ISSUE 10 WWW.ETC.CMU.

EDU/PROJECTS/LM-SCI-FI/ SEPTEMBER 2010

The S.C.I.F.I. Weekly

Android wins over Processing
!

MICHAEL HILL 2. A simple, efficient, and easy to

use menuing system is already in place,
Hardware Designer / Programmer we no longer have to create our own.

After doing various tests regarding 3. Bluetooth functionality is now just a few
integrating Android libraries into Processing, lines of code away; previously we would
have had to figure out how to connect
it was decided that it would be more time the Android Bluetooth libraries to
efficient to learn how to animate graphics Processing.
with Android than struggle with code that
could potentially have a lot of bugs. 4. GPS is almost as simple as Bluetooth.

We also looked at integrating a 5.Inherent functions, like the phone’s

“back” key work without any special
Pr o c e s s i n g p r o j e c t i n t o a n code. They are a part of the system and,
Android application. It was as such, are built to work without
quickly discovered that additional programming.
Android does not support
6. We get data management for free.
some of the core functions Android has a database library that
that Processing needs. This make storing and retrieving data a
means that a Processing trivial matter.
application can be run on
This week, our main focus was to get
the android with a special
menus laid out as well as have clear
compiler but cannot be
transitions between two sets of menus.
easily embedded into an
While Hanika was working on this, I
Android application.
worked on figuring out how to lock the
Having made the decision of which orientation of our application into landscape
development toolkit to use, we can now mode and make it full-screen. These first two
enumerate the specific advantages of using tasks were simple single lines of code, so I
the Android SDK: moved on to dynamically placing buttons that
contain a custom layout of images and text.
1. All of the libraries we would have needed
This is an ongoing process that I hope to
naturally integrate into our program.
have done by the end of the day Friday.

This week inside...

Android wins over Processing.....................1
What an inspiring event! ............................2
The S.C.I.F.I. Weekly Advice from first years.................................3
Weekly Check List.......................................3

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ISSUE 10 WWW.ETC.CMU.EDU/PROJECTS/LM-SCI-FI/
The S.C.I.F.I. Weekly
What an inspiring event!
ETC/TEA Mixer
JAMES DOUGHTY
Designer
W h i l e L o c k h e e d Ma r t i n w o u l d n’t
necessarily be a name that comes up on the
topic of location-based entertainment, Team
S.C.I.F.I. nonetheless had a great night
discussing our project(s) with – and taking
inspiration from – guests of the Themed
Enter tainment Association mixer on
Thursday, October 28th at the ETC.
Team S.C.I.F.I. is refining and visualizing user flow chart for software development.
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SEPTEMBER 2010
!
Among the visitors to the project room
was Joel Berez of Electrosonics, who was
keen to hear all about the Arrow of Apollo
navigation system, and even offered the
suggestion of an alternate device – one that
would guide the user by sound rather than
sight. Using head mounted speakers or
earbuds, an audible signal could be used to
beckon the wearer to proceed in the
direction from which the sound seems to be
coming from. The user would simply follow
the sound, which would eventually lead him/
her to their destination. We found this
concept extremel y exciting, and are
considering creating such a device if time
permits. According to teammate Michael
Hill, it’s something that would be “very do-
able” as a bonus gadget.
Another enthusiastic visitor was Clara
Phil lips of the Create Lab Robotics
Institute, whose current project, Body
Track, sounds very much in line with Team
S.C.I.F.I.’s DRADIS application, wherein
the bodily statistics of the wearer are
monitored and communicated via an
electronic device. Our team hopes to
exchange useful information and research
with Clara over the coming weeks.
ISSUE 10 WWW.ETC.CMU.EDU/PROJECTS/LM-SCI-FI/ SEPTEMBER 2010

The S.C.I.F.I. Weekly

Upcoming Schedule Advice from first years Class 1
Class 1M
Safe.
Safe provided optical
instruments are not
While the team is working with a laser used.
November 19, 2010
Due 30s/3m promo video pointer for the Arrow of Apollo, the issue is Class 2 Visible lasers. Safe for
about how they can make the dot on the accidental exposure (<
November 22, 2010
0.25 s).
Soft Opening ground larger and brighter. With this question
Due final product in mind, the team invited David Francus to Class 2M Visible lasers. Safe for
accidental exposure (<
November 30, 2010 speak with us about using lasers in practical 0.25 s) providing optical
Lockheed Martin Day applications as well as laser instruments are not
used.
December 6, 8, 10, 2010 safety. David is a 1st year
Final Presentation student at the ETC who has Class 3R Not safe. Low risk.
m o r e t h a n 2 y e a r s o f Class 3B Hazardous. Viewing of
diffuse reflection is safe.
experience working with
lasers. He provided the with Class 4 Hazardous. Viewing of
diffuse reflection is also
The S.C.I.F.I. team with ver y helpful hazardous. Fire risk.
information as well as a few
new insights. The following is a summation of the meeting:
Project Client
Lasers have classes as seen in the table above; they are relatively safe
(Lockheed Martin)
up until 50mw.
James F. Burke Jr.
Diffraction grating sheets would work in the place of shape caps.
Brad A. Michael
It will be hard to find wider laser pointers because, typically, a
Project Advisors narrower beam is more desirable.
Shirley Saldamarco Mechanically, it would be easier to attach a small mirror and rotate it
Scott Stevens than to rotate the laser pointer.
Team S.C.I.F.I. Making the laser pointer blink will make it easier to spot.
Carlos Sokion Shin As an effort to weigh between Processing IDE and
James Doughty
Android IDE, the team invited Anton Strenger, another
Michael Hill
brilliant first year student. Anton has experience of
Hanika Karkhanis
Android application development with Android IDE
Programming Advisor that the team was struggling with. He overviewed how
John Conomikes the IDE works and explained methods of debugging. The
Page Design
problem was that Android IDE required certain lines of
Carlos Sokion Shin
code to debug even if it is not used, which was not clearly
stated in the tutorial.

W E E K LY C H E C K L I S T
Last week Next week
Prepare 3-slide project introduction.
Start working on 3 minutes promo Finish concept of 3 minute promo
video. video.
Decide between Processing and Finish the basic user interface layout
Android. for our software suite.
If we choose Android, we will probably still Start user test for user interface on
use Processing for graphics, so our goal will Droid X.
be to run a processing project inside an Integrate our custom hardware withe
Android app.
If we choose Processing, we will need to be the Droid X software.
able to get GPS Data into the program

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