This project is a good example of my interest in playing around and innovating with systems related to computer science.

I spend lots of time on the computer and also watching all kinds of videos on the computer. Around 2018 I started thinking it would be nice if I had a small "device" that I could for example attach to my wrist and then control my computer wirelessly while cooking for example. I started searching for such a device but couldn't find anything that would be good for this purpose so I thought I could try to build one by myself using Arduino.

Requirements

I thought the device should be able to control mouse and give keystrokes. I have been using browser extension called "Video speed controller", that can be used for what it is named for. Using keystrokes you can easily adjust the speed of any video, skip ahead, rewind, fastforward etc. So with video speed controller extension and HID-device I could wirelessly control videos without walking every time to computer desk.

After doing some research I wanted to try using Arduino Pro Micro as the brain of the project. Actually two of these. One would be taking the inputs and sending commands wirelessly, and other would receive wireless commands and giving them to computer via USB. Radiocommunication between the arduinos would happen using cheap RF-transmitter-receiver pair. All the components are in the picture of above. Arduino, joystick-input for arduino, RF-transmitter and -receiver and couple push buttons.

In spring 2019 I attended precision engineering course in the University of Oulu and I made an exercise work from this HID device. The scope of the exercise work was to test precision mechanics techniques and this project was pretty good for that. I desinged a case for the device and then I was fortunate to be able to 3d-print the case in fablab of university.

The end result as a product was pretty bad, but it was meant to be kind of a prototype. The components after soldered together using jumpingwires would not fit inside perfectly becouse the case was little too small.

As a proof of concept the input device did work like a charm. I was able to get inputs wirelessly to computer and I was surprised how well it worked. Delay was basically instant. It was so satisfying to come up with this totally new way of doing something and to be able to get it to work just as I expected.

This "product" is not worth my time anymore, because I found a good product from Ebay to solve original desire to control computer remotly with small device. That product is Wechip W1 or W2 "airmouse"/keyboard. It is basically a remote controller which has also a keyboard. It is not perfect for my purposes because I would like to have even smaller device but that is the best there is on the market at the moment. And it is interesting that I haven't been able to find any similiar product from the Finnish market. Only way to get good product for my purposes is to order it from abroad.