Page 150 - Hacking Roomba

Making chapter

RoombaView

ith a complete Roomba API like RoombaComm, it’s now pos-
sible to build an application on your computer that is both a
Wcontrol panel for Roomba with many more features than the
standard remote and an instrument gauge for all the robot’s sensors. You’ve
already seen how to do parts of this, but this chapter shows how to tie
together everything you’ve learned so far into one application. in this chapter

If you’ve used the code from the previous chapters, you can see how the Code sketching
iterative process of write-compile-run is a bit clunky. It assumes a level of
comfort with the command line that many people don’t have. Java IDEs with Processing
are an alternative, but they are so powerful they are often overkill for the
hobbyist. Those tools are made for professional software engineers and the Package
staggering array of options and controls is daunting. RoombaComm
When you do have a working Java program, creating an actual double-
clickable application can be problematic. Java programs run in a Java Virtual Design a Roomba
Machine (VM) that must be installed on the computer on which you want instrument panel
to run your program. If the computer doesn’t have a Java VM, or has the
wrong version, your program won’t work. If you’re on Windows, you had to Build a complete
sit through the enormous download of the Java software development kit cross-platform
(SDK) to compile the programs in the previous chapters.
application
Java made the promise of “write once, run anywhere.” Code written on one
type of computer could be run on any other. That sentiment is mostly true
except for the above rather large caveats. It turns out there is a solution to
many of these issues, and it came from an unlikely source.

About Processing

Processing (http://processing.org/) is a free open source program-
ming language and environment for people who want to write graphical
programs quickly. It was started by alums of the MIT Media Lab, and
includes contributions from hundreds of others. Processing arose out of
frustration with the state of software for generating and manipulating art.
The existing software was either costly and easy to use or free but difficult
to use.