Using your Android phone as a steering wheel

This Android needs leJOS 0.9.0 and a Wifi dongle.

You can control your differential drive EV3 robot by holding your Android phone or tablet like a steering wheel and turning it to steer the robot. Tilting it forwards or backwards changes the speed and direction.

Adjust the constants at the start of the program to your preferred angle for the zero position and the sensitivity of the controls. You will also need to change the host address and pilot parameters for your robot.

Remember to request internet access in your Android manifest.

Here is the code:

package org.lejos.android.sample.ev3androidtilt;

import lejos.remote.ev3.RemoteRequestEV3;
import lejos.remote.ev3.RemoteRequestPilot;
import lejos.utility.Delay;

import android.hardware.Sensor;
import android.hardware.SensorEvent;
import android.hardware.SensorEventListener;
import android.hardware.SensorManager;
import android.os.AsyncTask;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.widget.TextView;
import android.widget.Toast;
import android.app.Activity;

public class MainActivity extends Activity implements SensorEventListener {
	private static final float ZERO_X = 0f, ZERO_Y = 7.5f, LEEWAY = 0.5f,
			SPEED_FACTOR = 10f, TURN_FACTOR = 20f;

	private SensorManager sensorManager;
	private float x = 0, y = 0, z = 0;
	private TextView xAccel, yAccel, zAccel;
	private RemoteRequestPilot pilot;
	private RemoteRequestEV3 ev3;

	@Override
	protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
		super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
		setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
		sensorManager = (SensorManager) getSystemService(SENSOR_SERVICE);
		xAccel = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.xAccel);
		yAccel = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.yAccel);
		zAccel = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.zAccel);
		new Control().execute("192.168.0.9");
	}

	@Override
	protected void onResume() {
		sensorManager.registerListener(this,
				sensorManager.getDefaultSensor(Sensor.TYPE_ACCELEROMETER),
				SensorManager.SENSOR_DELAY_NORMAL);
		super.onResume();
	}

	@Override
	protected void onStop() {
		sensorManager.unregisterListener(this);
		super.onStop();
	}

	@Override
	public void onAccuracyChanged(Sensor sensor, int accuracy) {
		// Do nothing
	}

	@Override
	public void onSensorChanged(SensorEvent event) {
		x = event.values[0];
		y = event.values[1];
		z = event.values[2];

		xAccel.setText("x = " + x);
		yAccel.setText("y = " + y);
		zAccel.setText("z = " + z);
	}

	private class Control extends AsyncTask<String, Integer, Long> {
		protected Long doInBackground(String... cmd) {
			try {
				ev3 = new RemoteRequestEV3(cmd[0]);
				pilot = (RemoteRequestPilot) ev3.createPilot(3.5f, 20f, "A",
						"B");

				for (;;) {
					pilot.setTravelSpeed(Math.abs(y - ZERO_Y) * SPEED_FACTOR);
					if (y > ZERO_Y + LEEWAY) {
						pilot.backward();
					} else if (y < ZERO_Y - LEEWAY) {
						if (Math.abs(x - ZERO_X) < LEEWAY)
							pilot.forward();
						else
							pilot.steer((x - ZERO_X) * TURN_FACTOR);
					} else
						pilot.stop();
					Delay.msDelay(200);
				}
			} catch (Exception e) {
				return (ev3 == null ? 1l : 2l);
			} finally {
				if (pilot != null) {
					pilot.stop();
					pilot.close();
				}
				if (ev3 != null)
					ev3.disConnect();
			}
		}

		protected void onPostExecute(Long result) {
			if (result == 1l)
				Toast.makeText(MainActivity.this, "Could not connect to EV3",
						Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
			else if (result == 2l)
				Toast.makeText(MainActivity.this, "Error accessing EV3",
						Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
		}
	}
}