from random import randint
from operator import sub

from pygame import Surface

from esp_hadouken.GameChild import *

class Barrier(GameChild, Surface):

    dir_r, dir_l = 1, -1

    def __init__(self, parent, y, sibling=None):
        GameChild.__init__(self, parent)
        self.y = y
        self.sibling = sibling
        self.init_surface()

    def init_surface(self):
        size = self.determine_size()
        Surface.__init__(self, (size, size))
        self.fill(self.parent.transparent_color)
        self.set_rect()

    def determine_size(self):
        parent = self.parent
        size_range = parent.size_range
        pos = float(self.y) / -sub(*parent.y_range)
        return pos * -sub(*size_range) + size_range[0]

    def set_rect(self):
        rect = self.get_rect()
        rect.top = self.y
        sibling = self.sibling
        if not sibling:
            growth = self.dir_r
            rect.top = self.y
            rect.left = self.generate_initial_x()
        else:
            growth = sibling.growth
            if growth == self.dir_r:
                rect.left = sibling.rect.right
                if rect.right > self.parent.get_width():
                    growth = self.dir_l
                    rect.right = sibling.rect.left
            if growth == self.dir_l:
                rect.right = sibling.rect.left
                if rect.left < 0:
                    growth = self.dir_r
                    rect.left = sibling.rect.right
        self.growth = growth
        self.rect = rect
        self.x = rect.left
        self.set_heading()
        self.set_step()

    def generate_initial_x(self):
        parent = self.parent
        return randint(0, parent.get_width() - parent.size_range[0])

    def set_heading(self):
        if self.rect.centerx > self.parent.get_width() / 2:
            heading = self.dir_l
        else:
            heading = self.dir_r
        self.heading = heading

    def set_step(self):
        parent = self.parent
        center = parent.get_width() / 2
        rnge = abs((self.rect.centerx - center) * 2)
        self.step = float(rnge) / parent.step_limit

    def toggle_heading(self):
        heading = self.heading
        if heading == self.dir_l:
            heading = self.dir_r
        else:
            heading = self.dir_l
        self.heading = heading

    def update(self):
        self.move()
        self.draw()

    def move(self):
        self.x += self.heading * self.step
        self.rect.left = self.x
        
    def draw(self):
        self.parent.area.blit(self, self.rect)
from esp_hadouken.levels.Level import *
from Gauntlet import *

class Horse(Level):

    def __init__(self, parent):
        Level.__init__(self, parent)

    def set_void(self):
        self.void = Gauntlet(self)
from random import randint
from operator import sub

from pygame import draw

from esp_hadouken.GameChild import *

class Bubble(GameChild):

    def __init__(self, parent, y=None):
        GameChild.__init__(self, parent)
        self.y = y
        self.set_x()

    def set_x(self):
        self.x = self.parent.get_width() / 2

    def update(self):
        self.y += self.parent.scroll_speed
        self.set_radius()

    def set_radius(self):
        parent = self.parent
        radius_range = parent.radius_range
        pos = float(self.y) / -sub(*parent.y_range)
        self.radius = int(pos * -sub(*radius_range) + radius_range[0])

    def draw(self):
        parent = self.parent
        center = self.x, self.y
        draw.circle(parent.area, parent.transparent_color, center, self.radius)
from random import randint

from pygame import Color, Surface

from esp_hadouken import levels
from Bubble import *

class Void(levels.Void.Void):

    def __init__(self, parent):
        levels.Void.Void.__init__(self, parent)
        self.iterations = 0
        self.read_configuration()
        self.set_area()
        self.show()

    def read_configuration(self):
        config = self.get_configuration()
        self.switch_frequency = config["tooth-level-switch-frequency"]
        self.scroll_speed = config["tooth-level-scroll-speed"]
        self.padding = config["tooth-level-void-padding"]
        self.radius_range = config["tooth-level-radius-range"]
        self.spawn_range = config["tooth-level-spawn-range"]

    def set_area(self):
        self.set_y_range()
        y_range = self.y_range
        height = y_range[1] - y_range[0]
        area = Surface((self.parent.get_width(), height)).convert()
        self.area_bg = Surface(area.get_size()).convert()
        self.area = area
        self.generate_bubbles()

