Integra Sources

About Location-aware apps can provide better safety in mining and construction, eliminate inefficiencies in logistics and transportation, and increase sales in the retail and hospitality industries. Request  An Australian provider of location-based solutions for enterprise with whom we've already worked needed to create a PaaS system that would allow companies in various industries to develop location-aware mobile applications. Previously we worked with the same client on a project where we needed to create a special gateway device for tracking people in underground mines. Solution Integra Sources provided the development for an SDK for iOS and Android enabling other developers to implement their location-based services. The SDK allows for the synchronization of unique geo-fences from web API so enterprises can monitor when an asset enters, leaves or stays inside the geo-fence We implemented automatic switching between GPS high accuracy, power balanced and BLE beacon modes for location tracking to make sure the library processes data without draining the battery. Result The system represents a Platform as a Service (PaaS) solution that enables persistent background location tracking of mobile devices through the use of a tracking system. Software developers can create and manage their Beacon zones and geofences through a web interface. They can assign triggers for each zone (e.g. entry, exit, dwell, a certain distance from Beacon) and push messages and actions to user devices when they enter a predetermined area. How it works  1. The entire area is covered with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) devices that periodically broadcast their identifier. Our solution supports all popular kinds of beacon standards including iBeacon and Eddystone beacon. 2. Smartphone synchronizes with the server and gets a list of geozones and beacon zones through a mobile network or Wi-Fi. 3. The SDK continuously monitors the GPS or Bluetooth position of the device and if a certain event happens such as entry, exit, or dwell, a customer gets real-time information, notifications, and alerts to their mobile device. Result The system represents a Platform as a Service (PaaS) solution that enables persistent background location tracking of mobile devices through the use of a tracking system. Software developers can create and manage their Beacon zones and geofences through a web interface. They can assign triggers for each zone (e.g. entry, exit, dwell, a certain distance from Beacon) and push messages and actions to user devices when they enter a predetermined area. Technologies used  ? iOS and Android Libraries check the device's location and fire events ? iOS SDK was implemented using Objective C language ? Android Library was implemented using Java language ? iOS region monitoring (CoreLocation Framework) was used to reduce battery consumption ? Android Library uses Retrofit for communicating with REST API . ? Android Library uses Android Beacon Library for beacon scanning and filtering ? Android Library uses JTS Topology Suite libraries for geofences handling. ? iOS Library uses GEOS framework for geofences handling. ? GPS is used for outdoor positioning ? Beacon scanning is used for indoor positioning Read More

