floor.
Guiziec says his company grew by 50% last year, and now provides its traffic graphics system to 30 TV stations. He adds that the product is receiving strong interest from local cable news operations as well.
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