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• Hackaday Prize 2018 Cheatsheet

  inventive.prototypes • 10/22/2018 at 05:26 • 0 comments

  Hello there!

  If you are looking for information on PR-Holonet, you can use this cheatsheet as a way to get a sense of where everything is at on the project page. If you have any questions feel free to drop me a line in the comments section. If you are looking to provide feedback on bugs, feature requests, or suggestions, put an issue up on the GitHub repo. 

  
  Thanks!

  -- Inventive Prototypes

  Build a working prototype of PR-Holonet

  Done.

  • See the project video for a recorded demo
  • did a demo at the 2018 NYC maker faire as part of the Hackaday guest panel speakers (https://twitter.com/hackaday/status/1043532657437470720)
  • Pictures!

  Project Profile

  • Video, project details, project goals
    
    • https://hackaday.io/project/140426-pr-holonet-disaster-area-emergency-comms
  • Pictures
    • Check out the gallery!
  • Top Logs
    • System Design: An initial dive in
      • For a high-level description of how the system works
    • System Design: Playing with numbers (Costs)
      • For information on component sourcing and costs
    • On why I built this project. Build Hope
    • Licensing
      • Code Licensing
  • Where's the code at?
  • Soo, how do I build this thing???
    • Here!
  • Where are all the easter eggs?
    • Around... ;)

• Licencias

  inventive.prototypes • 10/17/2018 at 02:31 • 0 comments

  ¡Hola! Este blog será corto :)

  PR-Holonet es un proyecto open source, y su uso está regido por la licencia BSD-3. Mi meta para este proyecto es que cualquier persona que lo necesite pueda usarlo. Especialmente esas personas hábiles que lo quieran utilizar para ayudar a otros. Si eres uno de ell@s, ¡Adelante!

  Gracias a la realidad de los proyectos open-source, PR-Holonet puede hacer uso de herramientas desarrolladas por otros grandes innovadores de manera que no se ha tenido que empezar desde cero. Estos proyectos han hecho el proceso de desarrollo inmesurablemente más eficiente y rápido. A todo aquel que ayuda y aporta a proyectos open-source. ¡Gracias!

  Ahora bien, en el espíritu de respetar las licencias de todos los proyectos utilizados en PR-Holonet, he aquí una lista de los proyectos con sus correspondientes licencias:

  • Python
    1. setuptools
       1. MIT License
    2. Flask
       1. BSD
    3. flask_webpack
       1. GPL v3
    4. phonenumbers
       1. Apache 2.0
    5. pyserial
       1. BSD 
    6. RPI.GPIO
       1.  MIT
  • Node.js
    1. babel-core
       1. MIT
    2. twilio
       1. MIT
    3. babel-loader
       1. MIT
    4. bootstrap
       1. MIT
    5. css-loader
       1. MIT
    6. extract-text-webpack-plugin
       1. MIT
    7. file-loader
       1. MIT
    8. jquery
       1. MIT
    9. manifest-revision-webpack-plugin
       1. ISC
    10. node-normalize-scss
        1. MIT
    11. node-sass
        1. MIT
    12. sass-loader
        1. MIT
    13. scss-base
        1. MIT
    14. style-loader
        1. MIT
    15. sync-exec
        1. MIT
    16. url-loader
        1. MIT
    17. webpack
        1. MIT

  Gracias a todos por tomar un minuto de su tiempo para leer este artículo. Si tiene alguna otra pregunta, o quiere aprender más acerca de licencias open-source no dude en visitar (inglés) :

  https://choosealicense.com/

  ¡Hasta la próxima!

  Inventive.Prototypes
  

• Licensing

  inventive.prototypes • 10/17/2018 at 02:22 • 0 comments

  Hi! This is going to be a short one :)

  For the purposes of use, PR-Holonet is a BSD-3 licensed open source project. My goal is for anyone who needs it to use it. Especially anyone who wants to help others with it. Go for it!

  Thanks to the awesomeness of open source, PR-Holonet is made possible by standing on the shoulders of giants. That is, other awesome projects that have enabled me to put this system together way faster than if I had had to build everything from scratch. Those projects, and their corresponding licenses, are: (Thank you all!!)

