Want your RoboBrrd (or any other Arduino app) to obey your every command? Here’s a quick script using Florian Schultz’ Speech to Text Library (STT). This script will change the color of the RoboBrrd’s eyes, and make it Tweet. You can add on to the script to make it do more!

RoboBrrd Voice Commands from Eightlines on Vimeo.

The script comes in two parts. The first part is the Arduino script. This receives the Voice commands via Serial connection. Yep, you’ll need to have your RoboBrrd plugged into your USB connection while you use this script.

Although the Leonardo does not require FTDI drivers, it still requires the COM port drivers to be installed. Windows 8 requires that the drivers be signed. Since the Arduino drivers are not signed, they will not install. In order to install the drivers you will need to bypass Windows Digital Signature Enforcement.

If you have a greyed out Serial Port selection from the Tools menu this should solve the problem:

1. Install the Arduino IDE.
2. Move the mouse to the bottom right corner of the screen so that the sidebar opens up.
3. Click Settings.
4. Click Change PC Settings
5. In the General tab, scroll to the bottom and click Advanced Startup > Restart Now.
6. Now, Troubleshoot.
7. Advanced Options.
8. Startup Settings and Restart.
9. Press #7 for Disable driver signature enforcement. (The system will boot up now.)
10. Now go to Control Panel.
11. Hardware & Sound and select View Devices and Printers
12. Right click on the Arduino Leonardo and click Properties.
13. Select the Hardware Tab and Properties.
14. Click Change Settings and authorize Windows to make the changes.
15. Select Update Driver and Choose File.
16. Navigate to the directory where you installed the Arduino software and into the subdirectory /Drivers. Press OK.
17. Plug in the Arduino.
18. Open the Arduino IDE and select the correct COM Port.

(Hat-tip to ElectricRock for setting me on the right track.)

 
import processing.serial.*;
 
static final String RFID_PING = "0108000304FF0000";
static final String RFID_AGC = "0109000304F0000000";
static final String RFID_AMPM = "0109000304F1FF0000";
static final String RFID_PASS = "010900030419F00000";
static final String RFID_FAIL = "010900030420F00000";
static final String RFID_INVENTORY = "010B000304140601000000";
static final String RFID_SID = "010B000304340050000000";
static final String RFID_MODE_READ = "010C00030410002101000000";
static final String RFID_MODE_UID = "010C00030410002101020000";
static final String RFID_MODE_TAGIT = "010C00030410002101130000";
 
Serial rfidPort;
int rfidStep = 0;
boolean rfidRunning = false;
 
String uidValue = "";
float uidStrength = 0.0f;
 
int startTime;
 
void setup() 
{
  //DLP-RFID1 Device requires FTDI VCP Drivers
  rfidPort = new Serial(this, Serial.list()[0], 115200); //Set to active Serial Port
  rfidPort.bufferUntil(10); //LineFeed
 
  size(400, 300);
}
 
void draw()
{
  background(50);
 
  if (!rfidRunning)
  {
    rfidRunning = true;
 
    // Sequence PING | AMPM Toggle | UID MODE | INVENTORY is necessary to read RFID Tag.
    // Wait for an echo and response (if there is a response) before proceeding.
    switch (rfidStep)
    {
      case 0: 
        startTime = millis(); //Measure time between poll
        rfidPort.write(RFID_PING);
      break;
      case 1: rfidPort.write(RFID_AGC); break;
      case 2: rfidPort.write(RFID_AMPM); break;
      case 3: rfidPort.write(RFID_MODE_UID); break;
      case 4: rfidPort.write(RFID_INVENTORY); break;
    }
  }
}
 
void serialEvent(Serial port)
{
  String rfidVal = port.readString();
 
  switch (rfidStep)
  {
    case 0: if (rfidVal.toLowerCase().indexOf("dela") > -1) rfidStep = 1; break; //Response "dela"
    case 1: if (rfidVal.indexOf(RFID_AGC.toString()) > -1) rfidStep = 2; break; //Response echo
    case 2: if (rfidVal.indexOf(RFID_AMPM.toString()) > -1) rfidStep = 3; break; //Response echo
    case 3: if (rfidVal.indexOf(RFID_MODE_UID.toString()) > -1) rfidStep = 4; break; //Response echo
    case 4: //Suggest echoing back the entire Inventory Request packet before isolating for the value you want.
      if (rfidVal.indexOf(",40") == -1 &&  //Ignore < ,40> (empty RFID Register)
          rfidVal.indexOf(">") == -1 && //Ignore line feed
          rfidVal.toLowerCase().indexOf("iso 15693 inventory request.") == -1 && //Ignore packet header
          rfidVal.toLowerCase().indexOf("register write request.") == -1 && //Ignore packet header
          rfidVal.toLowerCase().indexOf("interrupt error.") == -1) //Ignore error
      {
        String uid = rfidVal.substring(1, rfidVal.length() - 6); //All I'm looking for is the UID of the RFID tag.
 
