PowerPointx

Design 2

Kirsten Kelly, Jennifer
Raasch
,

Kyle
Nordick

SD1011


Create a remote control that can be used by
people with various disabilities


Make the product easily
manufactureable

and
adaptable to all disabilities


The end product should be inexpensive and
user friendly


Advised by Dr. Schroeder


Funded by National Science Foundation


Group Members:


Kyle
Nordick
-

Software Design


Jen
Raasch
-

Software and Hardware Design


Kirsten Kelly
–

Hardware Design


Using a PIC board with external hardware to
communicate with the user, external hardware
to output IR information


This option could have wireless or wired
inputs

PROS


CONS


Cheapest to develop


Inexpensive for users


Easiest for the group
members to develop



Bulky design


Hard to manufacture on
a large scale


Slightly outdated
already


Using a learning remote, such as Logitech, as
the base unit


Unit will easily interface with other devices


Use Android device to interface with the
remote with the help of an application

PROS


CONS


Easy to interface with
many entertainment
devices


Already works with
Macros


Possibility to
incorporate an Android
application


User interface may be
complicated


Not really unique or
affordable


Not easily
manufacturable


Would have to purchase
a remote and an
Android device


Design an Android application and associated
hardware to interface with the app


User would purchase the hardware that
accommodates his or her disability the best


Application would be inexpensive or free to
purchase


Can be expanded to those who do not have
disabilities

PROS

CONS


Easy to manufacture


More futuristic, cutting
edge, and innovative


Easy for the user to
access and update


Android devices don’t
have IR built in


Battery life may become a
problem


Could be expensive if you
don’t have an Android
device


Android devices vary by
manufacturer and model
(hard to code for every
device)


User would use their computer as a remote
control


This option would be mostly software design


Most users already have computers, would just
need to design simple hardware to
communicate with the computer

PROS


CONS


Software already exists
to make a laptop
transmit IR


Most people have a
computer or laptop


Only hardware would
be buttons or joystick
for the impaired


Do not have any
knowledge of the
software


Do not have any
knowledge of drivers


Would have to use Java
as code, but html for the
graphic interface


We chose to create an Android application with
the associated hardware


No current Android application exists like this


No similar assistive technology exists at the
moment


Business opportunities



Not only is Android a free and open operating
system it has shown great promise to become
the dominate mobile OS in the coming years.






As you can see, it is projected to become the
second largest mobile OS only behind Nokia
and it’s
Symbian

OS.


Also in Android, 3
rd

party applications(apps)
are considered equal even to those Google
included in the OS.


This allows developers the freedom to remove
Google’s apps if needed but also utilize parts of
the operating system in their apps if needed.


Android is built on layers to allow developers to be able program at
a very high level.


XML

JAVA


XML is used in Android
to create screen layouts,
buttons, text, data entry
boxes, scroll bars and
other visual elements.



Java is used in Android
to create the backbone
of the developers
application. An
example of this is the
creation of a new screen
when a button is
pressed.



Have a main screen with options for which
entertainment devices to control, including TV,
DVD, radio, etc


Each
subscreen

will be able to change the
channel, change the volume, fast forward,
rewind, pause, or anything else needed


A “programmable” button will be available to
“train” the device to output the correct IR code
to each device


Three main challenges we discoveredwhile
developing the application


The application has to be laid out in an optimal
fashion to allow someone with a disability to easily
navigate the application.


The application had to have a programming mode to
allow the remote app to save the IR codes for each of
the users devices around the users house.


Integration of an IR database into the application is a
very important way to distinguish our product from
the competition.



First we developed a general layout for our
app, because of the complexity of the desired
layout getting the application running is
priority.


We also had to simplify the design to save
time, and make it more user friendly


Before we even started to write the code, we of
course had to learn a little XML



There are multiple types of layouts available in
Android. These layouts allow various items
such as buttons to be placed in them.


Liner
-
Like



All parts of the application are listed in a line


Table



The layout of the application is listed in a table format


Relative


This allows total control to the developer to place items
anywhere they please


This layout is the most opportune for our group



Buttons and widgets are needed in our
application.


