iBeacons

Sigh : really wanted to run an app using onX to tie iBeacon detection (got some nice little ones from Spanish outfit EasiBeacon) to run actions on the phone (pop up web pages, put phone on silent, vibrate directions, text a contact, etc etc)

But onX isn't seeing much development love these days, and the BT bit (which works very nicely for handling connect/disonnect of my Pebble) just doesn't want to see my beacons...

Gonna have to get down and code a proper Android app.... so disappointing...

LaBonne PI control : JAVA IS GO

Happy days are here : having resigned myself to writing the code in python, I have discovered that there is now an official JAVA7 port for the Raspberry PI!

See : http://electronicdesign.com/embedded/coffee-dessert-java-and-raspberry-pi
> sudo apt-get update
> sudo apt-get install oracle-java7-jdk

And a nice GPIO, I2C etc  java lib to interface it:
http://pi4j.com/example/control.html

A good set of functions, although it has some strange GPIO pin labeling (maybe from the first pi version pinout? or related to labeling from wiringPI vis-a-vis the Ardino pinouts?)

So, dust off some code, and we've got a Jetty based http server running some servlets, to do basic management control, java alarms, logs, sql access etc. Add in a servlet to map the labonne specific hardware  layout and create some basic actions... and it shakes/nods its head via a web service, delivers the current temp/humidity, turns on/off the relays...

Need to add some hardware for some LEDs (driven from the PWM controller to get brightness control)

Just finding the java so much easier to deal with...

Now looking to get the audio working (stero mikes to track the speaker, record and play utterences, process simple voice reco), and the camera to snapshot.

Then a nice rule based interpreter/GUI config system to tie it together.

LaBonne advances

Hardware updated:
-  2 touch buttons
 - 1 movement sensor
 - 2 relays [via Amazon : 5V RELAIS MODULE 2 CANAUX POUR ARDUINO PIC ARM AVR DSP]
 - temp/humidity sensor (DHT11 : Amazon : DHT11 numérique de température de la sonde du capteur d'humidité Moudle Pour Arduino CVC 4pin]
 -  2 microphones (for stereo) via USB sound 'cards'

Installed in a 'body' made from the plastic globe from a led lighting ambiance unit from China

Hardware

Raspberry Pi : model A (no need for wired ethernet)
Wifi USB key
Bluetooth USB key
Powered USB hub (used as power distribution)
I2C Servo controller PWM card
relay control card
temp/humidity sensor
smoke sensor
Pi camera
IR movement detector

and currently it looks like this:

Central hardware : initial thoughts

For the central unit, it needs to be able to:
 - connect to networks : wifi or a national M2M network (eg Sigfox)
 - communicate with the user via voice/audio : microphones, speaker
 - lighting/moveable elements for personality : servo controller/LED control
 - monitor environment : temperature, humidity, smoke detection
 - display information/Internet info : HDMI/Peritel TV output / simple remote controller
 - communicate with remote units via low power, 10s of metres
 - person detection

Remote units
 - temperature/humidity/smoke detection
 - person detection
 - control lights, heating