        float signalStrength = 0.0f; //Signal strength is passed with the UID. Hardly useful at 4cm though.
        if (rfidVal.indexOf("[,00]") == -1)
          signalStrength = map(unhex(rfidVal.substring(rfidVal.length() - 5, rfidVal.length() - 3)), 72, 109, 0, 100);
 
        uidValue = uid;
        uidStrength = signalStrength;
 
        float elapsedTime = millis() - startTime;
 
        println(uid + ", " + signalStrength + ", " + elapsedTime + "ms"); //Echo the result to the Serial Monitor
        rfidStep = 0; //Start the poll over again.
      }
    break;
  }
 
  rfidRunning = false; //Start the poll over again.
}
 

Next up, I’m pulling the device apart to add a visual indicator to the PASS/FAIL speaker. In noisy environments you can’t hear these devices fire.

TestDataSource.h:

 
@interface TestDataSource : TTListDataSource 
    <uitableviewdatasource , TTModelDelegate> {}
 
- (NSInteger)tableView:(UITableView *)table 
    numberOfRowsInSection:(NSInteger)section;
- (UITableViewCell *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView 
    cellForRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath;
- (void)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView 
    commitEditingStyle:(UITableViewCellEditingStyle)editingStyle 
    forRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath;
 
@end</uitableviewdatasource>

TestDataSource.m

 
#import "TableTest.h"
 
@implementation TableTest
 
- (id)init
{
    if (self = [super init])
    {
        UIBarButtonItem *rightButton = [[[UIBarButtonItem alloc] 
            initWithTitle:@"Edit" 
            style:UIBarButtonSystemItemEdit 
            target:self 
            action:@selector(toggleEdit)] 
        autorelease];
        self.navigationItem.rightBarButtonItem = rightButton;
        self.title = @"Table Test";
        NSArray *items = [NSArray arrayWithObjects:
            [TTTableTextItem itemWithText:@"Item 1"],
            [TTTableTextItem itemWithText:@"Item 2"],
            [TTTableTextItem itemWithText:@"Item 3"],
            nil
        ];
        self.dataSource = [[TestDataSource alloc] initWithItems:items];
        self.tableView.delegate = self;
    }
    return self;
}
 
- (void)toggleEdit
{
    [self.tableView setEditing:!self.tableView.editing animated:YES];
    NSString *label = self.tableView.editing == YES ? @"Done" : @"Edit";
    self.navigationItem.rightBarButtonItem = [[[UIBarButtonItem alloc] 
        initWithTitle:label 
        style:UIBarButtonSystemItemEdit 
        target:self 
        action:@selector(toggleEdit)] 
    autorelease];
}
 
#pragma mark -
#pragma mark TTTableViewDelegate
 
- (void)tableView:(UITableView*)tableView 
    touchesBegan:(NSSet*)touches withEvent:(UIEvent*)event
{
    [super touchesBegan:touches withEvent:event];
}
 
- (void)tableView:(UITableView*)tableView 
    touchesEnded:(NSSet*)touches withEvent:(UIEvent*)event
{
    [super touchesEnded:touches withEvent:event];
}
 
@end
 
@implementation TestDataSource
 
- (NSInteger)tableView:(UITableView *)table 
    numberOfRowsInSection:(NSInteger)section
{
    return [super tableView:table numberOfRowsInSection:section];
}
 
- (UITableViewCell *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView 
    cellForRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
{
    return [super tableView:tableView cellForRowAtIndexPath:indexPath];
}
 
- (void)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView 
    commitEditingStyle:(UITableViewCellEditingStyle)editingStyle
    forRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
{
    if (editingStyle == UITableViewCellEditingStyleDelete)
    {
        [self.items removeObjectAtIndex:indexPath.row];
        NSArray *objects = [NSArray arrayWithObjects:indexPath, nil];
        [tableView deleteRowsAtIndexPaths:objects 
            withRowAnimation:UITableViewRowAnimationBottom];
    }
}
 
@end
 

I received the Blue Bomber TGIMBOEJ the other day from Grant (check out his blog at Splorp) and quickly opened it up to see what treasure was inside.