  • Python
    1. setuptools
       1. MIT License
    2. Flask
       1. BSD
    3. flask_webpack
       1. GPL v3
    4. phonenumbers
       1. Apache 2.0
    5. pyserial
       1. BSD 
    6. RPI.GPIO
       1.  MIT
  • Node.js
    1. babel-core
       1. MIT
    2. twilio
       1. MIT
    3. babel-loader
       1. MIT
    4. bootstrap
       1. MIT
    5. css-loader
       1. MIT
    6. extract-text-webpack-plugin
       1. MIT
    7. file-loader
       1. MIT
    8. jquery
       1. MIT
    9. manifest-revision-webpack-plugin
       1. ISC
    10. node-normalize-scss
        1. MIT
    11. node-sass
        1. MIT
    12. sass-loader
        1. MIT
    13. scss-base
        1. MIT
    14. style-loader
        1. MIT
    15. sync-exec
        1. MIT
    16. url-loader
        1. MIT
    17. webpack
        1. MIT

  Thank you all for taking a minute to check this post out. Thank you a TON to all the awesome developers who have made this project possible through their own open source contributions. 

  If you have additional questions about open source licensing, what it means, and what the options are, here is a link with good information:

  https://choosealicense.com/
  

  Until the next post!

  Inventive.Prototypes

• Code is up!! - ¡El código esta disponible!

  inventive.prototypes • 08/13/2018 at 01:57 • 0 comments

  Hello Everyone!!

  I'm happy and excited to say that the code is finally up! Please treat this as a very early alpha. HOWEVER, if you are the type that:

  • Loves to jump in headfirst into new projects
  • Are opinionated and have respectful yet constructive criticism
  • Like to test things out hot off the oven

  Then you are so totally my type! 

  
  The goal for this project is that anyone who needs it can build it, so if you take the time to pull and build and notice a few things that, uhm, make your experience... --- let's say, less than ideal --- then throw me a line. Post an issue on the github page and I'll slowly but surely get to it. 

  If you are NOT the coding type, then I honestly TREASURE your opinion as well. Remember this project is meant to help in emergency situations with emphasis on the people willing and able to help. No requirements for tech geniuses here (although they are always welcome). 

  Until the next log, hack away!

  --Inventive.Prototypes

  PS: Although I would love to see this project help others I'll make it clear that I am not making any warranties or claims to fitness - implicit or otherwise - as to the use of this project. Please understand that if you decide to use it you do so at your own risk.

  --------------------------

  ¡Hola a todos!

  Me alegra poder anunciar que el código para el proyecto esta disponible. Por favor, trátenlo como una versión alfa muy temprana. PERO, si eres el tipo de persona que: 

  • Le encanta aprender de nuevos proyectos
  • Puedes brindar crítica respetuosa y constructiva
  • Le encanta trabajar con tecnologías y herramientas nuevas

  ¡Entonces eres mi tipo de persona!

  
  La meta principal de este proyecto es que cualquier persona que lo necesite lo pueda construir, así que si tomas de tu tiempo para montar el proyecto y encuentras el proceso, digamos, no muy claro entonces déjame una pregunta o un comentario por medio de los "issues" en github. 

  Si NO eres el tipo de persona que sabe programar, también atesoro tu opinión. Recuerda que este proyecto esta diseñado para ayudar en situaciones de emergencia, con enfásis en la gente disponible para ayudar, no en los genios técnicos ( Aunque si eres un@ eres siempre bienvenid@).

  Eso es todo por ahora, ¡hasta luego!

  -- Inventive.Prototypes

  PS: Aunque me encantaría saber que el proyecto es útil para otros quiero dejar claro que no doy garantía de uso o propósito - directa o indirectamente - relacionada al uso de este proyecto. Por favor entienda que si decide usarlo, lo hace a su propio riesgo.

• Quick Preview!! - ¡Un pequeño avance! (Human Computer Interface Challenge)

  inventive.prototypes • 08/03/2018 at 05:59 • 0 comments

  Hello everyone!!

  I've been hard at work the last couple months working on the physical design of the system as well as polishing off a working version of the code in time for the Human Computer Interface Challenge.