About  A mole is a benign (non-cancerous) skin tumor. Almost everyone has from 30 to 60 moles on their body. And nearly all of these moles are harmless. But some types of moles are slightly more likely to develop into melanoma than other types of moles. If a mole has the characteristics of the ABCDEs (Asymmetry, Border, Color, Diameter, and Evolution) of melanoma it should be checked by a dermatologist. Request  GP2U Telehealth, an Australia-based GP online clinic, came up with the idea for the SkinView app. SkinView uses a disposable device that clips on to a smartphone and turns it into a digital dermatoscope. The application allows users to receive a skin cancer diagnosis without having to visit a doctor's office and pay the fee. When GP2U Telehealth turned to Integra Sources, the application was already under development. We were hired to port the app from Python to C++ and improve the quality of the computer vision algorithms. Solution  We ported the SkinView app to C++ but our collaboration with GP2U didn't stop there. Our client was so impressed with the quality of our work and development approach that he decided to continue working with us on enhancing the accuracy of melanoma detection and optimizing the iOS app performance. How it works  1. A user puts a special lens on their smartphone camera and takes a picture of the mole with the SkinView iOS application. 2. The application analyzes the mole and tells the user whether it is malignant or not. 3. The images with suspected skin cancer are sent to a specialist for diagnosis. Computer vision algorithms To create an intelligent system for detecting skin cancer with a smartphone, we could have used two methods. Either image processing technology based on OpenCV, or machine learning algorithms that learn from data. Using machine learning algorithms would've required long processing times. And we needed the app to give back the results very fast, about 10-100 milliseconds after the photo was taken. That's why we went with computer vision to process the photos taken by a smartphone. The algorithms we developed provide automated diagnosis of skin cancer at any time and for free. Here is how they work  Dermatologists consider the following ABCDEs characteristics to check moles for skin cancer: - A - Asymmetry: the mole is irregular, or not symmetrical in shape - B - Border: ragged, blurred, or irregular borders or edges of the mole - C - Color: more than one or uneven distribution of color - D - Diameter: a large (greater than 6mm) diameter - E - Evolution: the mole is changing in size, shape, or color.  The main job of our computer vision algorithms was to find the edges of the mole and calculate ABCDE parameters. We used histogram analysis, contour detection, color filters, image overlay, and other methods. To implement proper mole border extraction we built the following algorithms: - Color balancing that represents Adobe Photoshop's technique used in "auto levels" - Unsharp masking function -Sharpening filter - Gamma correction for working with subchannels of the source image - Automatic brightness and contrast optimization with optional histogram clipping - White balancing - Custom k-means clustering with a predefined color set. Results We significantly improved the algorithms for image processing and recognition. The melanoma diagnostic accuracy of our algorithms increased from 30% to 80%. Despite the complexity of the algorithms, we managed to decrease the processing time of the data to less than 0,1 second while the original version of the app required 4-6 seconds to process the image and show results. Technologies used  ? Python language in combination with the scikit-image library ? C++ language in a compartment with OpenCV library ? Objective-C has been used for iOS mobile app development. ? Algorithms developed with the help of C++ have been wrapped by Objective-C and integrated into the iOS mobile application. Read More

About  Drones are cool. While some of the most common use cases for drones and quadcopters are photography and videography, lots of people buy them just for fun. Because flying around the skies like a bird is amazing! Request  A DIY store owner from California decided to expand their catalog of products. They decided to build a small drone that could be controlled over a Sony PlayStation 2 gamepad or any other compatible wireless gamepad. Solution Integra Sources had already worked with this client on another Atmel AVR XMega project where we had to build an autopilot module for a DIY drone that hobbyists buy for their engineering projects. But this time we needed to create a small quadcopter that people would buy for their kids to play. Our client provided us with the mechanics and our hardware team needed to design the electronics – a printed circuit board and firmware. To make it possible for users to enjoy long flights, we needed to increase the battery life by decreasing the drone's weight and power consumption. Result The quadcopter we created is 10x10 centimeters in size. We reduced the power consumption and enabled the drone to communicate with PS2 gamepads or wireless gamepads that people normally have at home. This was a good idea because otherwise, consumers would have to buy joysticks and RC transmitters specifically to be able to control their drones. We were short on time, but we managed to meet the deadlines and completed the project in about two months. Technologies used  - ATXmega ? series MCU with? AVR ? core? ? was used for this project. - Altium Designer ? IDE was used for ? Schematics ? and ? PCB design? . - The quadcopter has a ? gyroscope? , ? accelerometer? , ? RF module? , and ? motors? . - The quadcopter can be controlled by Sony PlayStation 2 wireless joystick. - The firmware is written in ? C/C++? using ? AVR Studio IDE? . - We ported ? Ardupilot? , open source autopilot software for implementing the flight control mode Read More

