Team 4095 Presents: iPhone Driver Station!

[ekapalka]

@Chiller

Unfortunately no since I do not have an android device…

The Android SDK has an emulator for devices Its also free. I get the impression that they did everything in their power to encourage people to develop apps for it

[geomapguy]

@ekapalka

The Android SDK has an emulator for devices Its also free. I get the impression that they did everything in their power to encourage people to develop apps for it

Also, google play’s app-critiquing process is not so rigorous

[Chiller]

@ekapalka

The Android SDK has an emulator for devices Its also free. I get the impression that they did everything in their power to encourage people to develop apps for it

Even though I am good at java ive never really took my time to develop for android…

[Torrance]

Sounds super cool!

Can we make it run Cheesy Vision? On the downside, it would be particularly hard to take Cheesy Vision Selfies…

[dtrailin]

@Chiller

Even though I am good at java ive never really took my time to develop for android…

I’m sure there are plenty of FIRSTers who would be happy to port it to Android. Maybe even as part of FIRST Summer of Code. If you made the IOS version open source it would make it much easier to expand the app to new platforms.

[Chiller]

@hiyou102

I’m sure there are plenty of FIRSTers who would be happy to port it to Android. Maybe even as part of FIRST Summer of Code. If you made the IOS version open source it would make it much easier to expand the app to new platforms.

Well I was planning on using this app as a fundraising technique, sell it for some on the app store and then our team will get a little extra money.

Maybe if we reach a quota or something I will release the source. But until then it will be closed source…

[anon33588359]

@Chiller

Well I was planning on using this app as a fundraising technique, sell it for some on the app store and then our team will get a little extra money.

Maybe if we reach a quota or something I will release the source. But until then it will be closed source…

You could still sell the app and release it as open source. I doubt anyone would take the time to copy the code and publish the app if it was available for a reasonable price.

[m1506m]

Or, there is another member working on the Android version already. http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=129073

[tech2077]

Do you have the protocol documented anywhere outside the source code, I am interested in writing a cross platform version of the driver station just for debugging and testing purposes and would be be very interested in the protocol documentation so I could go through with this project without having to go through with wiresharking the protocol.

Edit: It seems the protocol has been publish at http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/papers/2266

[Chiller]

@tech2077

Do you have the protocol documented anywhere outside the source code, I am interested in writing a cross platform version of the driver station just for debugging and testing purposes and would be be very interested in the protocol documentation so I could go through with this project without having to go through with wiresharking the protocol.

Edit: It seems the protocol has been publish at http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/papers/2266

Ya you can find the protocol from like two different people if you try hard enough.

[404_d]

Although it would be nice to have it open source, from the OP’s perspective and the fact that the information to make your own is easy to find, I think it’s better for OP to keep it closed source.

[koluke]

@Greg McKaskle

That is a very cool achievement, but like Austin, I request that you think about safety and test, test, test. Then consider how confident you are that nobody will be hurt using your DS. Then consider whether modifications to the DS by others are likely to stay safe.

Theoretically you should be able to build in safety checks similar to how the DS responds when you unplug a joystick.

Also, regarding closed vs. open source, it should be possible to dual-license the code so that there is an open source version, but make the binaries available on the App Store for a small fee. I found some helpful info at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_models_for_open-source_software.

Hope this helps.

[Chiller]

So I just programmed in the interface for iPads! I will submit this to the app store soon maybe before the weekend!!!

[Drew_B]

First of all, a big thanks to Connor for putting in time to make this. It’s an awesome idea, and I’m sure plenty of teams will use it.

Now, are there any updates for the app? I’ve been checking the app store and haven’t seen it, and was wondering if it’s been submitted yet. Again, thanks for your efforts, we all appreciate it!

[Chiller]

@Drew_B

First of all, a big thanks to Connor for putting in time to make this. It’s an awesome idea, and I’m sure plenty of teams will use it.

Now, are there any updates for the app? I’ve been checking the app store and haven’t seen it, and was wondering if it’s been submitted yet. Again, thanks for your efforts, we all appreciate it!

I just remembered that I have to program in the DS messages and also am adding a speedometer for the ipad version, so I have to figure out the analog outputs to the DS.

But for me to do that I need to be at school…

[Chiller]

Just submitted to the app store!! It may take a week or so to hear back from them…

[BabyUnicorn]

This is really sweet! Thanks so much for sharing! As someone who has driven multiple times, I’m just curious, do you see something like this replacing Xbox controllers and such? A lot of the time (all the time) drivers can’t look down. You can’t feel the joysticks on the apple device unlike a controller. Any potential adaptions to make it more suitable for potential use in competition?

[ekapalka]

@BabyUnicorn

This is really sweet! Thanks so much for sharing! As someone who has driven multiple times, I’m just curious, do you see something like this replacing Xbox controllers and such? A lot of the time (all the time) drivers can’t look down. You can’t feel the joysticks on the apple device unlike a controller. Any potential adaptions to make it more suitable for potential use in competition?

I don’t think it will be usable in any competition in the foreseeable future for a few reasons. Firstly, its using an iPhone (wireless communication device) which is illegal, and second its not using the DriverStation, which is a non-negotiable requirement for competing. [If FIRST ever decides to relax these rules] I think the only types of feedback available on iPhones are visual, audio, and tactile (vibrate), which I’m sure could be incorporated into the app, although I would question whether or not it would help

[BabyUnicorn]

@ekapalka

I don’t think it will be usable in any competition in the foreseeable future for a few reasons. Firstly, its using an iPhone (wireless communication device) which is illegal, and second its not using the DriverStation, which is a non-negotiable requirement for competing. [If FIRST ever decides to relax these rules] I think the only types of feedback available on iPhones are visual, audio, and tactile (vibrate), which I’m sure could be incorporated into the app, although I would question whether or not it would help

Yeah, that’s a pretty fair response. This may also be useful for demos when you don’t want to lug all your equipment somewhere. In this kind of scenario, it would be quite useful. I think a vibrate to verify proper touch with the joysticks would be useful for drivers.

[safiq10]

Any news on the driver station?