  Besides being great for initial communications right after a natural disaster, PR-Holonet essentially turns ANY computer or cellphone with wifi and an internet browser into a satellite-based two-way communications system that can be used anywhere in the world. At that point, it's up to the user's imagination what it can be used for.

  I hope to post some more logs soon, as well as info on a really cool project I'm trying to get done with the system to help post-hurricane victims. For now enjoy the pictures of the system using a now waterproof cable gland pelican case system. 

  Stay tuned and thanks for the support! 

  ----------------------------

  ¡Hola a todos!

  He estado trabajando arduamente en estos últimos meses en el diseño físico del sistema. Además he estado trabajando en el código necesario para correr el sistema con miras a someterlo al Human Computer Interface Challenge. 

  Además de su misión principal, que es proveer comunicaciones luego de un desastre natural, PR-Holonet permite que cualquier computadora o celular con WiFi y un navegador de internet puedan ser utilizados como un sistema de comunicaciones bidireccional a través de satélite desde cualquier parte del mundo. Queda de parte de la imaginación del usuario la infinidad de usos que pueda tener esto. 

  Espero poder proveer más detalles concretos pronto, así como noticias de un proyecto que estoy tratando de desarrollar con el sistema para ayudar a víctimas de huracanes. Por ahora les dejo unas fotos recientes del sistema, en su nuevo estuche con una glándula para el cable de cargar el sistema. Todo a prueba de agua. 

  ¡Que tengan un buen día y gracias por el apoyo!

  -- Inventive.Prototypes

• Quick Preview!! - ¡Un pequeño avance! (Human Computer Interface Challenge)

  inventive.prototypes • 08/03/2018 at 05:58 • 0 comments

  Hello everyone!!

  I've been hard at work the last couple months working on the physical design of the system as well as polishing off a working version of the code in time for the Human Computer Interface Challenge.

  Besides being great for initial communications right after a natural disaster, PR-Holonet essentially turns ANY computer or cellphone with wifi and an internet browser into a satellite-based two-way communications system that can be used anywhere in the world. At that point, its up to the users imagination what it can be used for.

  I hope to post some more posts soon, as well as info on a really cool project I'm trying to get done with the system to help post-hurricane victims. For now enjoy the pictures of the system using a now waterproof cable gland pelican case system. 

  Stay tuned and thanks for the support! 

  ----------------------------

  ¡Hola a todos!

  He estado trabajando arduamente en estos últimos meses en el diseño físico del sistema. Además he estado trabajando en el código necesario para correr el sistema con miras a someterlo al Human Computer Interface Challenge. 

  Además de su misión principal, que es proveer comunicaciones luego de un desastre natural, PR-Holonet permite que cualquier computadora o celular con WiFi y un navegador de internet puedan ser utilizados como un sistema de comunicaciones bidireccional a través de satélite que puede ser utilizado en cualquier parte del mundo. Queda de parte de la imaginación del usuario la infinidad de usos que pueda tener esto. 

  Espero poder proveer más detalles concretos pronto, así como noticias de un proyecto que estoy tratando de desarrollar con el sistema para ayudar a víctimas de huracanes. Por ahora les dejo unas fotos recientes del sistema, en su nuevo estuche con una glándula para el cable de cargar el sistema. Todo a prueba de agua. 

  Que tengan un buen día y gracias por el apoyo!

  -- Inventive.Prototypes

• System Design: Playing with numbers (Costs)

  inventive.prototypes • 04/29/2018 at 19:26 • 0 comments

  Hello! Thanks for taking the time to visit the project! 

  This post will explain all costs associated with assembling a PR-Holonet unit, activating it, and operating it. In the ballpark of things, the cost of building a PR-Holonet system as presented in this post will vary from $420 to $600 depending on your final configuration. The differences only affect the capacity of the system to operate in the absence of enough sunlight; as well as the capacity to power/recharge other equipment or the ability to recharge and keep the system operational at the same time. It does not affect the core functionality of sending and receiving messages. It also bears mentioning that I will not be covering shipping costs or taxes. The system has been designed to minimize the difficulty of sourcing the components needed as well as to be used pretty much anywhere; but that also means that I can't, in good faith, give good numbers on shipping costs or taxes to cover all scenarios for anyone to build it.

