UDXS Micro:mate

Who needs a $200 smart display when you have a micro:bit and a Pi lying aound?

Setup

---

1. Installing Node

First, we have to install NVM with this command:

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/creationix/nvm/v0.31.0/install.sh | bash

Then, we must install Node and NPM through NVM:

nvm install 8

Then, we update NPM:

npm install -g npm

Finally, we have to allow Node to work with sudo:

n=$(which node); \
n=${n%/bin/node}; \
chmod -R 755 $n/bin/*; \
sudo cp -r $n/{bin,lib,share} /usr/local

(Credit: DigitalOcean. Found from StackOverflow.)

2. Installing Micro:mate

First, we need to install all dependencies to the Pi:

sudo apt install git bluetooth bluez libbluetooth-dev libudev-dev

We then need to link node to the command nodejs for Noble to work correctly Do it with this command:

sudo ln -s /usr/bin/nodejs /usr/bin/node

Then, we can go ahead and get Micro:mate onto the Pi. We can do that with the following commands:

#Download the Repo
git clone https://github.com/UDXS/micromate.git
#Go into it
cd micromate
#Install all the dependencies from NPM
sudo npm install

Next, we have to configure Micro:mate. To do this, open up config.json and follow the instructions. You can get an OpenWeatherMap key here. The rest will be configured later in the Dialogflow console.

3. Setting up the server

Before we can run anything, we need to set up Dataplicity. This is done because Dialogflow expects an HTTPS connection. Dataplicity allows us to remotely access the Pi from anywhere as well as tunnel HTTP (Port 80) traffic to a Dataplicity URL. This tunnel also converts HTTP to HTTPS. The best part is that this is all free (though you can pay to tunnel other ports).

To do this, go to the Dataplicity website and sign up. Then, follow the instructions to copy the code to the Pi's terminal. You should then be able to view your devices. Select the Pi and open the terminal. Ensure the sidebar is open and then enable Wormhole. You should see a dataplicity.io link.

Follow this tutorial from Dataplicity to get into your pi account and then this one to run the server without Dataplicity open.

Note: You will no longer be able to run web servers on port 80

At this point, copy node-bbc-microbit-v0.1.0.hex to the Micro:bit. After it is done uploading, it should ask you to do the compass calibration. Go ahead and complete it.

If it freezes, ensure the server isn't running yet, as it can corrupt the process.

At this point, you can start the server by typing:

sudo node micromate.js

If all goes well, you should see the text Micro:mate scrolling on the Micro:bit.

If it says Test Message Sent. but you see no message on the display, type the following command to fix it:

sudo hciconfig reset hci0

and then restart the server.

3. Setting up Dialogflow

At this point, our server is running but it has no way to receive and process commands. To do this, we need to set up Dialogflow.

First, you need to go to the Dialogflow website and sign in with your Google Account by clicking Go To Console. Once you logged in, you will likely be given a tutorial and shown around the console. It will give you a demo agent where you are free to poke around and understand how Dialogflow works.

Click on the list below the Dialogflow logo where it shows the current project name and select Create New Agent.

Name it Micro:mate and select your time zone. Then, click create. You should be brought into an empty project. Again at the top-left, click on the gear icon next to your project.

Then, click on Export and Import. Here, select Restore From ZIP. Select Micromate.zip from the micromate folder.

At this stage, we have to configure the default city for weather. Select Intents in the sidebar and click on Show Weather. Scroll down to Action and parameters and where it shows the location parameter, select ⋮. Then, click on Default Value. Here, you can type in your city of residence.

When you are done, click Save at the top right.

Next, we must tell Dialogflow to use our server. To do this, click on Fulfillment on the sidebar. Where it says URL, type <YOUR DATAPLICITY URL>.dataplicity.io/action replacing it with your unique URL. Make sure you have /action at the end. Then, scroll down to the very bottom and click Save.

4. Talking to the Google Assistant

Next, we need to allow Dialogflow to work with the Google Assistant. Start by clicking Integrations on the sidebar. Then, click on Google Assistant. Here, we have settings for the Assistant. Everything should already be set up. All you have to do is scroll down to Auto-preview changes and enable it. Then, click Test at the bottom of the dialog box.

At this point, you should be in the simulator but it isn't properly set up yet.

First, go to Invocation on the sidebar and give it a name. Unfortunately, you cannot name it Micro mate like I did. Then, if you'd like, you can change the voice. When done, click Save.

Then, go back to the Simulator and test it by saying Talk to <Name> and then one of the intent phrases such as Show the weather and see if it works. Also try doing the shorthand commands. These look like Ask <Name> to show the time.

If these commands work and show up on your Pi and on your Micro:bit, that means it is working correctly.

Before we can deploy the app to a phone, we need to fill in the correct info. Go to the Overview page on the sidebar and see what it needs you to do. If it asks for a logo, I recommend the Micro:bit logo.

When this is all done, go to the Release page in the sidebar and click Submit For Alpha. This may take a while to work. Once it does work, though, and it shows the release as Deployed, click on Manage Alpha Testers. Copy the Opt-in link to your phone and, when asked where to open it, select Google Assistant. It should then be added. You should be able to use any command you want like you did in the simulator.

You can see all the possible commands by looking at the list of intents in Dialogflow.

Thanks for following this tutorial!

If you liked it, please consider donating! I'm on twitter as @UDXSDavid. Also check out my site UDXS.me.