BT Bot Control vs WiFi Bot Control – Which is faster?
Although the function of both these apps is the same, there are some underlying differences that are important to making your decision on which route to go. In general, BT Bot Control is faster in getting joystick commands to the robot. This is inherent in the design as it uses a direct link over Bluetooth between the Android device and your robot. WiFi Bot Control is slower as the commands have to a) share traffic…
Configure IP Camera – Alternate Approaches
If you are having troubles setting up your IP Camera,the following are some approaches that may (or may not) work for your camera. Some of these are specific to certain camera manufacturers: 1) Generic interface to Foscam IP Cameras. You could build a webpage that displays the camera and then refer to the webpage URL in WiFi Bot Control / BT Bot Control. Once done, then use the URL you use to access the webpage…
Adding IP Camera URLs
Camera Options: For this project, I used the Ai-Ball tiny IPCam. However, take my word for it, it’s a waste of money and a battery pig. It’s only advantage is that it’s small. If you are using the Ai-Ball or other similar webcam, the configuration is as noted below. If you have a spare phone laying around that has a camera, I suggest you get IP Webcam from Google Play. This great little app allows you…
Joystick Modes and Sending Data Over Bluetooth
There are two joystick modes. Default and Simple Joystick: *** Remember - the Free version will send the number 9 for all joystick (Default/Simple) and Command Buttons. The Pro version will send actual values. Default Joystick Mode: When you move the ball around, coordinates are generated as X+/- and Y +/- and can be used to interpret both velocity and direction. These are packaged and sent in the following format: sX=val,Y=vale sX=75,Y=55e where 's' indicates…
Version History
Check out BT Bot Control on Google Play for the most recent updates. – April 16 2013: :: Pro Version: Fixed issue with Default Joystick and data being returned from joystick movement. Only affects small screen devices. - April 12 2013: Settings: :: New: Added Simple Joystick Mode. Allows for simple joystick control using arrows. Sends single char data via Bluetooth as (U,D,L,R). Command Buttons send data as (1 to 8). Help: :: Cleaned…
Bluetooth – Issues Enabling
If Bluetooth is disabled when you open BT Bot Control, the app will ask you if you want to enable it. Click yes to enable Bluetooth. Your Android phone will ask you if you want to proceed. Click Yes. If, Bluetooth still does not enable, check your Airplane Mode settings. If Airplane Mode is enabled, it will restrict the ability to turn Bluetooth on. You must disable Airplane Mode to turn Bluetooth on.
How do I tell if data is being sent over Bluetooth?
You can verify that BTBotControl is sending data over Bluetooth by using an application such as Putty. You can do this by connecting your Android device to your computer/laptop over Bluetooth. Before using Putty, make sure you have paired the two devices and they are connected. To configure putty, setup a serial connection pointing to the Com Port (Serial Line) that your Bluetooth device/dongle is connected to. Typical speed settings are 9600 (Baud). Once configured,…
Connecting to Bluetooth
Setting up Bluetooth is easy: Before starting BTBotControl, make sure Bluetooth is turned on. Make sure the Bluetooth device you are connecting to is powered on and you have previously paired the Bluetooth unit to your Android device. Open BTBotControl and click the Bluetooth Settings icon (A). You will see a screen similar to below. Select your Bluetooth device. After a few seconds, your Bluetooth device should be connected, and you should see…
Configure IP Camera for Viewing
If you are having issues viewing a direct video stream from your IP camera ( is not working), have a look at this site to see what varying modes your IP Camera has (be sure to search for your camera). If none of these work, you can setup a webpage to auto-refresh your camera in snapshot mode and then use the URL to the website in BT Bot Control / WiFi Bot Control. First,…