There are over 1 billion Android devices worldwide, providing a way for you to deliver your ideas to the right people at the right time. Google, in partnership with Udacity, is making Android development accessible and understandable to everyone, so that regardless of your background, you can learn to build apps that improve the lives of people.
- The authors of the BJC curriculum think that computer programming is one of the most satisfying of all human activities—it's generally fun (when it's not frustrating because of a bug you can't find), but it's what Seymour Papert called 'hard fun,' mind-stretching and, because the authority is the computer rather than the teacher, a big change from jumping through hoops.
- This is a series of YouTube videos on learning Android development. They are made by a developer who is not affiliated with this course. These are provided as a supplement in case you want more resources for learning additional content about Android app development.
Now that youve tried Made with Code, were here to help you create your very own mobile app for your phone.We hope you were inspired by the EPA Chica Squads story about using code to improve their local community. They actually used App Inventor to develop their mobile app!
With these beginner-friendly tutorials, you will learn the basics of programming apps for Android.
App Inventor is a free, cloud-based service that you access using a web browser.
Log in with a Google account (Gmail or school email tied to Google) to start inventing right away!
To see your app on your phone as you build: • Follow the instructions to connect your phone to App Inventor on your computer.. • If you hit any snags, we're here to help! • If you are Android-less, never fear, you can use the on-screen emulator!
Follow these four short videos and you'll have three working apps to show for it! After building the starter apps, which will take around an hour, you can move on to extending them with more functionality, or you can start building apps of your own design. Get started now with Video 1 below.
| TalkToMe Part 1 | TalkToMe Part 2 | BallBounce | Digital Doodle |
Extending Your Initial Apps
You just made some pretty cool apps! But now the real fun begins: try turning TalkToMe into a Magic 8 Ball; turn BallBounce into a Mini Golf game, take DigitalDoodle to the next level by adding colors and incorporating pictures as backgrounds in PaintPot. The possibilities really are endless!
See the full collection of Tutorials for more ideas.
Android Operating system based GUI applications can not only be used in controlling electrical appliances, but also in controlling robots. These days’ robots are used on a widespread scale and in many different ways to perform tasks as required. Given below are projects regarding controlling a few robots. Not only robots, but it is also possible to use Android applications for many other uses like displaying a message electronically, controlling the traffic signals. The Android application consists of a touch screen panel whereupon touching a designated area, a contact is established between the two conducting layers on either side of the glass and the coordinates of that area are sent in form of data to the control unit of the software. Accordingly, this data is processed and is then sent to any Bluetooth device through wireless connectivity.
Below we are going to see some of the projects related to control of electronics by Android-based applications.
1. War Field Spying Robot with Night Vision Wireless Camera by Android Applications
Robots have a widespread application in the military where they are used in many applications like spying, target detecting and destroying, etc. The robots used in the military are not fully automatic as they are controlled by human beings. This control can be done remotely through RF or IR or Bluetooth or GSM communication. Here a spying robot is built which is embedded with a wireless camera that is used to take pictures at night time and transmit these images to a TV. Here the whole operation and movement of the robot are controlled by the signals from a GUI based application on an Android operated smartphone.
One GUI application on the Android smartphone with a touch screen panel consists of relevant touch buttons which denote the required directions of motion for the robotic motor. For example, when the button corresponding to the ‘forward’ direction is touched, the corresponding signal is developed which is transmitted to a Bluetooth device. This Bluetooth device is interfaced with the microcontroller and this command is fed to the microcontroller. As per the program, the microcontroller gives an appropriate logic signal to the motor driver to operate the motors to move the robot in the desired direction. Similarly, the camera works using the IR illumination for night time vision.
For details click here: War Field Spying Robot with Night Vision Wireless Camera by Android Applications
2. Fire Fighting Robot Remotely Operated by Android Applications
Robots can be used in place of conventional fire brigade vehicles (where the whole operation is carried out manually) for remotely extinguishing the fire. These robots can be fully automatic or can be controlled remotely. Here such a robot is developed which consists of a water tank and a pipe connected to the tank such that water is supplied from the tank to the pipe which is thrown out from the pipe through a nozzle as per operation by the user. The whole operation of the robot and its movement is done by control signals from a GUI application on the Android-based smartphone.
The touch screen panel of the GUI application provides different touch buttons to achieve the control of the robot in different directions and also to operate the water pump and its jet spray in the required direction. When the required button is touched, the coordinates of that button are transferred to the software of the smartphone and then transmitted to the Bluetooth device as signals. The microcontroller interfaced with the Bluetooth device receives this signal and as per the program, gives appropriate signals to the motor driver to rotate the motors in the desired direction.
For details click here: Fire Fighting Robot Remotely Operated by Android Applications
3. Pick and Place Robotic Arm And Movement Controlled by Android Wirelessly
A pick and place robot is a mobile robot with a gripper for applying appropriate pressure on an object by reaching to its location and then catching it. The gripper along with a movable boom can hold the object and then place it at the required place as desired. This whole operation is carried out by motors which in turn are controlled through remote control. This project is developed as a pick and place robot wherein the movement of the robot as well as its boom arm is controlled by a GUI based application on an Android operated smartphone.
The GUI application is built on a touch screen panel of the phone which consists of appropriate buttons to achieve appropriate movement of the robot as well as its end effecter. Using the buttons, the appropriate signals are transmitted via Bluetooth communication to the microcontroller, and as per the program; the microcontroller sends relevant logic to the motor drivers to drive the motors.
The command to move the arm (end effecter) in the desired direction is given by touching the relevant button on the smartphone. This command is processed and used by the microcontroller to provide signals to the motor driver to rotate the arm motor in the desired direction. When an object is brought near the gripper, as per the command from the application, the gripper opens and the object is held with required pressure and the gripper motor stops automatically.
