I am a bit busy with work ‘n’ stuff, but just sat with a beer in my hotel room and knocked up the basic Android controller software (well, 50% of it).
Wondered if it’s worth pursuing? Might do it later this year as a side project for myself anyway.
My favourite function? Tap the microphone icon, and it would have voice recognition, with voice confirmation back!
Voice recognition on the Android phones is very good.
Yes, I am very curious. It wouldn’t be so bad to connect an esp32 to use as a remote uart. Maybe there are easier solutions. That is my goto wireless microcontroller.
It was only an idea!
I have a few days freelance work, which involves spending my evenings sitting in my hotel room with a beer and Dave repeats.
Not sure about connection. I could go with Wifi, esp32 etc, but you just don’t need the range. Pretty sure I don’t need to set the origin of my CNC from the kitchen
Maybe Bluetooth is the simplest answer (which if I remember rightly, a esp32 has as well). A very simple HC-06 or similar BT module would also make a perfectly usable receiver.
Also, as you know… I already have the wireless tablet. How many more ways does a man need to move his CNC (turns out, as many as his idle mind can think of).
Depends on whether you go for a dumb one way controller, or two way comms (which I am not entirely sure you need).
Being the sad man that I am, I just love the idea of talking to my CNC machine (whose name is Chappie - always name your creations).
Probably need to finish my female robot CNC assistant first.
I used to use a IOIO device with android programming (I offered free support there a while, years before I was interested here). It could support bluetooth. I think there are cheaper options now though.
The REST interface to octoprint sounds like a good idea too, although at some point, it would be better to just make a plugin for octoprint, and then you’re kind of adding a theme to octoprint (which is totally fine, but not ground breaking).
I would actually be interested in taking your touch to go interface and making an octoprint plugin. That might be a fun way to understand the plugins better.
FYI “Touch UI” is a beautiful Octoprint front-end plug-in that I use on my tablet. It has the annoyance of running in a browser, but otherwise I like it. With that and the Custom Controls plug-in I can turn on/off my router, vacuum, and laser; etc. in addition to controlling the axes.