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Accessing the Accelerometer

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Accessing the Accelerometer

Postby plusminus » Fri Jan 11, 2008 8:27 pm

Accessing the Accelerometer


What is this: Your will learn how to access the Accelerometer

:warning: Currently the emulator does not support the emulation of an accelerometer (it just returns [0, 0, 0] what is a Free-Fall ;)). But when the functionality is available I will build a Class, where you can register, for special events, like, when the device is being shaken or similar.

:?: Problems/Questions: post right below...

Difficulty: 2 of 5

Description: The accelerometer values indicate the acceleration in units of 1 = 1g = 9.8 m/s[sup]2[/sup] along the X, Y, and Z axes. With the device lying flat on a horizontal surface in front of the user, oriented so the screen is readable by the user in the normal fashion, the X axis goes from left to right, the Y axis goes from the user toward the device, and the Z axis goes upwards perpendicular to the surface.

Acceleration is defined such that a device in free fall has an accleration value of (0, 0, 0). Thus a stationary device will have an acceleration value of (0, 0, -1) since it is being acted on with 1g of force by the Earth's gravity. When the device is stationary, the acceleration vector will thus indicate the downward direction.

0.) So I created a small wrapper around the basic-functionality of Sensor-Reading, that will save you some lines:

Syntax: [ Download ] [ Hide ]
Using java Syntax Highlighting
  1. import android.hardware.Sensors;
  2.  
  3. public class AccelerometerReader {
  4.  
  5.         /** True when the Accelerometer-functionality is basically available. */
  6.         boolean accelerometerAvailable = false;
  7.         boolean isEnabled = false;
Parsed in 0.030 seconds, using GeSHi 1.0.8.4


1.) Constructing a AccelerometerReader which does some initial work:
Syntax: [ Download ] [ Hide ]
Using java Syntax Highlighting
  1.         /**
  2.          * Sets up an AccelerometerReader. Checks if Accelerometer is available on
  3.          * this device and throws UnsupportedOperationException if not .
  4.          *
  5.          * @param doEnable :
  6.          *            enables the devices Accelerometer
  7.          *            initially (if sensor available)
  8.          * @throws UnsupportedOperationException
  9.          *             if Accelerometer is not available on this device.
  10.          */
  11.         public AccelerometerReader(boolean doEnable)
  12.                         throws UnsupportedOperationException {
  13.  
  14.                 /* Check once here in the constructor if an
  15.                  * Accelerometer is available on this device. */
  16.                 for (String aSensor : Sensors.getSupportedSensors())
  17.                         if (aSensor.equals(Sensors.SENSOR_ACCELEROMETER))
  18.                                 accelerometerAvailable = true;
  19.  
  20.                 if (!accelerometerAvailable)
  21.                         throw new UnsupportedOperationException(
  22.                                         "Accelerometer is not available.");
  23.  
  24.                 if (doEnable)
  25.                         setEnableAccelerometer(true);
  26.         }
Parsed in 0.032 seconds, using GeSHi 1.0.8.4


2.) Dis/Enabling of the underlying Accelerometer:
Syntax: [ Download ] [ Hide ]
Using java Syntax Highlighting
  1.         /**
  2.          * En/Dis-able the Accelerometer.
  3.          *
  4.          * @param doEnable
  5.          *            <code>true</code> for enable.<br>
  6.          *            <code>false</code> for disable.
  7.          * @throws UnsupportedOperationException
  8.          */
  9.         public void setEnableAccelerometer(boolean doEnable)
  10.                         throws UnsupportedOperationException {
  11.                 if (!accelerometerAvailable)
  12.                         throw new UnsupportedOperationException(
  13.                                         "Accelerometer is not available.");
  14.  
  15.                 /* If should be enabled and not already is: */
  16.                 if (doEnable && !this.isEnabled) {
  17.                         Sensors.enableSensor(Sensors.SENSOR_ACCELEROMETER);
  18.                         this.isEnabled = true;
  19.                 } else /* If should be disabled and not already is: */
  20.                 if (!doEnable && this.isEnabled) {
  21.                         Sensors.disableSensor(Sensors.SENSOR_ACCELEROMETER);
  22.                         this.isEnabled = false;
  23.                 }
  24.         }
Parsed in 0.037 seconds, using GeSHi 1.0.8.4