About  A variometer is a device used by paraglider pilots at competitions. It informs the pilot of the rate of descent or climb. A variometer records data such as speed, altitude, and climb rate, and can send this data over Bluetooth or USB to a smartphone, a tablet, or an e-reader. Request  One of the leading Swiss companies that produce products for paraglider pilots turned to Integra Sources to enhance their existing variometer. Solution We provided PCB design and ported the existing firmware from Arduino to the new hardware. The project is based on STM32F4 microcontroller. It runs on RTOS (Real Time Operating System) and uses the FatFS filesystem module to store data on the SD Card. We enhanced the algorithm for calculating the final results, taking into consideration the new hardware and the device’s physical characteristics. Result The result of our work is a new version of the variometer. A paraglider pilot uses it during flights to ascertain that the correct flight level is being maintained. The variometer indicates the climb/sink rate using beeping tones without any time lag. It has a set of sensors including accelerometer, gyroscope, temperature, GPS, and barometer. It informs the pilot about altitude changes, tracks their position via GPS and stores detailed data about the flight on an SD card. When the flight is over, a pilot can transfer the data using Bluetooth to their smartphone, tablet, or laptop. They can also analyze these data using special software. The data format we used for saving flight data is compatible with data formats used by software applications. The variometer has a built-in solar cell but the battery can also be charged over the micro USB cable. It will run for 20 hours with a fully charged battery. Pilots can also use the variometer as an IGC (International Gliding Commission) logger. Technologies used  ? STM32F4 ? series MCU with? Cortex-M4 ? core? ? was used in this project. ? FreeRTOS ? was used for firmware development. ? The firmware was implemented using ? C/C++? . ? Eclipse IDE? with ? GCC ? and ? OpenOCD? was used for firmware implementation. ? SD-Card? was used to store tracking data. ? EAGLE CAD ? IDE was used for ? Schematics ? and ? PCB design? . ? For precision positioning, ? GPS? , ? accelerometer? , and ? gyroscope? were used. Read More

About  Although a tablet's touchscreen is good enough for most people, game players often find it inconvenient to use their thumbs to interact with the device. A startup based in California was looking to build technology that would enable players to interact with a touchscreen from the back using every finger from both hands. They created Handscape – a case with touch-capacitive sensors that attach to a phone or tablet letting a user "see through" the device. With the case users can tap and swipe their tablet from behind – all necessary buttons are within comfortable reach. Request  The founders of Handscape turned to Integra Sources after they had had a successful campaign on Kickstarter. While the first version of the device proved successful on the market, it worked only with some specific apps the device could support. To make it possible for Handscape to work with any kind of app, it needed to be recognized as a human interface device (HID) by the mobile phone or table to which it attaches. The founders of Handscape asked Integra Sources to add new features to the capacitive touch case: keyboard and gamepad recognized as human interface devices (HID). Solution  We tested the existing hardware solution and revealed the bottleneck: the microcontroller didn't conform to Bluetooth security requirements and therefore wasn't supported by the device manufacturers. The chips needed to be modified from BlueNRG to BlueNRG-MS. After our client changed the hardware, we adapted the firmware for this new hardware version, implemented DFU (device firmware update) via USB, and finally implemented the HID keyboard and gamepad modes for the capacitive case Result Handscape is a lightweight wireless device that understands individual touch and lets users see their fingers through their phone or tablet. It works with any application downloaded from the App Store or Google Play, allowing the users to switch between gamepad and keyboard modes. After implementing DFU (device firmware update) via USB we managed to decrease the average time of firmware updates from 3 minutes to 10 seconds. Technologies used  - BlueNRG ? and ? BlueNRG-MS? with ? BLE 4.0 and BLE 4.1? support as MCU was used in this project. - FreeRTOS ? was used for firmware development. - The firmware was implemented using ? C/C++? . - CrossWorks Studio ? IDE was used for firmware implementation. - To debug low-level ? BLE ? communication with ? iOS ? we used special ? BLE sniffer? hardware and parse data in ? Wireshark? . Read More