• Bubble wrap (My daughter took some to pop)
• Barbie digital camera (1MP? Useful for sending up a kite for some KAP?)
• Classic Apple IIe mouse (Taken, going to build a Mousebot)
• Momentary push buttons (I took two, I’m always short of them)
• Incandescent indicator lamps (these could be worth something some day!)
• Male-Female SCSI adapter (I’m guessing? Been a while since I’ve seen one.)
• Soldering Iron Tip
• Audio jack signal adapter
• Servos
• Printer control board
• Potentiometers & Control boards
• Digital Media Players
• Linksys Router
• Multi-pin switches (I took 3, but there’s 7 left)

And in the spirit of sharing, I’m dropping in a Solenoid left over from my Water Fountain experiments from last summer, some pin headers, and a section of pixelboard.

I’m due to send the box out to the next person on the list tomorrow, but if you want to participate, add your name to the list! One more tip: even if you don’t want to participate, check out the list for some excellent blogs & projects. There’s a ton of cool projects going on.

One of the things I find most interesting about this patent is the citations dating back to 1977. Definitely not a cutting edge technology we’re working with here. If the 1977 patent was the byproduct of the ’70s energy crisis what inventions will we see as a byproduct of our current energy phase?

Now this design appears to be based on a European design, and around this end of the globe we have Like-a-Bike which look very similar. The $300 price tag was a bit steep, and since I had all of the parts in the shop I decided I could build it myself. The whole project took about a week when you take in all of the trial and error that went on. A more competent woodworker could probably do it in much less time. All in all, it made me further appreciate the subtleties of the Like-a-Bike design.

Initially, I went with the design in the PDF file which included front forks cut out of a single block of wood (Left image). This became problematic when I noticed the axle would have to be thinner and the design gave less flexibility when manipulating the headset. I soon went to a different design (Right image) which ended up being more rigid, and easier to modify as the design changed. In the end I also managed to shim in a spring to act as a rudimentary shock. Instead of adding spacers to the front wheel I pulled the axle in far enough to bend the forks. It seems to add a nice bit of curve to the design.

Looking at other wooden bike designs it appears 1/8” plywood would have probably done the trick. I used 1/2” plywood which was probably overkill. This adds to the weight, but my daughter can still manage it easily. The edges are routed to give a nice curve, and to avoid splinters. It also added a really nice effect to the edges. I’m looking forward to seeing the varnish go on. In this image you can also see how the rear wheel fits between the body. I had to sand the plywood down to provide an allowance for the rear wheel to spin freely. To stop the rear axle bolts from loosening, use a nylon threaded nut.

The handlebars were simply cut and sanded down to the final rounded off shape. I also had to modify the front forks to give a larger turning radius. Sanding the inside edge of the fork provided about 20° to each side. The headset also had to be reinforced with more screws, I’d recommend putting countersunk bolts right through the frame. The first time the bike dropped to the floor the threads stripped the plywood. I’m hoping more screws would stop this from happening next time.

This was a pretty fun build that could be completed with some simple tools. I used a band saw, belt sander, router, and drill press. You could do this project with much less if you wanted to. You could also supplement the design with a kick stand, bell, streamers, or carrier.

Essentially, the code waits for the Power Monitor to transmit the packet. When it detects a signal it spins up to a 100 microsecond delay and captures the bytes. These bytes are stored to the internal memory. When the packet is finished, it dumps the data to the Serial Monitor and waits for the next packet.

/**
 * Packet Analyzer
 *
 * Project documented at:
 * http://www.eightlines.com/blog/2009/04/arduino-packet-analyzer/
 *
 * Many thanks to Andrew Kilpatrick:
 * http://andrewkilpatrick.org/blog/
 *
 * Captures & logs incoming packets in HEX format.
 * Digital signal is HIGH and drops to LOW when transmitting.
 * Accepts digital input on Digital Pin 8.
 */
 
unsigned char buff[128]; //Create a buffer array to insert bytes
int bufferLength = 128;
 
void setup()
{
  Serial.begin(115200); //Invoke serial connection
 
  //Set input based on port registers
  //Refers to Digital Pin 8
  //http://arduino.cc/en/Reference/PortManipulation
  DDRB = DDRB | B11111110; //Data Direction Register
  PORTB = 0xFF; //Port B Register
}
 
void loop()
{
  unsigned char tempByte; //Temporary Byte
 
  //while (PORTB & 0x01); //Not functioning as expected
  while (digitalRead(8)); //While HIGH idle
 
  //LOW transmitted enter For Loop
  //Repeat loop for each byte in bufferLength
  for (unsigned char b = 0; b < bufferLength; b++)
  {
    tempByte = 0; //Reset temporary byte
 
