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Re: seeking help with a stroke patient // MomPC

Posted 02-21-2009 at 03:59 PM by kgw
Updated 02-24-2009 at 12:15 PM by kgw (improve readability)

02-14-09 -- intial post

My name is Kevin Waite. I am a new member of chibots. I am looking
for feedback and help on the following design, prototype, and
programming of what I am calling MomPC.

The following is an explanation of the design and prototype of a PC
based controlled interface for a stroke patient, whom happens to be
my mother.

In the most simple form, I need a computer to translate large icon
touchscreen touches into mechanical button presses, one or several
button presses onto a specific TV remote control and onto a specific
cell phone. This would be phase 1.

Phase 2 would be to allow incoming calls to translate into automatic
button presses such as muting the TV. As well as allow the incoming
caller to accomplish things within the patient's room by using touch-tones.
Like triggering the call light or changing the TV channel. Software
that listens and decodes touch-tones is something I am also seeking
and I'm very interested in learning more about. Btw this sort of
thing in found in a home automation box for X10 PRO Telephone
Responder XPPHC06. [[ see later posts below, but the idea to use
an IR blaster for TV control is a vast improvement, (thanks Tony), I
have bought the IR Tira from Home-Electro.com]]

Phase 3 would be to allow data transfers over a cell phone to cell
phone voice call. This could allow retrieving real time status of the
patient and activities of the nursing staff such as keeping with the
patients bed turning schedule.

My preliminary research has identified several possible solutions
both hardware and some software. My goal is to complete the design,
prototype construction and software programming as soon as possible.
With in a month.

I am seeking your help in terms of saving me any foreseeable missteps
and to reduce my trial and error efforts in all ways possible. Thanks
in advance.

Unlike most robotic programming and design efforts what I am seeking
is actually, I think, fairly simplistic. What I need here doesn't
really require much in terms of environmental awareness. Furthermore,
phase 1 comes down to being able to programmatically control the
pressing of possibly six buttons on the cell phone and maybe five
buttons on the TV control.

Reasonable costs is a consideration.

My first thought is to use the types of servos found in the radio
controlled airplanes. Such as the following:

HD-1440A analog servo from Power HD
http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/1040

I am thinking that all I really need to do, on a per button basis, is
to control a pushrod (push wire) type solution. Were pushing the
button is possibly a 1 mm, 2 mm or 3 mm push movement (via servo
rotation). I suppose a single servo could control two buttons and
what this means is that there would be the zero position and rotating
the 3° (or so) left to push one button and rotating 3° right would
push another button and then returning to dead center would mean
neither button would be pushed. I'm not sure if an analog servo would
be good enough for this, however these are used in RC model airplanes
and if you don't have true positioning than I presume flight control
would be pretty bad. This is why I think that these servos should
work as I am describing. I am very curios to know the pitfalls that
await me in this design. I suppose it might be a good idea to be able
to read back from the servo what position the server is in – but that
likely is not found in this sub $10 servos. So maybe a simple
feedback of positive acknowledgement when the servo is back to it
centered home state. Having this would allow automatic removal of any
usage drift. I am very open to suggestions here, more ideas, other
ideas.

This servo (HD-1440A) and the others I have looked are all using a
Futaba or Futaba-compatible connection. Is this good? I am looking
for a white paper about Futaba connections and a SDK for Futaba
connected and controlled servos.

Using this servo (HD-1440A) from POLOLU leads me to considering
their controller. The Pololu USB 16-servo controller is the most full-
featured member of our line of R/C hobby servo controllers. Seems to
be a lot for the price and seems to be compatible with my
requirements above – I would be off the charts to be get in touch
with anyone with working knowledge with this controller.

http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/390

The above described quite a bit and these the areas I believe I need
the most help with.

Currently, the following is the 7" touchscreen I have found in
quantities of 2 to 20 and have a bid from its Chinese manufacturer of
$62 per unit (without shipping and misc). I have no previous
knowledge of this manufacturer but I believe I will be buying two or
three of these touchscreens in the near future if anyone out there
would be interested in adding on to my order. This is probably is
outside the size designs for most of you but this is a really good
price. I have drivers for this screen and some with paper .pdfs as
well. Kgw.bot@gmail.com

This touchscreen is the exact same as found inside the: Lilliput
629GL-70NP/C/T retail is about $260 to $300. The LCD panel has the
following model number: AT070TN83.

Thanks in advance.
Sincerely,
Kevin Waite
Kgw.bot@gmail.com

02-04-09 (response to Tony HA (home autmation ideas/suggestions)

RE: HA Systems (HA Home Automation?) – please post good links
to such HA system providing specific solutions the design
requirements outlined in initial post – I'm very curious.