3.) Readign out the actual values:
Syntax: [ Download ] [ Hide ]
Using java Syntax Highlighting
  1.         /**
  2.          * Read out the values currently provided by the Accelerometer.
  3.          *
  4.          * @return the current Accelerometer-values.
  5.          * @throws UnsupportedOperationException
  6.          *             if Accelerometer is not available on this device.
  7.          * @throws IllegalStateException
  8.          *             if Accelerometer was set to disabled.
  9.          */
  10.         public float[] readAccelerometer() throws UnsupportedOperationException, IllegalStateException {
  11.                 if (!accelerometerAvailable)
  12.                         throw new UnsupportedOperationException(
  13.                                         "Accelerometer is not available.");
  14.  
  15.                 if (!this.isEnabled)
  16.                         throw new IllegalStateException(
  17.                                         "Accelerometer was set to disabled!");
  18.                 /* Get number of sensor-values the sensor will return. Could be
  19.                  * variable, depending of the amount of axis (1D, 2D or 3D
  20.                  * accelerometer). */
  21.                 int sensorValues = Sensors
  22.                                 .getNumSensorValues(Sensors.SENSOR_ACCELEROMETER);
  23.                 float[] out = new float[sensorValues];
  24.  
  25.                 /* Make the OS fill the array we passed. */
  26.                 Sensors.readSensor(Sensors.SENSOR_ACCELEROMETER, out);
  27.  
  28.                 /* And return it. */
  29.                 return out;
  30.         }
  31. }
Parsed in 0.037 seconds, using GeSHi 1.0.8.4

Thats it :)


The full source:

