wFwd.ino

// w for Fwd
//
// A simple Teensy based USB keyboard that associats some kind of
// physical motion event to a 'w' press. This can be used to advance Google StreetView
// for an interactive exercise experience (Example here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CF-xVWgJiFK/)
//
// Must select the "SERIAL+KEYBOARD..." mode under "USB TYPE" for the Teensy!
// 
// This version uses a Sharp IR sensor (or equivalent), connected to A9 pin of a Teensy 3.2
//
// Can adapt easily to use some other sensor that can be associated with movement.
//  (e.g. a peak detector on accelerometer attached to the body, or a hall effects sensor)
//
// info@johnty.ca
// license: CC BY-SA 4.0
// October 2020

#define THRES 350 //used for basic thresholding of IR sensor

//************************
// BEGIN Data structure code
//
// this is a very simple data structure that
// accumulates ARRAY_LEN values and then
// allows computation of the average

#define ARRAY_LEN 25
int DATA[ARRAY_LEN];
int arrPtr = 0;
void pushToArray(int val) {
  DATA[arrPtr] = val;
  arrPtr++;
  arrPtr = arrPtr % ARRAY_LEN;
}
int computeAvg() {
  int sum = 0;
  for (int i = 0; i < ARRAY_LEN; i++) {
    sum += DATA[i];
  }
  sum /= ARRAY_LEN;
  return sum;
}
// END Data structure code
//************************

int minInterval = 500; //min expected time between keyboard triggers, to prevent spamming due to bad data
unsigned long t0, t1;

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);
  t0 = millis();

}

void loop() {
  // put your main code here, to run repeatedly:
  int val = analogRead(A9);
  pushToArray(val);
  delay(5);
  Serial.print("AVG = ");
  Serial.println(computeAvg());
  if (pkDetected(computeAvg())) {
    t1 = millis();
    int elapsed = t1 - t0;
    //only emit if min interval has passed:
    if (elapsed >= minInterval) {
      t0 = t1;
      Keyboard.print('w');
    }
  }
}

//peaks happen if we have constantly increasing values followed
// by decreasing ones; so check the sign of the delta and see when it
// switches from + to -
bool pkDetected(int val) {
  if (val > THRES)
    return true;
  else
    return false;
}