RS Media Resource
About the RS Media
In November 2006 WowWee produced a brilliant multi media robot named "RS Media". The robot is 2ft tall and can be controlled using it infared remote. A round 2009 WowWee stopped producing the Robots. The only place you can really purchase them from now is Ebay for between £80 - £200 in the UK. (I am luckly enough to have 6 of these robots a long with a few other robots WowWee used to sell)
The RS Media robot has lots has some very cool functions such as:
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Walking
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Talking
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Autonimass roaming mode
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Sound and colour detection
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Take picture and video with its inbuilt camera
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Play music file wiith its amazing in built sound system
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Play java games on the 2 inches LCD display on it chest
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Recording and playing back macros
What else can the RS Media do?
The RS Media is a very powerful robot running with many function. With a little bit of hacking to the robot it is easy to get full control of more function that aren't available when use the robot as it is supplied. I've been a hobbiest software developer for a long time and the ability to hack the robot to get more out of it was like giving candy to a baby. I've created a few pieces of software that allow you to control the robots in a variety of ways using a Windows PC or via my prefer method using Android device.
(Below are all the resources you will need setup and control your own RS Media robot from a computer of Android device.)
How to communicate to the RS Media from a Windows or an Android device?
Before you can control the robot from either a computer or Android device (e.g. Tablet/Phone) you'll need to set up a method of commnication with the robot.
There are 2 main ways to do this:
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Method 1 - Setting up a virtual serial communication to the robot. I don't tend to use this method as I find trying to communicate to the robot this way is a bit hit and miss. With this method you will only be able to control the robot from a computer not from an Android device
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Method 2 - Serial Hack. The Serial Hack is the preferred method of communication giving you much more control of the robot and is a more stable. To do the Serial Hack you need to open up the robot and soldering 4 wires to one of the circuit board in the robot. This method of communication is the only way you can to control the robot from an Android device.
Full instructions
Software & App to control the RS Media
Once you have setup one of the communication method above you can now control the robut using free software I have write called the RS Media Control Station (RSMCS for short)
RS Media Control Station (For Android devices)
RSMCS V1beta
Written by Gareth Hayings
Software Released 24th December 2011
Software description
This is an app for Adroid devices which allows you to control your RS Media. It was more of and experiment to see if I could use my phone to control the robot. The app only took me 2days to create and works really well even though it is a bit rough and ready. This version of the app has the following features:
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Connect to the RS Media via blutooth
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Control all limbs from graphical interface
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Make the robot talk with Text to speech including voice effects
Screen Shots from the App
Help fund further development
I intend to make a much more powerful and fully functional version of the RSMCS for Android. If you would like to help fund this project please make a donation by clicking on the button above.
When written the app will be available on Google play
(If you do decide to donate to this project please note I am currect do developement work on the source code for App Inventor so won't start this project until towards the end of 2013)
RS Media Control Station (For Windows)
(Please note: I will now only be developing the Android version RSMCS from now on and there will be not be releasing further windows versions of the software)
RSMCS V4.0
Written by Gareth Hayings
Software Released 24th December 2011
Software description
This is latest version of the RSMCS software which allows you to control your RS Media from a computer. This software was completely rewritten from V3.1. There are a lot of enhancements and new features which include the following:
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Connection to the robot via serial coms & IP address
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Full 3d graphical representation of the RS Media
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Access to most all the extra robot moment functions
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Tracking, Puppet mode, video, sound and image recorder
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RSM remote access (allow to control your robot over the internet and robot social networking via Skype)
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Terminal console to allow you direct access to the robots operating system
Extra features only available when connecting Via IP address
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FTP function
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RSM Webserver interface to access webpages sorted on your robot
(Note: RSMCS V4 does not include the personality generator)
RSMCS V3.1
Written by Gareth Hayings
Software Released 24th December 2010
Software description
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Connect to the robot via serial com port
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Move the robot limbs and make it walk with safety feature to prevent damage to limb motors
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Send custom commands to the robot
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Personality generator (Note: include RSMCS V4)
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Basic Web browser intergrated in to the software
RSM Terminal Console V1b
Written by Gareth Hayings
Software Released 24th April 2011
Software description
The software is a bespoke RS Media terminal console program which has the following feature
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Connection to the robot via serial coms & IP address
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Terminal console to allow you direct access to the robots operating system
Extra features only available when connecting Via IP address
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FTP function
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RSM Webserver interface to access webpages sorted on your robot
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Added Terminal console to allow you direct access to the robots operating system
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Added Integrated online help
(Note: All these feature were in added to the RSMCS V4)
Other projects I've worked on for the RS Media.
Multibot Control
This is a project I developed and completely got working. It allowed me to control many RS Medias from the same interface. I did intend to add it to the windows version of the RSMCS but was never ended up releasing or adding it to the RSMCS software. I do intend to add something like this to the Android version of the RSMCS.
The video below how the software would work
Tutorial Videos
How to Use the software
(I recommend watching all 3 of the tutorial videos below before using the software)
Below is a video demonstrating the software fully working and controlling 2 RS Medias
Theater Bot
In 2009 I developed a piece of theater script writing software that allowed you to create a film script and each chacters part could be spoken via text to speech. The software worked really well and I was able to give each character different voices and emtion when speaking there parts. I intend to evlove this and eventaully extend the multibot control so the Robots will act and speak.