New Zealand
Asked — Edited

Keyboard Input

Had an idea....

With the keyboard being replaced by voice commands and the increasing likelihood of us being able to put a PC on board our bots I was thinking about ways to improve the sensor grid and make it a bit more advanced than the few micro switches and wires we use at present.

Are we able to take input in from the keyboard into our ARC application?

My thinking is to take the contacts under the keys of the keyboard and use them as a touch sensor grid on the outer skin of a bot.... We would have to program it so that we can return to normal entry method of course but it could be useful to map key presses to specific actions in ARC. ...

(I know I could map them using Event Ghost I would rather map them within ARC and reduce the need to work in another application.... keeping it all in house so to speak!)

Eg.

if ($Keyboard_input= "g" ) goto backup_routine_left_turn elseif ($Keyboard_input= "h" ) goto backup_routine_right_turn Endif

What are your thoughts oh amassed body of wisdom out there?


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United Kingdom
#1  

You have key control in ARC and can run scripts on key down and key up.

Also, to save ripping apart a keyboard, look in to custom arcade cabinet builds, they make boards which you can fix buttons to which replicate a key press. For instance the u-hid

#2  

The Ipac is another commonly used PC interface for buttons and joysticks, mice and rollerballs. It has full Speed USB 2.0, Upgradeable Firmware and also supports PS/2 keyboard interface. 40 USD for 32 inputs, 65 USD for 56 inputs. The Uhid looks like it has 50 inputs for 80 USD but may have different functions you may or may not need:

www.ultimarc.com/ipac1.html

PRO
New Zealand
#3  

Thanks for the quick reply guys.

Rich you mentioned we have key controls in ARC.... can you point me in the right direction?

I can't place my finger (mind) on the right spot...

I have read the scripting help file a number of times and can see related commands but none that deal with keyboard input.

@Tameion

United Kingdom
#4  

Project Add Scripting Keyboard Control (4th control along)