Greetings,
I’m Tushar Pal, currently pursuing my b Tech in IT from a SASTRA University. My skill set is as given below :
Decently good Java programmer
Adept at C/C++
I have made quite a few android applications.
I also work with the arduino platform quite actively.
Most of my recent work has been in the area of Arduino/Android/PC bidirectional communication. Specific mention here of the app I created to get all sensor data, and stream it to my linux PC, via adb to a listening TCP client. Most BBB projects depend heavily on sensors. For which, custom boards must be spun, IC’s ordered, and then programming done. Instead, I propose that we use the same concept I employed above, on the BBB. We can extract the adb files from the android source repository, create a standalone application that lets the phone communicate over USB, and the send the sensor data. Wifi and Bluetooth could also be used for communication, and the necessary hardware adapters must merely be installed on the BBB.
Not only do we get gyro and accelerometer inputs from one source, but also camera and microphone as well. OpenCV could be implemented in the android part, and the image recognition part can be offloaded to the phone, freeing up the BBB resources for faster H/W control. Of course, I’m not implying here that only android phones can be connected. Once the protocol for communication and data transfer has been established, anybody can build an app for their respective phone platform and connect it to the BBB. A simple Nokia N95 setup with python S4LA could provide camera input for a motion detecting setup, thus avoiding the need to go out and buy a compatible webcam.
Sensors are all fun and good. They help the BBB understand it’s surroundings. But, what if we wanted long range communications capabilities for the BBB, to control it or receive feedback? Well then, this setup can again be employed, in a slightly modified manner. We use the Wifi/2G data/3G data/Bluetooth interface of the phone, for communication with either another phone, or a server setup, or even a simple handheld remote. The phone merely acts as an access point of data for the BBB. Thus, the need for a dedicated communication hardware for the BBB is also eliminated.
The advantages of said project are :
Sensor data processing computation gets offloaded to phone.
Vast array of sensors, including camera and microphone input, available through one device.
Data communications channel, using the phone’s inbuilt WiFi/Bluetooth chip or data connection
I would definitely like to implement aforementioned project for this iteration of GSoC. Suggestions and critical appreciation are welcome.
Thank you.