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Asked — Edited

Wowwee Rovio Cgi Commands With User Privilege

Hello,

I'm trying to control my WowWee Rovio through httpget cgi commands with EZB scripts manager and so far it works but I can't get it to work with the user account I have set. Since it's connected to the Internet it's unimaginable to use it without user security.

For example I can get it to go home and dock with the following command :

httpget(http://192.168.0.142/rev.cgi?Cmd=nav&action=13)

But it works only if I deactivate the user security feature.

I tried to input user and password as follows :

httpget(http://192.168.0.142/rev.cgi?user=USERNAME&password=PASSWORD&Cmd=nav&action=13)

but it doesn't work. I must be missing something, I guess.

I'm using this documentation (below) to find out the solution but I can't find an answer to my question, perhaps and probably because I don't understand all the grammar in cgi commands. So if someone knows out I could work this arround, that would be great. I've been looking since yesterday now.

http://www.wowwee.com/static/support/rovio/manuals/Rovio_API_Specifications_v1.2.pdf

Many thanks,
Elfege

PS : since I already pay for a fix IP address I'm very relunctant to use a DynDNS account.


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PRO
USA
#8  
Won't get a chance to play this weekend do to taking the scout troop on a campout/merit badge clinic. but will try to do a little after work but tonight is Trick or treat with the grandkids.

But I do need to find the time to get my InMoov in costume to try and win that $500 in EZ-Money

Thanks for the links, I had not seen the last two.
#9  
I loaded this firmware last night, and it adds some nice functionality including a slight improvement of the camera image. Hope to have some time this weekend to start building ARC scripts to control it.

https://github.com/jcrona/rovio-fw

I like that 10 years ago they had already solved the self charging issue in what seems to be a simpler way to reproduce than the Roomba/ Neato solution. If nothing else, this will be a good experiment platform for future robots (and it looks so cool, who could resist....)

I do have one issue, and wondering if it is my hardware or endemic. When I use one of the commands to turn x degrees, the back wheel never stops and it keeps going in circles until I give any other navigation command. Happened with original firmware, so it is not something that broke in the new firmware. I don't think it is wiring because all other navigation commands work fine, so the wheel is definitely controlled.

Other observations. I find it strange that it will not charge when powered off. I first thought I had a bad battery until I read in the manual that it needs to be on to charge. Even with the new firmware that can control the blue LEDs, it can't control them when it is docked and charging, so not something I can have turned on and ready in a room that I don't want lit up in blue all the time.

Alan
PRO
USA
#10  
Thank you for the update Alan, I will test this with mine and see if I have the same issue and let you know. I have an issue that I can not turn off the authentication. I uncheck the box save the setting but go back and check and it I still checked. Will flash the new firmware and see if that helps. Might get a little time tonight but it is the wife's birthday but Robots come first... Right?
#11  
This is great information.. thanks to everyone. Rovio has been sitting charged up and used by grandkids only. This is will help doing other things.
#12  
@rz90208 The new firmware resets everything to default, so it will turn off authentication. You'll also need to configure it back onto your network.
PRO
USA
#13  
@theTechGuru, I assumed it would. Now to find another form of security or turn off access from the outside until the authentication from ARC can be resolved.
#14  
Well, this is a shame, but I suppose I should expect issues with a 10 year old toy. I think the reason the back wheel keeps spinning when I try to turn to specific number of degrees is that the encoder in the rear wheel is bad. Tonight is the first time I tried to use the self docking, and it isn't working. It lines itself up in front of the dock, but about 2 feet away and never finishes backing into it.

I'll open it up one day soon and check for loose connections or burned components. Still a cool looking robot, and my cats love it almost as much as Roli. They both come running to watch every time I turn it on.

Alan
#15  
I am glad you like it! I never got any of the three to reliably dock , I got it a couple times but otherwise it was a bust. That’s why I went with ez robot instead so I have more control over what’s going on.
#16  
I am thinking of ditching the encoders all together as I don't know how to use them well with the ARC anyhow.
PRO
USA
#17  
The one I have seems to be docking just fine. Makes some strange moves but always seems to get docked. Oh except for the time I had it on the coffee table and the battery got low so off it went to self dock. Needless to say was unable to dock after landing on its top.
I have successfully breadboarded a room 9 module using a NE556 timer. Still working on an enclosure with a lens so it will work much like the Rovio base.

But still have not figured out how the navigation actually works to the point where I can start coding it in ARC.
#18  
Ah so it decided to roam off the coffee table by itself? unpredictable little guys.
PRO
USA
#19  
The grandson (age 6) told me I cannot rip this one apart like all the others. He loves remoting in from his tablet and spying on Nanny and Papa. Have turned off the authentication so I can access it thru ARC. I forgot about the wheel encoders. I could use them in my calculations for navigation position.

@Alan Have you used the GetMCUReport() to check if the encoder count is changing for the read wheel?
/rev.cgi?Cmd=nav&action=20
PRO
Belgium
#20  
there is on robotcommunity.com a topic about these rovers.
it seems they have very cheap wifi card build in.most of users change,
the wifi card with a more exspencive one to solve the problem.
if i understood ,the rover use wifi for docking?
#21  
@ nomad, no they are not, docking uses a combination of the northstar system which is 4 IR dot projected onto the ceiling and a IR led that blinks at a certain frequency right above the dock, between these it has some kind of formula or scripting to back into the dock when battery hits 30 percent.
#22  
the wifi module is a pci express module just like a laptop.
#23  

Quote:

Have you used the GetMCUReport() to check if the encoder count is changing for the read wheel?
/rev.cgi?Cmd=nav&action=20


I have not yet. I am still just playing around with the built in web interface. Haven't had a huge amount of time to use it yet, but that is a good idea to try.

Alan
#24  

Quote:

and a IR led that blinks at a certain frequency right above the dock
Ooh. I didn't realize that part. I'll have to check and make sure that IR LED is functioning. Maybe it isn't seeing it. It seems to line up with the ceiling dots, raises its head, but just wiggles around without backing up and, then after a minute, it wanders around a bit and lines up again. It could be that it jsut isn't seeing that LED.

Alan
PRO
USA
#25  
@Alan,
There are 4 LEDs 2 are IR the other 2 are visible light. The 2 visible light are just for aiming not used for navigation. the 2 IR, each have a set frequency they pulse at with a 50% duty cycle. Here is a freq chart
RMID LED# Target Freq Hz
0 1 3040
0 2 2010
1 1 4050
1 2 3090
2 1 4170
2 2 3210
3 1 4290
3 2 3330
4 1 4410
4 2 3450
5 1 4530
5 2 3570
6 1 4650
6 2 3690
7 1 4770
7 2 3810
8 1 4890
8 2 3930
9 1 5010
9 2 4050

If you use the API command:
http://ipaddress:port/rev.cgi?Cmd=nav&action=1
This will generate a report that looks like this:
Cmd = nav\nresponses = 0|x=3471|y=1632|theta=-3.065|room=0|ss=18210\n|beacon=0|beacon_x=0|next_room=9|next_room_ss=37\n|state=0|ui_status=0|resistance=0|sm=15|pp=0|flags=0001\n|brightness=6|resolution=3|video_compression=2|frame_rate=30\n|privilege=0|user_check=0|speaker_volume=5|mic_volume=5\n|wifi_ss=212|show_time=0|ddns_state=0|email_state=0\n|battery=117|charging=72|head_position=203|ac_freq=2\n

If x and y both have numbers and room=0, I think that should be good.
I have written an EZ-Script that gets this info and parses it into variables if you are interested.
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