"/src/your_package_structure/AccelerometerReader.java"
Syntax: [ Download ] [ Hide ]
Using java Syntax Highlighting
  1. package org.anddev.dummyproject;
  2.  
  3. import android.hardware.Sensors;
  4.  
  5. public class AccelerometerReader {
  6.  
  7.         /** True when the Accelerometer-functionality is basically available. */
  8.         boolean accelerometerAvailable = false;
  9.         boolean isEnabled = false;
  10.  
  11.         /**
  12.          * Sets up an AccelerometerReader. Checks if Accelerometer is available on
  13.          * this device and throws UnsupportedOperationException if not .
  14.          *
  15.          * @param doEnable :
  16.          *            enables the devices Accelerometer
  17.          *            initially (if sensor available)
  18.          * @throws UnsupportedOperationException
  19.          *             if Accelerometer is not available on this device.
  20.          */
  21.         public AccelerometerReader(boolean doEnable)
  22.                         throws UnsupportedOperationException {
  23.  
  24.                 /* Check once here in the constructor if an
  25.                  * Accelerometer is available on this device. */
  26.                 for (String aSensor : Sensors.getSupportedSensors())
  27.                         if (aSensor.equals(Sensors.SENSOR_ACCELEROMETER))
  28.                                 accelerometerAvailable = true;
  29.  
  30.                 if (!accelerometerAvailable)
  31.                         throw new UnsupportedOperationException(
  32.                                         "Accelerometer is not available.");
  33.  
  34.                 if (doEnable)
  35.                         setEnableAccelerometer(true);
  36.         }
  37.  
  38.         /**
  39.          * En/Dis-able the Accelerometer.
  40.          *
  41.          * @param doEnable
  42.          *            <code>true</code> for enable.<br>
  43.          *            <code>false</code> for disable.
  44.          * @throws UnsupportedOperationException
  45.          */
  46.         public void setEnableAccelerometer(boolean doEnable)
  47.                         throws UnsupportedOperationException {
  48.                 if (!accelerometerAvailable)
  49.                         throw new UnsupportedOperationException(
  50.                                         "Accelerometer is not available.");
  51.  
  52.                 /* If should be enabled and not already is: */
  53.                 if (doEnable && !this.isEnabled) {
  54.                         Sensors.enableSensor(Sensors.SENSOR_ACCELEROMETER);
  55.                         this.isEnabled = true;
  56.                 } else /* If should be disabled and not already is: */
  57.                 if (!doEnable && this.isEnabled) {
  58.                         Sensors.disableSensor(Sensors.SENSOR_ACCELEROMETER);
  59.                         this.isEnabled = false;
  60.                 }
  61.         }
  62.  
  63.         /**
  64.          * Read out the values currently provided by the Accelerometer.
  65.          *
  66.          * @return the current Accelerometer-values.
  67.          * @throws UnsupportedOperationException
  68.          *             if Accelerometer is not available on this device.
  69.          * @throws IllegalStateException
  70.          *             if Accelerometer was set to disabled.
  71.          */
  72.         public float[] readAccelerometer() throws UnsupportedOperationException, IllegalStateException {
  73.                 if (!accelerometerAvailable)
  74.                         throw new UnsupportedOperationException(
  75.                                         "Accelerometer is not available.");
  76.  
  77.                 if (!this.isEnabled)
  78.                         throw new IllegalStateException(
  79.                                         "Accelerometer was set to disabled!");
  80.                 /* Get number of sensor-values the sensor will return. Could be
  81.                  * variable, depending of the amount of axis (1D, 2D or 3D
  82.                  * accelerometer). */
  83.                 int sensorValues = Sensors
  84.                                 .getNumSensorValues(Sensors.SENSOR_ACCELEROMETER);
  85.                 float[] out = new float[sensorValues];
  86.  
  87.                 /* Make the OS fill the array we passed. */
  88.                 Sensors.readSensor(Sensors.SENSOR_ACCELEROMETER, out);
  89.  
  90.                 /* And return it. */
  91.                 return out;
  92.         }
  93. }
Parsed in 0.043 seconds, using GeSHi 1.0.8.4


Regards,
plusminus
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Postby nico » Thu Jan 24, 2008 5:37 am

hi, plusminus

could u provide a simple application that use your AccelerometerReader, such as change a text in TextView when the phone is shaked. or is it not possible with the current emulator?

thanks :wink:
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Postby plusminus » Thu Jan 24, 2008 10:33 am

Hello nico,

currently there is no emulation for an accelerometer.

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Postby Peli » Mon Jan 28, 2008 3:52 pm

Hi!

OpenIntents has now the brand-new SensorSimulator! Now you can easily test your accelerometer-based application:

Try it out online here:
http://www.openintents.org/sensorsimulator

More information can be found here:
http://code.google.com/p/openintents/wi ... rSimulator

The phone is no longer freely falling, with the boring acceleration=(0,0,0), but you can receive real-time sensor data just by dragging around the simulated phone with the mouse.

Peli

PS: PlusMinus, you should probably change the following line in your code above:
if (aSensor.equals(Sensors.SENSOR_ACCELEROMETER))
to
if (aSensor.contentEquals(Sensors.SENSOR_ACCELEROMETER))
since the former version will compare pointer addresses, but the latter version compares strings. (just in case there are two equal strings, but with different address...)
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Postby Peli » Mon Jan 28, 2008 3:54 pm

PlusMinus,

By the way, I used your pyramid for the OpenGLSensors demo :-) I hope that is ok, and I don't violate any copyright :-)

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Postby plusminus » Tue Jan 29, 2008 1:36 am

Hello Peli,

nice to see the code reused. :)

Actually I'm pretty sure, that .equals also does a Content-Check for Equality.
Comparing by "==" would do a Pointer(Reference)-Comparison.