    //Loop for each bit
    for (char bit = 0; bit < 8; bit++)
    {
      tempByte = tempByte << 1; //Shift previous bit
      tempByte = tempByte & 0xfe;
      //tempByte = tempByte | (PORTB & 0x01); //Not functioning as expected
      tempByte = tempByte | (digitalRead(8)); //Incoming value
      delayMicroseconds(100); //Oversampled delay - can be adjusted based on speed of packet
    }
 
    buff[b] = tempByte; //Write byte to buffer
  }
 
  //Write buffer to Serial connection
  Serial.println("SOH");
  for (unsigned char b = 0; b < 128; b++)
  {
    Serial.print(buff[b], HEX);
    Serial.print(" ");
  }
  Serial.println("");
  Serial.println("EOT");
}

This code will produce a HEX output of the signal. Convert this to bytes and map the data to high (-) and lows (_). [I’m an Flash developer by day, so the code below is in ActionScript]

public function HexInterpreter()
{
   var hexArray:Array = hex.split(" ");
   hexArray.forEach(appendHex);
}
 
protected function appendHex(element:*, index:int, arr:Array):void
{
   arr[index] = uint("0x" + element);
   trace(arr[index].toString(2), arr[index])
}

The finished result is viewable here. The next step is interpreting this into data. I believe reset sends four packets, and every transmission (once every 30 seconds) sends an IR Count and Temperature. The next step is interpreting the results from this test.

[I just want to stress that none of this code or results would have been possible without Andrew’s assistance. In fact 90% of the code presented here is his, I was just along for the ride and to learn a hell of a lot. Many thanks!]

There’s some benefits of the Power Monitor over other devices. It tracks the entire house, the 30 second delay on readings is almost realtime, and its affordable ($100 — would probably pay back fairly quickly). There’s also some disadvantages. It is less accurate then the Kill-A-Watt, and it has now data connection.

The Kill-A-Watt has a simillar problem, it doesn’t export the data either. This is a bit of an issue if you wanted to log the power consumption of your house. That’s where the Tweet-A-Watt comes in. What I’m attempting to do is bring this ability to the Power Monitor. How hard could it be?

The Power Monitor is a device manufactured by Blueline Innovations. It transmits a signal on a 433.92 MHz spectrum. My first attempts were to try to intercept the signal through an RF Receiver in the same frequency.

Initial attempt. Nothing. Set up an RF Transmitter, it communicated with the receiver perfectly. I was a bit stumped. This is when I checked out a session at Hacklab. There, I was schooled on using RF Scanners, spread spectrum and other RF black magic. (Many thanks to — make sure to check these guys out — Andrew Kilpatrick, Toronto Goat, and everyone else at Hacklab) We could detect the packet’s being sent, but couldn’t intercept any usable data.

It was decided that to get any useful data we must be more invasive. Warranty, out the window. We broke out the oscilloscope on the Monitor. Conveniently there’s two test probes marked on the board. This allowed us to identify the packet quite easily.

Now at least I have some confidence that we will be able to produce some results and this isn’t some wild goose chase. The next phase is to capture the data off the device. I’ll follow up shortly with the Signal Boost circuit and Arduino code used to capture the transmitted signal. More soon!

By building my own Air Quality project I hope to be able to reproduce the AQHI results at a fraction of the price and provide instruction to enable anyone across the province a chance to build their own.

To the left is a photo of the final (but always in a state of flux) result. It is a GPS enabled device powered by two AA’s which senses Air Quality and Ozone. I am currently running tests in a variety of ways. This is a more complex setup than it has to be. Below I’ll detail both a simple setup and a complex setup.

Simple Air Quality Monitor:

• USB-Serial Connection (~$15)
• Air Quality Sensor & Ozone Sensor ($6 each)
• 2 Resistors ($.15 - I’m using a 15k Ohm)

Connect the sensors as illustrated on the Wiring.org website. Attach to a computer and upload the data to a provider such as Pachube to share with the world. (Need an invite? Message me.)

Mobile Air Quality Monitor:

• Arduino (~$45)
• GPS Sheild ($16)
• GPS ($60)
• SD-Card ($20-60 depending on size - the SD-Card library uses a FAT-16 environment, so 1GB is all you’re going to need)
• MintyBoost ($20 - 12 Hour lifespan for 2 AAs, 3 for a 9V battery)
• Air Quality & Ozone Sensor ($6 each, see above for links)
• Batteries (~$5 - I’d suggest rechargables)
• 2 Resistors ($.15)

See above for the sensor connection details, then download the code to run the GPS and log the data (plus sensor data). I’m using the GPS CSV logging sketch.

Now for the notes:

• I have no idea if this is capale of producing valid AQHI data, I’m researching this now.
• The sensors are not calibrated, the data should only be valid relative to my own readings. I’d like to make the result reproducible across all sorts of devices.
• Particulates are not being measured. Someone suggested taking apart a smoke alarm to dig out the sensor. I still have to try this.
• Mapping of my results is coming soon. I intend on using this device in a setting where I can measure the effects on a highway with and without cars in the coming days. I will post the results.