Buttons allow the user to launch new screens also as
input devices.


Widgets such as data entry boxes are important to
the programming made of our app.


For the “programming” mode, radio buttons
are used


Radio buttons are ‘on’ and ‘off’ buttons used to select
predetermined options



We developed the application to be easy to use.


Main screen allows the user to start activities, enter
the programming mode and exit the application.


The exit button closes the application and returns to
the android operating system




The user will enter each entertainment device
in a text entry box that will search the database


Our application will ask the user basic
questions about the entertainment devices to
help locate the device in the database


Once the device is found by the database, the
application will know what IR code to output
to the device for whatever command the user
decides


Our application will then create a macros for the
device


Devices







Activities



Allows the user to enter the devices such as
Tv’s
, DVD
players ,
ect

that are around their house. They are
entered by a text entry box that search the database.

















Activates are what the user does to launch different
events such as watch
Tv
, a movie, or listen to music.



Our group would be creating something new,
hardware purchased for an application on a
device using Android software


Bluetooth devices are already in use, but
nothing other than keyboards, keypads, or
headsets currently exist


We would need to create our own device and
decide if it is connected through wires, or if it is
a wireless device.


For older versions of Android software,
Android could interact with an external USB
port, but it had to be rigged.


First, the user would plug the phone in to charge


Once the phone recognized the charger as a dongle,
the user would replace the charger with a wire that
was spliced with a USB cord on the other end




No, no user would ever be willing to solder his
or her charger, splice a wire, and trick the
phone EVERY TIME


Safety hazard


Can’t manufacture these parts either


Using Dual
-
tone multi
-
frequency signaling


Push
-
button phones use this for dialing


Try to make our App accept different
frequencies. Each frequency would correspond
to a button push from the user


Dual
-
tone works by using a switch. When the
switch is activated, it completes 2 paths,
allowing two different frequencies through




No, would require a wired connection to the
phone


Has never really been done withanyAndroid
phones


Very hard to manufacture on a large scale



Using a Bluetooth keyboard or game controller
to allow the user to communicate with the
application


A keystroke or button press would represent a
button push on the phone itself


Yes, it would. However, the design is not
unique to our group. We would also have to
pay the keyboard or game controller
manufacturer money every time someone
bought our product


However, this option got us on the right
track.Let’s build our own Bluetooth device!


Design our own Bluetooth device to
communicate with our application


Start off with a Bluetooth development kit


Create a Bluetooth device designed specifically
for our app


Attempt to code our Bluetooth device with a
PIC board from earlier classes



Will attempt to code with the PIC board


Will have to back
-
engineer once we figure it out


Use this option as a starting point for our own
Bluetooth Device


Interfacing with an Android device


The app is almost fully functional without the
hardware inputs or IR output


The IR database is ready to be called by the
app’s Java code


The Bluetooth kit we are using has been
ordered and we will begin getting it connected
with various input devices and an IR output
device once it is received


Our end product will be a functioning
universal remote that will operate as an
application on the Android platform


Our device will control multiple devices by
outputting IR code from the Bluetooth device


Our device will be controlled by different
inputs such as, buttons, a joystick or voice;
these devices will be control the app by a
Bluetooth connection


Interfacing the Bluetooth inputs with the app


Having to possibly switch out the chip on the
PIC we ordered


Coding with a PIC we are not familiar with


Part

Available At

Notes

Cost

Android SDK

http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html



Free

Android Device(View Sonic G)

Sears

Need to check compatability
with project

$399

Enclosure



Enclosure for Bluetooth/IR
Assembly

$10
-
15

Passive Parts

Jeff

Resitors,Capacitors,Ect

$25

Input Devices(Jooysticks, Button,Ect)

www.enablemart.com

Received 2 buttons from
SD1006

$300

IR Repeater

Jeff/
Digi

Key



$50

Bluetooth Kit

www.sparkfun.com

Part#WRL
-
09977

$45






Total

$834