Captain Buzz pt2: Smart Watches and Latency - Computerphile

TL;DR

Captain Buzz is a project that uses the audio jack of a phone to control a plane, bypassing the need for other electronics. The delay in flying was reduced by rewriting the audio code in C programming language. The Android Wear watch can also be used to control the plane with additional features.

Transcript

Captain Buzz flies a Plane by using the audio jack in the audio jack alone this means that you can put your phone into a plane throw it away and with almost no other electronics on board the phone alone can control the plane so by using the audio jack what we can do is put a cable directly from the Jack into uh the plane servos and we generate a sp... Read More

Key Insights

• ✈️ The audio jack of a phone can be used to control a plane by generating pulsewidth modulation signals.
• 🪽 Android's buffering policies caused lag in flying a plane using the audio jack.
• 👨‍💻 Rewriting the audio code in C programming language helped reduce the lag.
• 👀 The Android Wear watch can be used to control the plane and offers unique features.
• 😃 Bluetooth range limitations can be overcome by using watches with Wi-Fi capabilities.
• 🔁 Captain Buzz can perform aerobatics, including loop-the-loops.
• 🌱 Future plans for Captain Buzz include testing the Smartwatch integration system and exploring GPS-based navigation and vision technology.

Questions & Answers

Q: How does Captain Buzz control the plane using the audio jack?

Captain Buzz generates pulsewidth modulation signals through the audio jack, which are interpreted by the servos as traditional commands for flying the plane.

Q: What was the initial problem faced in flying Captain Buzz?

Captain Buzz initially flew poorly and struggled to fly straight and level. The lag was a significant factor caused by buffering policies in Android.

Q: How was the lag in flying reduced?

The lag was reduced by rewriting the audio code in C programming language, bypassing buffering policies in Android. This allowed for the direct generation of sounds sent to the servos.

Q: Can the Android Wear watch be used to control Captain Buzz?

Yes, the Android Wear watch can control Captain Buzz, displaying flight plans and allowing for commands to be sent to the plane. It adds additional features not found in other drone control methods.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Captain Buzz uses the audio jack of a phone to control a plane, generating pulsewidth modulation signals interpreted by the servos as commands.

• The lag in flying was improved by rewriting the audio code in C to bypass buffering policies in Android.

• The Android Wear watch can control the plane, displaying flight plans and allowing commands to be sent to Captain Buzz.