  All cost estimates provided in this post will be in US dollars. Please convert as necessary if you are living in another country. 

  This log is long, and it contains a lot of information. I may break it up later in the future. For now, grab a snack, turn some music on, and enjoy.

  Thank you!

  ---

  Assembly Costs

  The two key components of this system, the Raspberry Pi 3 B and the Rockblock MK II, should be available at fixed pricing.

  The rest of the costs may vary depending on sourcing or capacity. The list of items is as follows:

  • A portable cellphone battery charger
  • A foldable solar cell charger
  • A non-metallic project box (ideally water-proof)
  • A microSD memory card
  • Female to female jumper cables
  • Spare micro USB cables

  PR-Holonet is meant to be used in emergency and technology-austere environments. For this reason, the actual list of parts has been put together to enable a system that can:

  • Work on its own
  • Power, enable, or leverage other tech equipment that can be of use to help relief efforts

  Following is a list of the actual parts and costs being used to build the system. For a budget version of the system, see the end of the post.

  Total Kit Cost: $600

  System Core

  The core is made up of the Pi, Rockblock, female to female jumper wires, microUSB cables, and microSD card.

  Part Name	Description	Cost ($)	Source
  Raspberry Pi 3 B	The brains of the operation	$35.00	Adafruit
  RockBlock MK II	Iridium Short Burst Data transceiver	$249.50	Sparkfun
  Samsung EVO microSD card	Capacity - 64GB Class 10 UHS 3 Speed - Write: 60Mbps - Read: 90Mbps	$19.99	Amazon
  Female to Female Jumper Wires	- 20-pack tape - 6 inches each - .1" pitch	$1.95	Sparkfun
  Anker Micro USB Cables	Two microUSB cables that can be used to power the Pi or charge the battery	$9.99	Amazon

  Project Case

  To allow the project to be weather resistant, I've selected a dust-proof, water resistant project box. Down the road I'd like to really test out how hot the system gets and actually test its water-proof worthiness, for now the current case gets the job done.

  Part Name	Description...

  Read more »

• Cultivemos la Esperanza

  inventive.prototypes • 04/22/2018 at 23:21 • 0 comments

  Pasó un mes y medio antes de poder saber algo de papi. Pasaron 2.5 meses antes de poder escucharlo. En esos meses descubrí la diferencia entre no poder hablar con mi familia por no tener tiempo  y no poder hablar con mi familia porque no habían maneras disponibles y sin saber cuándo o cómo podría o si sería posible. 

  Quiero que este proyecto se enfoque en cómo ayudar a la gente que lo necesite. Que pueda mejorar basado en las experiencias de la gente que ayuda. El enfoque de los escritos para este proyecto será acerca de los aspectos técnicos de como construir y utilizar PR-Holonet. Pero en éste trataré de explicar el por qué de este proyecto. 

  Este escrito NO será técnico, y todo aquel interesado sólo en esa información puede pasarlo por alto. 

  Al criarse con huracanes, uno aprende a tenerles respeto. No le deseo un huracán a nadie. 

  Durante el paso del huracán Irma, ayudé a papi a preparar la casa. El tuvo que viajar a Puerto Rico a ayudar a mi abuela y tía, y yo me quedé con mis hermanas. Fue una situación tensa e intensa, pero gracias a Dios todo salió bien. El huracán no pasó directamente por Puerto Rico y mi familia lo sobrepasó bien. Pero los huracanes no son sistemas que afecten sólo a unos pocos, y Key West no tuvo tanta suerte. Después de Irma, pensé que ese era el fin de la temporada, que las probabilidades de otro huracán fuerte eran pocas. Después de todo, ese era el segundo huracán fuerte de la temporada luego de Harvey en Houston. 

  Una semana después apareció María. Puerto Rico suele tener suerte al tratarse de huracanes fuertes. Por lo general tienden a pasar suficientemente altos o bajos como para no impactar la Isla directamente. Pero María me llenó de un terror que surge de la impotencia ante la naturaleza... Una semana luego de ver cómo Irma transformó Miami en una nueva pequeña Venecia, habíase aquí un huracán categoría 5 con intención de visitar directamente a Puerto Rico. Una semana y media después de Irma, María barrió la Isla...