About  A hospital is a safe place. But it can't guarantee 24/7 supervision for its residents. A wearable device that can summon assistance in an emergency is a great helper for patients at hospitals or nursing homes. It can substitute for the watchful eye of a doctor, nurse or caregiver, and provide timely assistance to those who need it. Request  A healthcare solutions provider for military hospitals and clinics in the USA was looking to build a medical alert device that would integrate into hospital care services. Integra Sources was requested to build this device. Solution  The device is a plastic bracelet with a help button that patients need to wear on their wrist at all times. It notifies hospital staff about an emergency with the patient's condition. It can also detect a patient's fall thanks to a built-in accelerometer. The device tracks the location of patients when they are in the hospital. In addition, it can transfer data from a patient's personal weight scales and pressure gauge. The data is transmitted over Wi-Fi to the backend server and displayed in the hospital staff console. One of the main requirements that we needed to meet was to solve the problem of obtaining super-low power consumption for this device. It needed to work for two weeks from a 360 mAh battery. Another technical challenge in this project was receiving the data from the weigh scale, and we successfully overcame this as well. Technologies used  - We used ? NRF52832 ? with ? BLE 4.0? support and ? Cortex-M4? core as MCU in this project. - The device has an internal ? 360 mAh Li-ion rechargeable battery? . - The device has a ? button? , ? vibration motor, ? and 2 ? LEDs - FreeRTOS ? was used for firmware development. - For ? WiFi ? networking, we used ? the CC3100 ? IC. - Altium Designer ? IDE was used for ? Schematics ? and ? PCB design? . - The firmware was implemented using ? C/C++? . - Eclipse IDE,? ? GCC ? compiler and ? OpenOCD? were used for firmware implementation and debugging. Read More

About  Underground is a hazardous workplace. One way to improve the safety of people who work in mines is to use location-based services that track the location of people and can send alerts in case of an emergency. An Australian provider of location-based solutions for enterprise needed an energy-efficient geolocation system for one of their clients in the mining industry. They needed a solution that would allow for locating and tracking people in underground mines. Request  Because traditional technologies such as GPS and WiFi tracking do not work well underground, the company required a solution for tracking beacons that could overcome the limitations of common location tracking devices. To implement this solution, the client was looking for a partner with firmware and hardware development expertise and the ability to work on specific microcontrollers from different manufacturers. Solution  Our team at Integra Sources created a special gateway device that is attached to the miner's belt. It captures wireless signals broadcasted by Bluetooth beacons that are installed around the area being monitored. Each signal has a different power depending on the distance of the beacon to the gateway device. When the gateway device captures a signal, it transfers its identifier via WiFi, so we know where exactly under the ground the gateway device is located at any given moment. On the surface, the gateway device uses GPS, WiFi, and 3G to locate signals. Result  We designed PCB using nRF52 (as MCU) and SIM5360 (as 3G+GPS) modules and wrote firmware for a gateway device. We also collaborated with a manufacturer on building a waterproof case: the gateway device can work properly in extreme working conditions such as low temperature, high probability of physical damage, poor GPS connection, and the absence of 3G signal. Technologies used  - We used ? nRF52832? with ? BLE 5.0? support and ? Cortex-M4F? core as MCU in this project. - FreeRTOS ? was used for firmware development. - Microsoft Visual Studio? with ? Visual GDB? plugin was used for firmware implementation. - The device can connect to the ? cloud ? (? server? ) using ? WiFi ? or ? 3G ? connection. - To measure human activity, we added an ? accelerometer ? to the device. - For ? 3G ? and ? GPS ? we used ? SIM5360 ? module. - For ? WiFi, ? we implemented the ? ESP8266 ? design on the main PCB. - Altium Designer ? IDE was used for ? Schematics ? and ? PCB design? . - The firmware was implemented using ? C/C++? . Read More

Request A London-based provider of solutions for retailers was looking to build a mobile application that could recognize and extract invoice data from PDFs or images to be transferred to financial software or other enterprise applications. They needed a company with expertise in machine learning and artificial intelligence. Solution  Our solution needed to make it possible to extract not only metadata such as the invoice date, invoice number, and the total sum of the purchase but also line-items or detailed data about the merchandise included in an invoice. There were two options we could use to implement Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology. One was to integrate Google Vision API and the other option was to go with the Tesseract library. Google Vision API was certainly the best possible solution, but it could get very costly with time. Tesseract, on the other hand, is a free open source library. We choose Tesseract because we had previous experience working with this library and wanted to lower the cost of ownership of the app for our client. To get higher OCR accuracy we needed to train the image processing library which was the most challenging part of the project. Technologies used  - REST API ? approach? ? was used for the interaction between mobile applications and the Cloud. - OpenCV ? library? ? was used for preprocessing purposes, such as deskewing, removing scanning artifacts and noise, and binarization. - Java ? language was used for ? Android ? app? ? development. - Objective-C ? language was used for ? iOS ? app? ? development. Read More

