the path

This morning the VLDB presentation of the software and demo went well, and this afternoon it was time for the actual demonstration to the conference participants. We had a total of seven sensor platforms (www.sensorplatform.org) that went on to the demonstration board but only six of them were responsive with any data. The TCP/IP stack needs some work as there is a memory error that keeps occurring at some random points during bootup. Currently we’re trying to determine if it is a hardware issue or not — most likely no because the stack works well on some platforms but gives errors on others. Anyways, Purdue University seemed pleased with the results we were able to display and we’ll be giving another demonstration on Friday before returning to the States on Saturday morning.

After months of procrastination, I have finally put together the project page for the LMD18200 H-bridge motor driver. I uploaded all of the schematic and PCB documents as well as a simple bill of materials.

In the Residences section of today’s edition of The Palm Beach Post, my dad came across one of the research projects that I’ve been involved with and working on for the past eight months. The Gator Tech Smart House is a home located in the University of Florida’s Oak Hammock living community and caters to the pervasive computing needs of the elderly. Written by Sue Kovach, the article gives a brief overview of a few of the sensors located with the home. It gives me a strong sense of pride to know that something that I’ve had a hand in designing is appearing in newspapers and is gaining some kind of public knowledge — even more so when the Australian Discovery Channel airs what was taped in the house earlier this year. Most of the projects college students do never amount to anything, so I’m happy to see the success for everyone involved.

I looked but was unable to find the blip on The Post’s website, so I’ve attached the completed article at the bottom of this entry. Below is Youssef Kaddoura holding one of the boards we are about to replace with the platform that I’ve designed.

The Palm Beach Post Article

• Page 1
• Page 2

More information or a better description of the Smart House can be found in an issue of the IEEE magazine or from the Gator Tech Smart House website.

After a little work getting the page to match the rest of the website, I’ve finally put up my source code to display text on an LCD screen in 4-bit mode using a microcontroller. It isn’t earth shattering technology, but is a good start for anyone looking to do something fun with embedded microprocessors and is also a useful for debugging the integration process of sensors and actuation for robotics.

The source, pictures, datasheets, and explanation can be found by following the project page links at the side of the page or simply going to the 4-bit LCD.

It’s amazing to see a company that started only six years ago be worth more than Ford and General Motors (combined). I find it even more amazing that Google is so successful and hasn’t even put out a television commercial.

If you’ve got an hour free tonight at 7pm, tune in to CBS and watch 60 Minutes.