Bug fixes

Week 6 was meant to be a week for fixing bugs. The only bug that I could find in the Bluetooth portion was that the app would crash if the Bluetooth module was not in range when the app launched. Next week I will begin working on text to speech implementation.

Android map update

So good news, theoretically I have fixed the accuracy issue that the application was plagued with before. The bad news is that I can't test it, as the routing call isn't working for some reason. I believe it's an issue with my phone rather than with the code, since that portion of the code is the same as it was before me fixing the general code-base. I will hijack Maarij's phone to test it relatively soon.

More modifications to be done include: Cleaning up the code, creating new functions (to help clean code), and working on new features.

I've found a decent battery charging chip for 1-2 LiIon battery packs, allowing our device to utilize the Micro as well as being rechargeable.

Ben's Log: Bluetooth to Hardware

We now have the Arduino properly communicating with the Android phone via Bluetooth. This is an important step for hardware - it is now possible to pass each direction to the Arduino to be interpreted and translated into motor signals.

Maarij's Log: Communication working

The Bluetooth now works with communication between the Android app and the Arduino. The Android app sends a character over Bluetooth indicating which direction to head and the Arduino reads this via the Bluetooth module. Based on what is read, the Arduino will tell the user which direction to go. Currently only directional commands are sent via Bluetooth but in the future we may implement more sophisticated commands for better guidance.

Ken's Log: Fixed the maps

So I've been working on relational directions for the user. This meant applying the routing API to determine the users next move, as getting the users bearing. Using a very VERY loose implementation of relational bearings, the application now knows which way to point the user in the case of 'Head X', with X being North, South, East, West.

Other than that, we have it interacting with the arduino, which actually reads in the data. So we've got that going for us.

Hardware Update

I have four coin-style vibration motors running simultaneously through the Arduino Micro, toggled on and off via TIP31 transistors. The motors are (temporarily) powered by the Arduino's digital pins, but will soon have a separate power source to avoid damaging the microcontroller. The motors are attached to the fingertips of a glove for the time being, but will eventually be more permanently mounted on a soon to be decided surface.

(sorry for the late post)