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Hi

Postby nit1507 » Tue Jan 29, 2008 4:22 pm

Thanks Peli for this wonderful SensorSimulator! . Also Thanks to plusminus for showing wonderful code.


Regrds

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Postby Peli » Wed Jan 30, 2008 7:20 am

plusminus wrote:Actually I'm pretty sure, that .equals also does a Content-Check for Equality.
Comparing by "==" would do a Pointer(Reference)-Comparison.


I guess you are right. I must have done something stupid :roll: , like comparing a string to a CharSequence (if that is a test that fails...). In any case, I had some trouble some days ago and that got resolved by changing equals to contentEquals, but reading through the documentation, I agree with you that equals should already compare the strings, so probably my mistake was somewhere else and I had not noticed it...

nit1507, thanks for the positive feedback :-)

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Postby plusminus » Wed Jan 30, 2008 10:45 am

Hello peli,

java.lang.String implements the CharSeqeunce-Interface, so the following code is correct:
Syntax: [ Download ] [ Hide ]
Using java Syntax Highlighting
  1.                 String s = "hello";
  2.                 CharSequence cs = "hello";
  3.                
  4.                 boolean b = s.equals(cs); // b will be 'true'
Parsed in 0.036 seconds, using GeSHi 1.0.8.4


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Application error: org.anddev.dummyproject

Postby parashar.iiit » Sat Feb 02, 2008 12:58 pm

Hello i am getting an error while starting the application -

"An error has occurred in process org.anddev.dummyproject . Unable to instantiate activity ."

Can somebody tell me why has this problem occurred ??

Thanks in advance
Abhinav
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Postby plusminus » Sat Feb 02, 2008 1:27 pm

Hello parashar.iiit,

is there no further detail to the Exception :?:

Just tried my code again and it worked fine.
Perhaps provide some code (if you are sure it has sth. to do with my Accelerometer-Reader here, otherwise in a new topic) :?:

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Postby parashar.iiit » Sat Feb 02, 2008 1:55 pm

Hello plusminus,
Thanks for your reply. Actually first time i am facing this error .I also just tried the code again but the same error is coming again .

An error has occured in process org.anddev.dummyproject. Unable to
instantiate activity
ComponentInfo{org.anddev.dummyproject.AccelerometerReader};
java.lang.InstantiationException:
org/anddev/dummyproject/AccelerometerReader


I guess now you can understand my problem .

Thanks
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Postby plusminus » Sat Feb 02, 2008 2:31 pm

Hello parashar.iiit,

the code above is no Activity :!: it just a normal Java-Class you use.
i.e. you'll have it as a field in your Activity:
Syntax: [ Download ] [ Hide ]
Using java Syntax Highlighting
  1. public class TestLayout extends Activity {
  2.  
  3.        
  4.  
  5.         private AccelerometerReader myAcReader = new AccelerometerReader(true);
  6.  
  7.  
  8.  
  9.         @Override
  10.  
  11.         public void onCreate(Bundle icicle) {
  12.  
  13.                 super.onCreate(icicle);
  14.  
  15.                 this.setContentView(R.layout.main);
  16.  
  17.                 // Perhaps make a button-OnClick show the Accelerometer-Values in a TextView...
  18.  
  19.         }
  20.  
  21. }
Parsed in 0.036 seconds, using GeSHi 1.0.8.4


Did this help you :?:
If not please provide the Activity where you are using the AccelerometerReader. :)

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Postby parashar.iiit » Sat Feb 02, 2008 3:08 pm

Oh thanks pulsminus .... Its working ....Such a stupid mistake i was making ... :(
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Postby plusminus » Sat Feb 02, 2008 3:11 pm

parashar.iiit wrote:Oh thanks pulsminus .... Its working ....Such a stupid mistake i was making ... :(


^^ Everyone makes such a fault somewhen :roll:
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