Fascinated by IoT and other wireless technology, I started with getting an HC-06 Bluetooth module.
Attaching the Bluetooth with the Arduino came next. I started by researching, building and applying codes to the Arduino circuitry. After a number of iterations with trials & errors, I started getting some headway with the connection.
Why stop at using an app when you can command by using voice, ‘Lights on’ and ‘Lights Off’ was what I was aiming at. Delving further into every instructable ever I finally managed to get to a workable point.
After changing this circuit, making tweaks in the code and searching for more Instructables, I finally got it to react to my voice.
The video to show the same.(Even though google does not understand my voice.)
Now that I have a successfully connected Bluetooth module, I wanted to take it to the next level. One way could be attaching a relay transistor arrangement and connecting to a REAL device, say a light/fan/coffee machine. I wanted to take a different direction and tackle another issue.
I wanted to make a light go on, whenever I got a new e-mail on the school email, just cause I tend to miss those all the time and why not. This is where the actual fun started.
After much research and deliberation, one of the possible ways could be to use multiple platforms and ways to make this happen using the resources I already had at hand.
- IFTTT is a tool which works on the basic if this then that principle, essentially I enabled the tool to; Whenever there is a new mail on anangia@sva.edu then send a web URL(through the maker for DIY projects) to change 0-1 on my host(antriksh.96.lt).
- Hosting a webpage/ making a temporary domain is simple but delving into SQL databases/ writing the PHP script is something I have no experience at, a genius friend helped me with the same. This essentially meant that IFTTT could send a call to change variables on my domain every time it detected a new e-mail coming in. There is some stuff going on at the backend,some of which I understand and most I do not.
- There is no existing application on the google marketplace that supports such a custom framework. So I started getting into making one. Using the MIT App Inventor(Only for android, IOS does not support app making like this).
- After placing, replacing and then replacing code blocks I got to a prototype which I can use with the app. Getting into the basic of the emulator is easy, but you can make full blown complex apps on these. My thing was very basic(not for me, though).
- Now I will try and experiment with this App in use on an android phone.