    def set_y_range(self):
        padding = self.padding
        parent = self.parent
        start = parent.bandit.rect.bottom + padding[0]
        end = parent.get_height() - padding[1]
        self.y_range = start, end

    def generate_bubbles(self):
        self.bubbles = []
        y = self.get_height()
        while y > -self.radius_range[0]:
            self.add_bubble(y)
            y -= self.next_spawn + self.radius_range[0]

    def add_bubble(self, y=None):
        if y is None:
            y = -self.radius_range[0]
        self.bubbles.insert(0, Bubble(self, y))
        self.next_spawn = randint(*self.spawn_range)

    def toggle(self):
        if self.visible:
            self.hide()
        else:
            self.show()

    def show(self):
        self.visible = True

    def hide(self):
        self.visible = False

    def update_area(self):
        self.update_bubbles()
        iterations = self.iterations + 1
        if 1.0 / iterations <= self.switch_frequency:
            self.toggle()
            iterations = 0
        if self.visible:
            self.clear_area()
            self.draw_area()
        self.iterations = iterations

    def update_bubbles(self):
        bubbles = self.bubbles
        radius_range = self.radius_range
        if bubbles[0].y - radius_range[0] > self.next_spawn:
            self.add_bubble()
        for bubble in bubbles:
            if bubble.y > self.y_range[1] + radius_range[1]:
                bubbles.remove(bubble)
            else:
                bubble.update()

    def clear_area(self):
        self.area.blit(self.area_bg, (0, 0))

    def draw_area(self):
        self.draw_bubbles()
        self.blit(self.area, (0, self.y_range[0]))

    def draw_bubbles(self):
        for bubble in self.bubbles:
            bubble.draw()
216.73.216.181
216.73.216.181
216.73.216.181
 
January 23, 2021

I wanted to document this chat-controlled robot I made for Babycastles' LOLCAM📸 that accepts a predefined set of commands like a character in an RPG party 〰 commands like walk, spin, bash, drill. It can also understand donut, worm, ring, wheels, and more. The signal for each command is transmitted as a 24-bit value over infrared using two Arduinos, one with an infrared LED, and the other with an infrared receiver. I built the transmitter circuit, and the receiver was built into the board that came with the mBot robot kit. The infrared library IRLib2 was used to transmit and receive the data as a 24-bit value.


fig. 1.1: the LEDs don't have much to do with this post!

I wanted to control the robot the way the infrared remote that came with the mBot controlled it, but the difference would be that since we would be getting input from the computer, it would be like having a remote with an unlimited amount of buttons. The way the remote works is each button press sends a 24-bit value to the robot over infrared. Inspired by Game Boy Advance registers and tracker commands, I started thinking that if we packed multiple parameters into the 24 bits, it would allow a custom move to be sent each time, so I wrote transmitter and receiver code to process commands that looked like this:

bit
name
description
00
time
multiply by 64 to get duration of command in ms
01
02
03
04
left
multiply by 16 to get left motor power
05
06
07
08
right
multiply by 16 to get right motor power
09
10
11
12
left sign
0 = left wheel backward, 1 = left wheel forward
13
right sign
0 = right wheel forward, 1 = right wheel backward
14
robot id
0 = send to player one, 1 = send to player two
15
flip
negate motor signs when repeating command
16
repeats
number of times to repeat command
17
18
19
delay
multiply by 128 to get time between repeats in ms
20
21
22
23
swap
swap the motor power values on repeat
fig 1.2: tightly stuffed bits

The first command I was able to send with this method that seemed interesting was one that made the mBot do a wheelie.

$ ./send_command.py 15 12 15 1 0 0 0 7 0 1
sending 0xff871fcf...


fig 1.3: sick wheels

A side effect of sending the signal this way is any button on any infrared remote will cause the robot to do something. The star command was actually reverse engineered from looking at the code a random remote button sent. For the robot's debut, it ended up with 15 preset commands (that number is in stonks 📈). I posted a highlights video on social media of how the chat controls turned out.

This idea was inspired by a remote frog tank LED project I made for Ribbit's Frog World which had a similar concept: press a button, and in a remote location where 🐸 and 🐠 live, an LED would turn on.


fig 2.1: saying hi to froggo remotely using an LED

😇 The transmitter and receiver Arduino programs are available to be copied and modified 😇