Some more background information.
Using the patient's existing TV and cell phone – has the following advantages:

Very low costs, patient and family familiarity, prefect fit to current
patient needs and deficits.

cell phone (Samsung 7200) is already owned with 2 backup
units bought on eBay – this model has built-in speaker
mode (very loud and clear) and built-in auto answer –
both are prefect for MomPC

cell service is only $10 per month and unlimited
minutes between our plan cell phones

TV is already owned and is a larger screen format with cabinet –
patient needs a larger TV screen – supports CATV viewing of the
nursing home's cable channels, has integrated DVD and VCR players

My limited research thus far for touch screen solutions for stroke patients
are posting with very large retail prices $4k to $10k – and generally are
not addressing these basic environmental self control.

Within this nursing home setting there is currently NO internet access.
any 3g solutions to this problem would be in the $60 per month with data limitations.

Subsequently --- the requirement remains to actually actuate the buttons
on the cell phone and TV remote – however – an IR Blaster solution
for the TV part may be just as good and cut the numbers of servos in
half approximately.

So – that is a great idea – so I am now also very interested in IR Blasters
for the PC – I actually have an installed IR Blaster both on my Media
Center XP PC and an IR Blaster on the SlingBox. I have always had
problems with IR blasters being 100% accurate, with the SlingBox
showing as the most robust example.

Thanks.
Sincerely,
Kevin Waite

02-17-09 (progress report)

Thanks Kevin -- this is some great information and ideas. I
appreciate your feedback. I have no idea what better online
forum with the group also having local meetings I might carry
on my MomPC design brainstorming -- I'm open. I have yet
to check your links -- I will post dinner. Thanks again.

Regarding using an -- I have ordered and will
be developing around the following IR blaster: Tira-2.1 (IR Receiver/
transmitter, USB) http://www.home-electro.com/

It supports receiving and transmitting and appears to have a good
amount of software available. It is costing $49.00 which is about the
going price for this level of blaster. It allows addressing so more
than one of these blasters can used from one PC. It also has a
3.5m jack for an addition emitter connection. Has been around
for several years and has a fair size install base.

The text messaging idea regarding the cell phone is very
interesting -- the Samsung 7200 has text messaging. And
I am somewhat familiar with cell phones being able to act as
a modem for a laptop -- I even had the cable and cell phone
for this in the summer 2000. Cell phones are hard to deal with
in terms of ZERO SDK like documentation on their internal
workings and ports, to prevent hacking but also to prevent folks
from making there own games and ringtones thus killing
a margin rich income stream. For MomPC the key will
be voice calls to mom -- thus the cell phone needs to
function first as an auto-answer auto-speaker phone for
mom -- I am pretty sure that if you connect this phones
by their serial connections vs. the charging connections --
there is a fair likelihood the Samsung 7200 might think its in a
modem mode -- there is a lot of trail and error -- I have
no documentation regarding the 7200 port pins other than
seeing what its charger cares about. So DTMF would
be too shaky -- I would still love to try out some software
that can listen for touch tones via PC mic and see how this
fairs -- any one know of such software or plugin please post
the link. I have used the x10 touch tone decoder with my
cell phone with 100% prefect tone identification -- PRO Telephone
Responder XPPHC06 http://www.homecontrols.com/cgi-
bin/main/co_disp/displ/prrfnbr/2365/sesent/00/X10-PRO-Telephone-
Responder

If hearing and decoding 3 or 4 tones of the 12 would give me
all the hook needed for phase 2 of MomPC.

For outbound cell phone usage I am still seeing a requirement
to physically actuate the cell phone buttons at least 4 to 5 buttons
-- planning to use speed dial so [1] [2] [3] [talk][end] buttons
maybe [ok] maybe [back].

Has anyone worked with the folks at http://www.pololu.com
Their prices and site info appear good.

Has anyone worked with this little servos and their controller?
http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/1040
and
http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/390

Thanks.
Kevin Waite

02-21-09 (seeking sheathed flexible push pull cables for small RC cables)

Yo Chiboters,

I'm looking for some form of sheathed cable push pull type cabling,
akin to what you found on the curved and sheathed cables for hand
brakes on a bike. I can always use exactly that – but was wondering
about if there are better types and where I might find them? This is
related to MomPC (see my other posts) with using small RC type servos
to actuate 5 to 6 buttons on my mother's Samsung 7200 cell phone. The
brake cables on the bike are twisted cable wiring – if I were to use
this – are there small crimped on hooks and tackle type hard ware for
this type of wire? Any thoughts?

Please let me know.

Thanks in advance.
Sincerely,
Kevin Waite