Issue

The COVID-19 quarantine of 2020 limited the ability to safely participate in social situations. During this time, major events continued happening to close family. My grandmother passed away in December of 2020, and my husband’s older sister got married in January of 2021. Because we were constantly in contact with health sensitive people in our homes, there was a need to attend these major life events in a safe way that would not threaten the health of those around us. 

Solution

The solution was a SQL wifi-capable arduino system that controlled the original Roomba motors. A phone or tablet is able to be mounted at face height on the Roomba, and the user can control the Roomba remotely from their computer or phone. In this way, the user can attend events and be present with loved ones remotely without relying on additional assistance from hospital workers or wedding guests.

Result

The result was a functional prototype that was capable of wireless remote control from a phone or laptop. Facetime can be connected through any two devices using existing software such as Facetime or Skype. One limitation we encountered was connecting and reconnecting to the Roomba when connection was lost or weak, such as in Quarryville, Pennsylvania, where my grandmother’s funeral took place. Another limitation was the security connection at different sites. Entering a wifi password manually was a simple interface in the code, however, when a secondary pop-up tab was required for sign in, such as in hotel venues or Starbucks, the wifi connection through SQL interface was complicated. The next version will include a method for entering the wifi password both manually and via pop-up windows, and continuing to attempt reconnection when it is lost.