Geofences Implemented

Good news, just got the Geofences API working in the application!

The Geofence API allows me to create a circular region around a LatLong point, with any radius size I want. The purpose of these objects to note when the user enters and exits the geofence, sending notifications when they do based on what type of movement it is. This will allow me to note when the user enters a region where they have a directional change, and changes their instruction  to the next one when they leave the fence.  Since the users location is not as exact as one would like, the best way to help them stay on their route is to use a combination of the previous code and these Geofence objecs.

The application now creates regions with a radius of 12.5 meters around each turning/directional point in the route, allowing the transition of instructions to be more fluid/exact. Initial tests proved to show good data/results, but more testing will need to be done to help make it more exact.

Better, Stronger, More Expensive Mold-Making

I made an attempt at a very basic silicone cast of a cane handle, which came out a little more, eh.. "masculine shaped" than we were expecting, probably because the casting material was cheap and the method was homebrew.  It seemed that cutting corners wasn't worth it, so I purchased a proper silicone mold-making kit and found a better guide, so before next week I will hopefully have a well made negative mold, along with a new cast (hopefully fully cured).

Arduino Micro, Text to Speech, and Bluetooth

This week I started off looking into getting things to work with the Arduino Micro. I was not able to get the commands sent between the Micro and the phone. This is most likely because of a Bluetooth issue. We are thinking of switching to a Nano as it may be simpler. I also changed the Bluetooth system around so that it now still displays the map even if the phone is not able to connect to the Bluetooth device. The text to speech was also changed so that it will now only give voice directions if the Bluetooth device is not connected.

Mapping

So I've gotten mapping and determining the users location working a bit better than it was last week. The problem with it not presenting the route correctly has been figured out, and it looks like now I just need to implement the Geofencing (to determine turns), and the button listener for the volume button over break, as well as refine the turn system...

Onward and upwards, I suppose.

Waterproofing Prototype

I've been researching homemade silicone molding because it's cheap, available, and doesn't require any exotic tools. So far, I've make a negative mold of the cane handle, and I will be casting a prototype model this week. I've also embedded a vibration motor in silicone to test the resonance of the material, and so far it seems like a decent solution to waterproofing.

Voice Input and finding addresses based on voice.

This week I implemented the voice to text feature, that then tied into a search for a related address/location. The result of that is then pushed into the routing library and then is designated as the users destination.

It has integrated VERY easily, and I'm quite happy with how well it is working in the grand scheme of things. I've noticed we need to create a 'smart' choice option, so that it will choose the closest address of that name, so that it doesn't guide the user to Nebraska from Iowa.

 Now for more testing! 

Voice Guidance: Text to Speech

 After a few bumps, I was able to get the text to speech working. I kept running into the error of not being bound to the TTS engine but after fiddling around with the initialization I was able to get it to work. I tested it with a sample string and it worked so I am confident that it will work with directional strings as well. Assuming all goes well, this will complete the voice guidance so this will allow me to delve into other areas such as trying to get things to get things to work with the Arduino Micro or ways to reduce phone battery consumption while the app is running.