What is the purpose of the BMP 180 sensor in the Pyra?

[Mr_Loon]

Hi ED,

In your Pyra news post entitled 'The long road to a final unit' it was mentioned that the Sensor: BMP180 (digital barometric pressure sensor) had been tested and was working fine.

Could you tell us what is the intended purpose for Pyra of including a barometric pressure sensor?

 

[fusion_power]

It's an NSA sensor in disguise to spy out all your data of course.

 

[TrashyMG]

Seems fairly straight forward to me..

http://www.bosch-sensortec.com/de/homepage/products_3/environmental_sensors_1/bmp180_1/bmp180

Applications

• Indoor navigation
• GPS-enhancement for dead-reckoning, slope detection, etc.
• Sport devices, e.g. altitude profile
• Weather forecast
• Vertical velocity indication (rise/sink speed)

 

[pmprog]

• Vertical velocity indication (rise/sink speed)

So it can detect when you drop the Pyra and activate the anti-gravity life-saver device - or the airbag, whichever fits

 

[hns]

Seems fairly straight forward to me..

http://www.bosch-sensortec.com/de/homepage/products_3/environmental_sensors_1/bmp180_1/bmp180

Applications

• Indoor navigation
• GPS-enhancement for dead-reckoning, slope detection, etc.
• Sport devices, e.g. altitude profile
• Weather forecast
• Vertical velocity indication (rise/sink speed)

Exactly. Such sensors are available in many higher-end smartphones for these purposes. Maybe someone can create a nice game based on the data.

• Vertical velocity indication (rise/sink speed)

So it can detect when you drop the Pyra and activate the anti-gravity life-saver device - or the airbag, whichever fits

No, that is what another sensor type is for: accelerometer. It can on one hand find out the spacial orientation of the device in the gravity field (so that you can base games on moving/turning the Pyra). On the other hand it can detect the disappearance of gravitation (i.e. free falling).There will also be a rotation detector (gyroscope) and a magnetic compass (which aids in low-speed navigation).

And, these sensors are cheap, easily connected to I2C and don't draw much power if active (and nothing of turned off).

 

[matzesu]

Do whe also have a acelarodingsbumssensor (dont know how it get write).. ?


Hey this whould be great for Yoshis Universal Gravitation and Wario Ware Twistet..

 

[Null]

Do whe also have a acelarodingsbumssensor (dont know how it get write).. ?

Accelerometer.

 

[Mr_Loon]

Seems fairly straight forward to me..

http://www.bosch-sensortec.com/de/homepage/products_3/environmental_sensors_1/bmp180_1/bmp180


Applications

• Indoor navigation
• GPS-enhancement for dead-reckoning, slope detection, etc.
• Sport devices, e.g. altitude profile
• Weather forecast
• Vertical velocity indication (rise/sink speed)

I'm aware what it does, but I'm curious as to why it was included for Pyra, can't remember anyone asking for a barometer, or suggesting any usage for Pyra where one would be required. My guess is it was fairly inexpensive to include & the possible improvements to GPS may make Pyra more useful as a Sat Nav. It would be good to hear the actual reason from ED though

 

[thatgui]

No, that is what another sensor type is for: accelerometer. It can on one hand find out the spacial orientation of the device in the gravity field (so that you can base games on moving/turning the Pyra). On the other hand it can detect the disappearance of gravitation (i.e. free falling).

There will also be a rotation detector (gyroscope) and a magnetic compass (which aids in low-speed navigation).

And, these sensors are cheap, easily connected to I2C and don't draw much power if active (and nothing of turned off).

If there is still room (spacewise, moneywise and electrically), how about including some more ?

 

[spud42]

maybe ED has taken up flying lessons? the Pyra would make a great flight computer , logging height ,flight path data etc...

can i hook it up to my car for a boost gauge??? lol

 

[fusion_power]

Exactly. Such sensors are available in many higher-end smartphones for these purposes. Maybe someone can create a nice game based on the data.

I would be already happy with a nice and proper OXYD port that supports Accelerometer/ tilt to control the balls.  If done right this could work better than onto the PC with Mouse. ^^

 

[hns]

maybe ED has taken up flying lessons? the Pyra would make a great flight computer , logging height ,flight path data etc...

can i hook it up to my car for a boost gauge??? lol

before speculations go further and further: it is my (GTA04) addition to the Pyra and ED might still remove it from the devices going into production.Your flight path logging idea is indeed some real reason why it is there. This sensor (and others) had been introduced in the GTA04 project some years ago, which is a OMAP3 smartphone. And there was a project to provide software to aid in small airplane after-flight analyses (which is permitted as long as it is not an autopilot and not connected to any aircraft system, i.e. a personal device the pilot is carrying along - like a wristwatch). Nowadays many high-end smartphones also have this set of sensors and frameworks like Android or iOS provide standard interfaces to read such sensor data.

 

[mcobit]

A really nice addition in my opinion. There cannot be enough sensors as long as you can deactivate them if you don't need them.

 

[levi]

Out of interest, which of these sensors depend on the 3G chip? As I understand it, GSM is something we get from the 3G chip, so if we go for the wifi version we lose that. While most of the uses for an air pressure sensor are combined with a GPS signal, so it wouldn't be the end of the world if the wifi-only version lacked that, things like accelerometers would not be.

 

[Mr_Loon]

before speculations go further and further: it is my (GTA04) addition to the Pyra and ED might still remove it from the devices going into production.

Thanks gta04, FWIW, from my perspective providing the sensors are low cost & don't significantly impact on battery life then the more the merrier! I can see several niche areas where such a sensor might be useful and could lead to some extra sales of the Pyra. I'm sure this community can come up with some interesting uses for things like the barometer, gps, accelerometer etc.

 

[EvilDragon]

Farmville with real live weather simulation.

 

[rygD]

What's a farmville?

 

[Grench]

Farmville with real live weather simulation.

These sensors have piles of uses.

Have the device scream when hit/bumped/dropped.

Create a game along the lines of 'Get high the fastest!' - which will be very popular until people find out it's about who can record the greatest changes in altitude over the shortest period of time with minimal changes in GPS coordinates.  Maybe 'Roller Coaster Recorder' would be a better name?

Geocaching

Table tilt games

Etc...