Any good SkyNet starts with a robot. Well, we are in luck…User “badcat89″ posted in our forum about a Web-enabled, Wireless Robot that is controlled via a web interface. We can imagine a swarm of robots controlled by data received from the web.
Web Powered Robot
The robot uses a pair of serial bluetooth adapters to form a wireless link with the ioBridge IO-204. The serial levels of the IO-204 are TTL and a circuit using the MAX-232 was required to allow the serial interface work properly. On the robot is a set of serial servo drivers that control the steering and speed.
IO-204 and Serial Bluetooth Adpater
The interface is standard web page using an embedded ioBridge.com serial widget to make the connection to the IO-204 base station module. You can control the direction and throttle by clicking on the itnerface and using the up and down arrow keys on your keyboard. The interface generates serial strings that the serial servo drivers react to when received. You can see the strings and the serial widget in the debug part of the web interface.
Web-based Robot Controls
Here is a YouTube video of the web powered robot in action -- looks like a lot of fun to drive. One step closer…
Pete from Pete’s Fishcam and TankedCam fame got a great writeup on MoreControl.com. His system uses the ioBridge IO-204 to control and monitor his fish tank from anywhere.
“Designed for the iPhone/iPod (and Mac/PC desktop), the TankedCam app allows you to turn your Atlantis into an aquatic home automation paradise.”
Marc Fonteijn, form the Netherlands, mashed up the ioBridge IO-204 with the Spark Fun Serial LCD based on the HD44780 chip. His project includes some JavaScript to control the LCD display via a web page which uses his PHP-based proxy and control API for the IO-204.
ioBridge IO-204 Controlling Spark Fun LCD
The JavaScript on Marc’s blog post includes control and animations examples for the LCD display. The display can be driven by an open I/O channel using the serial out functionality or from a two-way serial smart board.
Here is a demo of the screen in action:
We are not sure what he is up to, but I for-see an interactive website in his future. He already has LED’s blinking when users visit one of his sites. Check out Marc’s blog called MarcAThing – Physically Mashed Up for some cool photos and projects. Dank u zeer!
Update:
The PHP Widget Control API is now a part of the ioBridge Wiki and includes a few enhancements.
OharaRP created a wireless LED scrolling sign that displays messages received from the Internet. The sign uses an array of 8x8 LED modules connected together -- expandable to 16 segments. The LED’s are controlled by a MAX7219 controller board that can receive messages from an Xbee wireless module and is power by 5VDC (using a standard mini-USB plug). The sign has a wireless base station that forwards text and commands towards the sign relayed from Twitter or an ioBridge widget embedded on a website.
In this photo OharaRP sent IOBridge to the sign from his iPhone.
XBee Wireless LED Sign
If you would like to learn more about this project check OharaRP’s blog or watch his very instructional demonstration of his Wireless LED Sign Project on YouTube.
Every time we check in on Jay of thecapacity, he is mashing up more technologies to wreak havoc on his co-workers, friends, and/or wife. This time Jay has created a remote controlled Airsoft Gun that is sighted using an IP camera and controlled using the feedback from a Wiimote — all from his Internet web application. A harness supports the gun which allows the gun to aim using a servo. The trigger is also servo controlled and linked to the trigger of the Wiimote. The ioBridge allows Jay to be anywhere in the world to reign terror on unsuspecting victims. On thecapacity blog, you can find some cool YouTubevideos of the making of the system and see him take down some space invaders.
Who knew when Steve aka “polymythic” posted his ioBridge project using iTurn to pour a real beer that it would get over 100k hits on YouTube and make it into print. Well, if you check out the April 2009 issue of Popular Science you will find Steve’s Serv O’Beer is the “Build of the Month” in the How 2.0 section of the magazine. There’s a photo of the latest version of the system with a sturdier frame made of Contrux and an ioBridge IO-204 to link the iPhone to a web application to drive a servo. You can read all about on Popular Science and learn how to build your own Servo O’Beer at Instructables.
The inventor known only as “hacklife” created an iPhone-controlled dog feeder. He converted some household parts into a stable, servo-controlled food dispenser. At the heart of the system is the IO-204 from ioBridge that allows the iPhone to direct servo positions over the Internet with no programming involved. His YouTube video, ioBridge Forum post, and MAKE post explain the system in more detail. Well done, hacklife.
We all remember Stephen Myers’ dog feeder and dog treat dispenser app — the very first app and project using the IO-204 module from ioBridge. The iPhone dog treat dispenser is used when Stephen is at his lab and wants to check on his dog, “Cooper”. With a click of a button from his iPhone or his Mac he can watch his dog and give the dog a treat before he gets home.
On YouTube’s Science and Technology channel, the iPhone Dog Feeder project is the current featured video. Way to go Stephen! You are going to get some random email and comments as you hit main stream. We know from our server activity that were are 5 other dog feeder project going on worldwide using the IO-204. You started a virtual revolution. Thanks for the the cool ideas.
Jay from thecapacity sent us project details about making his computer aware of him sitting in front of the computer or not by using a temperature sensor and an ioBridge module. He wanted the computer to turn off the screen saver and adjust the volume of his music depending on his presence. Jay sent us a few questions along the way and this caused us to accelerate the release of the Data Feed API. His proof of concept is a beating heart that speeds up when the temperature increases.
Jay took our technology in a new and interesting direction. He successfully bridged his computer to his workspace with ioBridge and his clever desktop and web applications.
For more project details, check out Jay’s posts on his “thecapacity” blog.
One of our users sent us his “iPhone Aquarium Application”. Pete from WaveJam sent us a YouTube video of his home aquarium which he cannot only watch, he can control his fishcam from his iPhone. He can log in and move his camera, monitor the water temperature, turn on the tank light, control accent lighting of the tank, and open and close a spooky sunken treasure chest (what a cool idea!). “Look out below” and you catch his video of the behind the scenes interactive fishcam project.