  No sé si pueda explicar en plenitud lo que uno siente ante una situación así. En general, cuando ocurren situaciones malas en Puerto Rico uno se queja. Pero luego que lo procesa es manos a la obra y a trabajar porque al final del día nadie hace las cosas por uno. Somos responsables de moldear el futuro con nuestras manos. Luego de María, tenía cierta esperanza de empezar a escuchar la gente quejándose. La tiraera de culpa de un bando a otro que, aunque no es ideal ni productiva, tiende a señalar que la Isla se esta movilizando a reestablecer la normalidad. 

  Los Puertorriqueños somos alborotosos y felices. Hablamos "hasta por los codos". A veces hablamos un tanto de más, jeje, pero así somos. Mi esperanza era escuchar a la gente, aún si era quejándose. Porque significa que las cosas están malas, pero nunca tan malas como para no sacar el tiempo para quejarse. Como decimos en Puerto Rico, "pudo haber sido peor", esa era la esperanza mía para el mejor escenario posible ante el impacto de este huracán. 

  Sin embargo, después de María... Nada. 1.5 meses de nada. Un ensordecedor, aterrorizante, vacío lleno de nada... De la misma manera que uno reconoce la seriedad de una conversación con una pareja, o amigo, o familiar por la abundancia con la que se comparte el silencio; así mismo fueron desconectadas de el resto del mundo 3.4 millones de voces. Durante esa primera semana luego de María no había energía eléctrica, ni agua potable, ni comunicaciones,...

  Read more »

• Why build hope...?

  inventive.prototypes • 04/20/2018 at 03:41 • 0 comments

  It took 1.5 months to learn anything about my dad. It took 2.5 months to finally hear him live over the phone. There is a difference between not having the chance to call your family, and not being able to and not knowing if you will be able to. 
  

  I want this project to focus on the good it is able to do. I want this project to grow on the experiences of how it gets to help people. I will focus all other posts on the system, how it works and how to use it. But in this one post I'll try to explain why I'm doing it. 

  This post will not be technical, and you are definitely welcome to skip it.

  Growing up with hurricanes has taught me to be respectful of them. They are not an experience I wish on anyone. 

  I helped my dad during hurricane Irma, he had to travel to Puerto Rico and I helped with his house stateside. It was a tense situation to be in. Hurricanes are not trivial events. We prepared both houses, him in Puerto Rico with my grandmother and aunt and me with my sisters. Thankfully our family was blessed. Irma for the most part missed Puerto Rico. Key West was not so lucky. After Irma, I thought that had been it. That was the second big one for the season, Harvey had hit Houston a few days before. I thought, "Well 2 in one season should be it for the year".

  A week later Maria shows up. Puerto Rico is lucky in the sense that more often than not the really bad hurricanes seem to miss the island by going a bit too high or too low for a direct hit. But Maria filled me with dread. A week after watching how Irma created a temporary Venice in Miami, here was a Cat 5 hurricane, getting ready to run straight through Puerto Rico. A week and a half after Irma barely missed Puerto Rico, the Island was swept.

  I do not know that I can explain what it felt like. When something bad happens in Puerto Rico, you complain, loudly more often than not. Then you roll your sleeves up and get to work fixing it because at the end of the day, "no one will do stuff for you". You have to own your stuff. After Maria I hoped to hear that complaining, the usual blames being thrown, the ones that sadly are the indicatives of efforts being put together to fix the Island up as well as possible again. 

  Puerto Ricans are loud. And happy. We talk a lot. Sometimes more than we should, heh. I was hoping to hear that loudness, even if it was just complaining. It means things are bad, but never so bad you don't have the time to complain. As we say in Puerto Rico, "it could have been worse". I wished that to be the best case scenario.

