Overview
Physical Computing is about connecting the virtual world of digital things to the physical world of analog that we live in. Android is about powering mobile and other devices, worldwide. What happens when you combine the two? The answer lies in this workshop.
Google’s Android Open Accessory is a way of connecting android powered devices (i.e. phones and tablets) to physical electronics. With Google Open Accessory, Android powered devices are becoming even more sophisticated computing devices, by allowing them to communicate with standard USB-based peripherals such as mouse, keyboard, game controllers, but also other items like alarm clocks, exercise bikes, robotics, and even home automation. In this session we’ll explore the Open Accessory API, and how it can be used, and some of the possibilities when connecting it to Arduino based microcontrollers. We’ll also look at programming accessories via the Google Accessory Development Kit (ADK).
Half the workshop will be hands-on and the other half will be installation, setup and getting started with tools.Attendees are encouraged to purchase their own Accessory Development Kits (ADKs). However, during hands-on, participants will be broken into groups and provided with Open Accessory hardware.
No prior software or electronics knowledge is required for this workshop (but is welcome). If you are interested in bridging the gap between analog and digital worlds, come join the fun!
