Distant Bot App

Remote Control Software for autonomous robot navigation and control - A comprehensive web-based control system for robotic corn planting automation.

Overview

This project is a web-based remote control system designed for an autonomous agricultural robot (Auto Corn Plant). It provides real-time robot control, GPS navigation, video streaming, and autonomous operation modes through a modern web interface.

Features

• Multiple Control Modes

  • Manual Mode: Direct robot control via web interface
  • Semi-Automatic Mode: GPS-assisted navigation with manual supervision
  • Automatic Mode: Fully autonomous operation
  • GPS Mode: GPS-based navigation
  • Map Mode: Map-based route planning and control

• Real-time Monitoring

  • Robot status monitoring
  • GPS position tracking
  • MCU (Microcontroller) connectivity status
  • Live video streaming via FFmpeg

• Robot Control

  • Forward/Backward movement
  • Left/Right rotation
  • Speed control (PWM-based motor control)
  • Emergency stop functionality

• Navigation

  • GPS-based positioning
  • Google Maps integration
  • Heading and orientation tracking
  • PID controller for precise navigation

• Sensors Integration

  • GPS module
  • Gyroscope
  • Accelerometer
  • Barometer
  • Motion sensors

Technology Stack

Frontend

• Angular Material (v1.0.0-rc1) - UI components and layout
• AngularJS (v1.4.7) - Web application framework
• Google Maps API - Map visualization and GPS tracking
• HTML5/CSS3 - Modern web interface

Backend

• Meteor - Full-stack JavaScript platform
• Node.js - Server-side runtime
• Johnny-Five (v0.9.39) - JavaScript robotics framework
• FFmpeg - Video streaming
• rtsp-ffmpeg (v0.0.10) - RTSP stream handling

Additional Libraries

• pid-controller (v1.0.3) - PID control algorithm
• jimp (v0.2.21) - Image processing
• color-convert (v1.0.0) - Color space conversions

Project Structure

distant-bot-app/
├── prototype/              # HTML/CSS/JS prototype interface
│   ├── index.html         # Main prototype UI
│   ├── index.js           # Angular controller and Google Maps initialization
│   ├── index.css          # Styling
│   └── icon/              # UI icons
├── webapp/
│   └── distant-bot-app/   # Meteor application
│       ├── client/        # Client-side code
│       ├── server/        # Server-side code
│       │   ├── board.js   # Johnny-Five board and motor setup
│       │   ├── method.js  # Meteor methods for robot control
│       │   ├── rtsp.js    # Video streaming
│       │   └── pid-controller-utils.js  # Navigation algorithms
│       ├── model/         # Data models
│       └── packages.json  # NPM dependencies
├── ffmpeg-command.txt     # FFmpeg streaming commands
└── README.md              # This file

Hardware Requirements

• Arduino-compatible microcontroller board
• Motor driver (PWM-capable)
• DC motors (left and right)
• GPS module
• IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) with:
  • Gyroscope
  • Accelerometer
  • Barometer
• Webcam or camera module (for video streaming)

Installation

Prerequisites

• Node.js and NPM
• Meteor framework
• Arduino IDE (for microcontroller programming)
• FFmpeg (for video streaming)

Setup Steps

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/pacozaa/distant-bot-app.git
   cd distant-bot-app

2. Install Meteor (if not already installed)

   Visit https://www.meteor.com/install for installation instructions, or use:

   curl https://install.meteor.com/ | sh

   Note: Review the installation script before running if you have security concerns.

3. Install dependencies

   cd webapp/distant-bot-app
   meteor npm install

4. Configure hardware

   • Connect Arduino board via USB
   • Ensure proper pin connections for motors (PWM: pin 4, DIR: pin 50, CDIR: pin 51)
   • Connect sensors to appropriate pins

5. Start the application

   meteor run

6. Access the interface

   • Open browser and navigate to http://localhost:3000

Video Streaming Setup

The application supports video streaming using FFmpeg. Example commands are provided in ffmpeg-command.txt:

For 320x240 resolution at 5 fps:

ffmpeg -f dshow -i video="Lenovo EasyCamera" -vcodec mpeg4 -r 5 -vf scale=320:240 -tune fastdecode -preset ultrafast -f mpegts udp://localhost:1234/1234

For 160x120 resolution at 5 fps (low latency):

ffmpeg -f dshow -i video="Lenovo EasyCamera" -vcodec mpeg4 -r 5 -vf scale=160:120 -tune zerolatency -preset ultrafast -f mpegts udp://localhost:1234/1234

Replace "Lenovo EasyCamera" with your camera device name.

Usage

1. Start the Robot

   • Click the "START" button to initialize the robot
   • Check status indicators for Robot, GPS, and MCU connectivity

2. Select Control Mode

   • Use the rotary switch to select desired mode:
     • STATUS: View current status
     • MAN: Manual control
     • SEMI: Semi-automatic with GPS assist
     • AUTO: Fully autonomous operation
     • GP: GPS mode
     • MAP: Map-based control

3. Manual Control

   • Use directional buttons (GO, BACK, LEFT, RIGHT)
   • Click STOP for emergency stop

4. Autonomous Operation

   • Set waypoints on the map (in MAP mode)
   • Switch to AUTO mode
   • Robot will navigate autonomously using GPS and sensors

Screenshots

• gr-without-videostream.PNG - Interface without video stream
• indi-without-video-stream.PNG - Alternative interface view

Development

This project was developed as a final year project for autonomous agricultural robot control. It demonstrates the integration of web technologies with robotics hardware for real-world applications.

Future Improvements

• Enhanced image processing for plant detection
• Path planning algorithms
• Multi-robot coordination
• Mobile responsive interface
• WebRTC for lower latency video streaming

License

This project is available as-is for educational purposes.

Author

Created by pacozaa

Acknowledgments

• Johnny-Five community for robotics framework
• Meteor Development Group for the full-stack platform
• Google for Maps API integration