  After Maria though... Nothing. 1.5 months of nothing. Deafening. Exasperating. Nothingness. The same way one recognizes the seriousness of a conversation with a family member, or a partner, or a friend by the abundance of words not being said, this was 3.4 million people worth of muted voices. During the first week, there was no power, no potable water, no communication, no gas/petrol infrastructure, no roads, no grocery stores, and for a lot of people no home. And then for the next one, and the next one, and the next... 6 months out the electrical grid is still not stable or fully operational. I understand that there are multiple factors that led to this point. But the fact that this is even a thing, that recovery has not been possible as the next hurricane season comes up, speaks volumes about the situation, its magnitude and scale. I do not mean to trivialize the work of the first responders, government officials, and volunteers who have genuinely done their utmost to help. To those who have done everything within their purview. Thank you. But this was and is a very daunting situation, of humanitarian crisis scale even. ...

  Read more »

• System Design: An initial dive in

  inventive.prototypes • 04/18/2018 at 04:06 • 0 comments

  Hardware Communication Gateway

  PR-Holonet consists of 2 parts:
  

  • The hardware communication gateway
  • The cloud backend

  Both systems are meant to be as low cost and modular as possible. The full hardware communications unit is composed of :

  • Raspberry Pi 3 unit ($35)
  • Rockblock MK II Iridium Short Burst Data (SBD) modem ( ~$250)
  • Cellphone Battery Charger ($170 or less, depends on what you get)
  • Foldable Solar Charger ($60 to $90, depends on what you get)
  • A waterproof case ( ~$20)
  • 1 micro usb cable ( < $4)
  • 6 female to female breadboard jumpers (< $1)
  • The charging cable for your portable battery ( comes with battery)

  ---

  Raspberry Pi 3 and Rockblock MK II

  ---

  36W 18V solar charger

  ---

  You get 2 USB 2.0 charging ports (5V/2.4A) and one 18V/1.5A barrel port

  ---

  40Ah Lithium battery. Can power a laptop. Also has a simple but useful LED "flashlight"

  ---

  Nice waterproof box large enough for everything

  ---

  At its most basic setup, PR-Holonet is composed of the Raspberry Pi 3 and the Rockblock. The Pi runs a Flask web server that serves as the interface for the user. It is also responsible for generating the WiFi access point that users will connect to. The Pi is used to power the Rockblock MK II, which is responsible for beaming the messages up to the Iridium satellite constellation. The Rockblock talks to the Pi over serial and can be connected by hand to the Pi.
  

  Connecting the Rockblock

  ---

  Connecting the Pi

  ---

  On a 26.8AH lithium battery, PR-Holonet can be on for a couple days (3 to 4 so far in my experience, although I have yet to do a well-documented test). Depending on needs, you can find upwards of 50Ah batteries which can also be used to power and recharge a full laptop. In my current iteration I am using a 40 Ah battery. When coupled together with a foldable solar charger, the system can effectively be on 24/7. What’s more, given that PR-Holonet consumes little power, the system can generate enough power for itself and for devices to connect to it. Ideally, you’ll want to use at least a 36W portable solar charger. It is small enough to be portable, but generates enough power to be useful, especially dealing with such a big battery. Between the solar charger and the battery, the system should be able to work through the night and a couple rainy days. It should also be able to charge a cellphone or laptop if needed.
  

  In terms of setup, if you have a working backend system and a pre-made micro-sd card with the OS and PR-Holonet software, configuration is a matter of

  • Putting the microSD card on the Pi
  • Connecting 6 jumper cables (power, ground, tx, rx, ringer, ground) (yes, 2 grounds :) )
  • Plug the battery into the Pi
  • Count to 30
  • You’re up!

  You should see your WiFi access point pop up on your device. And that is it, PR-Holonet is running and ready to go!

  
  

  
  

  “You keep talking about the backend, but WHAT IS IT?”

  You ask. Well, good question!

  Cloud Services Backend 

  The backend consists of three components:

  • The Rockblock gateway
  • An Amazon AWS setup
  • Twilio

  The Rockblock gateway refers to the Rock7 Core services. Rockblock being the Iridium antenna, Rock7 the company, and Core being their management portal. You’ll need to purchase credits (50 bytes = 1 credit) as well as pay the monthly activation fee ( ~$15).

  From amazon you’ll need a free account to use the following services:

  • CloudFormation
  • Lambda
  • Amazon S3

  Finally you’ll need a phone number from Twilio that can be used for text messages. You’ll want...

  Read more »

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