For details click here: Pick and Place Robotic Arm And Movement Controlled by Android Wirelessly
4. Metal Detector Robotic Vehicle Operated by Android Application
Robots are used in hazardous applications like sensing landmines. Landmines are explosive metallic devices that are placed beneath the land and are hard to detect. Using the conventional technique of manually detecting landmines using metal detectors has proved to be dangerous and inconvenient. This project develops a robotic vehicle with a metal detector system embedded on it which can sense the presence of metals ahead of it. The whole control of the robot is done by an Android-based smartphone application.
The GUI based application on the smartphone consists of a touch screen panel with appropriate buttons to achieve the motion of the robot in the desired direction. The control signals are transmitted to a Bluetooth device interfaced with the microcontroller and as per the program, the microcontroller gives logic signals to the motor driver to rotate the motors in the desired direction or stop the motor. A metal detector consisting of a coil in resonance is embedded on the circuit and when a metal comes near it, because of faraday’s law of induction, the resonance is disturbed that indicates the metal being detected and accordingly this indication is shown by a LED glowing with an audible buzzer sound.
For details click here: Metal Detector Robotic Vehicle Operated by Android Application
5. Android Application Controlled Remote Robot Operation
A robot can be automatic wherein its movement can be controlled by sensors embedded in the circuit which can give proper input or it can be semi-automatic with the control in hands of humans. The control can be done remotely by passing signals to the control unit through RF, GSM, or Bluetooth communication. Here in this project, controlling a robot using Bluetooth communication has been followed. This is done by using an Android-based smartphone.
The touch screen panel of a GUI based application consists of 4 buttons to define the forward, reverse, left and right movement of the robot along with a stop button. While any of the buttons is touched, the coordinates related to that position are transferred to the OS software and a signal is generated. This signal is transferred to the Bluetooth device after it gets proper paring and connection. The Bluetooth device is interfaced with the microcontroller and this signal is fed to the microcontroller. As per the program, the microcontroller accordingly gives appropriate signals to the motor driver to provide the desired rotation for the motors so that the robot moves in the desired direction.
For details click here: Android Application Controlled Remote Robot Operation
6. Railway Level Crossing Gate Control by Android Application
This project provides a way to achieve synchronization between the arrival and departure of trains and the opening and closing of the crossing gates. The conventional system of operating the level crossing gate manually is not accurate and has lead to many accidents in the past. Thus an automatic way of controlling of opening or closing of gates based on the control signal from the train driver is more reliable.
The GUI application on the Android-based smartphone is used by the driver to sent information about the arrival of the train before reaching the gate, to the microcontroller through a Bluetooth device. As the microcontroller receives this signal, it accordingly sends proper logic signals to the motor driver to close the crossing gate. The microcontroller is programmed in such a way that it sends the signals for a fixed amount of time for closing the gate (indicating the time for which the train will cross the tracks). After that particular amount of time, appropriate logic signals are sent to the motor driver to automatically open the crossing gate.
For details click here: Railway Level Crossing Gate Control by Android Application
7. Remotely Controlled Android based Electronic Notice Board
Notice boards are required at many places like educational institutions, organizations, malls, etc. It is not feasible and convenient to manually stick notices on the board every time. Instead of using an electronic way of displaying the message is more convenient and time-saving. This project defines an electronic notice board wherein the message is sent from the GUI application of a smartphone wirelessly and is displayed on the display unit.
The Android-based application is connected to a Bluetooth device and consists of a touch screen panel activating the inbuilt keypad. When the message is entered (by touching the appropriate button on the touch screen panel) and the sent button is pressed, the ASCII code developed by the program gets converted to serial data and is then transmitted to a Bluetooth device. This Bluetooth device is interfaced with a microcontroller and after proper processing, the microcontroller (as per the program) displays the message on an LCD module interfaced with it.
Android Devices Effective Curriculum Ideas For Students
For details click here: Remotely Controlled Android based Electronic Notice Board
8. Density-Based Auto Traffic Signal Control with Android Based Remote Traffic Override
With the growing usage of vehicles in metro cities, traffic congestion is the major problem faced every day. This system defines a solution to this problem by developing a dynamic way of controlling traffic lights based on the density of the traffic. In addition to this, vehicles like ambulances, fire brigade vehicles are given emergency exit from the junction, based on the control signals given to the control unit from a GUI based application on the Android operated smartphone.
Different sensors are placed at each side of the junction to sense the density of traffic at each side. As the traffic density on all sides is equal or low, the traffic lights are made to glow green for a fixed time interval. If at one of the sides, the traffic density is more, the sensors sense this information, and accordingly as per the program, the microcontroller sends logic signals to the green LED of that side such that the green light glows for a longer duration of time. A touch screen panel on the GUI based application of the Android-based smartphone consists of buttons to define each direction from the junction. While an emergency vehicle approaches the junction, the control signal is sent by touching the appropriate button (corresponding to the direction in which the emergency vehicle is supposed to go). This signal is transmitted to the Bluetooth device and as the microcontroller receives this interrupt signal (from the Bluetooth device), it sends logic signals to the LEDs such that the red LED signals at all other sides of the junction are switched ON excepting that particular side which is switched ON Green. This allows the emergency vehicle to pass through even if other vehicles are ahead of it.
For details click here: Density-Based Auto Traffic Signal Control with Android Based Remote Traffic Override
If any of the projects described above interests you, you are free to view further details about the same by clicking on the appropriate links.
For all those eager to implement these projects as soon as possible, just answer this basic question – Can you use Android application for automatic operation of a robot without any human intervention? If yes, do tell me how in the comments section below.