that is awesome!  i've always wanted to hack the display of an e-ink tablet... this is a great work around!

quick question:

why is there a 50 unit gap?  is this to avoid flickering between two directions?

Code:

northOn = 3350 < directionToDestination || directionToDestination < 250;
  northeastOn = 200 < directionToDestination && directionToDestination < 700;
  eastOn = 650 < directionToDestination && directionToDestination < 1150;
  southeastOn = 1100 < directionToDestination && directionToDestination < 1900;
  southwestOn = 1700 < directionToDestination && directionToDestination < 2500;
  westOn = 2450 < directionToDestination && directionToDestination < 2950;
  northwestOn = 2900 < directionToDestination && directionToDestination < 3350;

this is an awesome project!  i can see many uses for the core of this. 
great work.

this can work if you get a screen with vga input:
https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10329

or composite video connection:
https://www.sparkfun.com/products/9313

wow lenny.   thank you so much for that information.  i'm over on the site right now and plan on doing a ton more reading about this.   

funny thing, when talking to my cousin about this project.  i told him that it should be relatively easy.   BOY!  was i wrong!

good idea.

was also thinking about retrofitting the chair with these:

dunno if they need to air filled... but i think he really just uses that one around the house

been emailing with my cousin (not the one in the wheelchair)  asked him why his brother was running into things.  here is his response:

The controls on the wheelchair is a joystick that is very sensitive an not too user friendly. I have tried to use it and it jerks around when you start to move the chair. The problem is when you move the joystick slightly the chair does not move so you got to lean more on the joystick and by that time the motor catches up and takes off. One of the main contributing factors is that the two front tires rotate 360 degrees. So it depends on which direction those tires are facing which determines the amount of force needed to get the chair moving.

thanks for the suggestions guys.  I guess i should first figure out why he's hitting the wall.  if it's just bad driving, or if it's an issue with him manipulating the controls... or if it's an issue with him not being able to sense the space needed to maneuver

Hey forum,

my cousin has MS and uses an electric wheel chair when he's at home.  I was talking to his brother today an I guess he's not the best navigator at the house and his walls are showing the pain. 

I'd like to surprise him with an obstacle avoidance feature when i go home for the holidays.

my plan is to use some ultrasonic sensors.  4 total, one on each corner
https://www.adafruit.com/products/981

and possibly simple interface to toggle the system on and off.


the chair is an invacare Pronto M61 w/Sure Step & Standard Pwr. Elev. Seat

the joystick looks like this:


I'm searching the classifieds for a used one that i can test out here in cali so it'll be pretty plug and play when i go home.

my goals are:
safe
obstacle avoidance
be able to turn the system off


im not sure the best way to accomplish this.   Would it be best to hack the donor controller, cut the traces of the joystick and put the arduino in line with that?

thanks for the help

my doorlock has a remote that came with the unit.  If you picked that one up you could just use the arduino to simulate a button press. it may be the easiest/cleanest solution

http://www.smarthome.com/51895BN/MiLocks-BQF-01OB-Touchpad-Deadbolt-and-Remote-Control-Handleset-Combo-Oil-Rubbed-Bronze/p.aspx

i believe the remote even has an easy access for a wired trigger

wouldn't recording the sound level compound when increasing the volume of the stereo though?


the sound is relatively constant once the rider is pulled up out of the water.  my thoughts would be to have a 'fine adjustment' knob that give a user adjustable input to dial in the max volume increase. 

the gps may work with tiny gps. but i've tried a speed based switch before and have failed.   i'll have to look into this some more.   

Hey guys,

i want to create a automatic volume control for my boat stereo. While we are pulling a rider (16mph+) the engine and wind drown out the stereo so i have to turn it up, then if the rider falls we either get blasted by loud music or i have to turn down the stereo.  I decided i want to make a volume controller that will adjust the volume based on those two conditions.  I'm not sure what best way to go about it though.  here are my options:

gps speed based control (im pretty novice when it comes to arduino and coding so nema is a bit of a stumbling block for me)
throttle position sensor
rpm sensor
3 axis acclerometer
or a diy sensor to detect the throttle position (not interfering with the engine ecu is a plus)

any suggestions?

thanks

i think you may be mistaken.  I don't want to create a gps program, nor use the arduino with a gps shield.  I was talking about a navi devices; lets say a 'tomtom' that would have a serial output.  I know that is a long shot.  hence the android device that would handle the brunt of the navigation tasks. 

i dont want a map or anything on the oled.  just an arrow and possibly a the distance to the turn.   

a simplified version of this:

thanks for the reply.  care to link me to one of the gps navigation units that have a serial output? 


as for the android idea.  I'd want the navigation input to be handled the same way you'd normally do it when using your phone.  After you input your destination and select 'navigate'  (via the navi device) the auxiliary display would then show the distance to the turn and the direction.   

that's what the thread is about.  what devices would make this achievable... if any.   I don't know if there are any gps devices that do have some sort of serial output or if that turn by turn information could be (relatively) easily extracted from and android device. The platform and equipment have yet to be ordered and I haven't written any code.  everything is open right now.  like i posted originally, I'm in the outlining phases of what we can achieve.  After I have that, then i'll start purchasing the hardware and writing code.    no sense in putting the carriage in front of the horse. 

what kind of device(s) are you using? arduino (mega adk possibly)
What do you wanna achieve?  remote display of gps information.   ideally, distance to turn and turn direction
 How is everything connected? hardwired or possibly bt
How far is your planning? outlining
Do you already have some code? If yes, show it!  no