About  Businesses find many uses for location-based technologies. They help enterprises track their assets, increase sales, and improve efficiency. Modern location-based services, like tracking systems, rely on a combination of RFID, beacons, and mobile technologies. Beacons are small physical devices with transmitters that send signals on the Bluetooth low-energy standard. There are many beacon manufacturers out there. But sometimes it is still hard to find a solution that perfectly matches your needs. Request We were contacted by a company that provides integration of location services and the Internet of Things. The company offers businesses ready-made physical beacons to enable communication in a wireless networking platform. The beacons they used were based on EM6819 and nRF51 microcontrollers. The company needed to customize these beacons to make them more suitable for their needs. Solution  First, our client gave our team a test assignment that we needed to complete to prove the quality of our work. When a test assignment was successfully done, our client decided to continue working with us. We provided firmware development for beacons and completed the following tasks: - Data customization in the advertising packet – the layer that handles connectivity tasks. - Gatt-service and characteristic modifications – through the Gatt-service a user can change beacon system settings and IDs. - Optimization of energy consumption – we increased the battery life by 30%. Result  Because the Bluetooth beacons we worked with are deployed in enterprise assets, there is a high demand for reliability and security. We helped our client improve the quality of their solution by customizing existing beacons. The main technical challenge was connected with microcontrollers. They had a limited amount of resources and the firmware completely occupied all the available space. So, we had to optimize the firmware and reduce the energy consumption. Despite the limitations, we successfully added all new features to the beacon while achieving the required minimum level of energy consumption. We extended the beacon battery life by 30%. Our team also developed a BLE gateway device based on Raspberry. Technologies used - The hardware for ? BLE beacons ? was based on ? EM6819? , ? NRF51822 ? and ? NRF52832? . - The firmware was implemented using ? C? . - Keil, IAR, EM Studio IDEs? was used for firmware implementation. - The software for gateway was implemented using ? C++ ? and? Java?   - Eclipse IDE? was used for software implementation. Read More

About  In reinforced composite manufacturing, there is a widely-used technique called vacuum molding. This technique is employed to create mechanical pressure on a laminate during its cure cycle. Vacuum molding helps to eliminate any voids (e.g. bubbles and wrinkles) in the buildup of layers and to achieve the optimal ratio of resin to reinforcement (e.g fiberglass, or carbon fiber) by squeezing out the excess. In any vacuum bagging application, leaks are the biggest problem. Even the smallest leak can greatly hinder performance or even completely ruin a part. To find leaks in vacuum bags, composites experts use special devices that allow for ensuring a perfectly sealed vacuum bag. Request  A Canadian company developed an IoT solution that improves the way reinforced composites are manufactured. The solution is a special device that provides leak detection on a vacuum bag and communicates this information to the user via a phone, tablet or PC. When this company turned to Integra Sources their solution was at the final stages of completion. But they faced a challenge: the data transfer from the cloud to the user application was slow. The delay in sending messages was about 250ms on the server side. In other words, the app failed to provide real-time performance. Solution  After investigating the delays in data transfer between the Atlantic cloud platform and the end user apps, we offered a solution. Our team optimized the existing software architecture of the Qt cross-platform applications and implemented asynchronous techniques on the server which resulted in eliminating delays. Now the user apps receive data from the IoT devices in real time. When the problem was fixed, our client decided to continue working with Integra Sources on the development of his solution. As part of our ongoing development activities, we implemented the migration of data from TinyDB to MongoDB databases, realized Google’s Protocol Buffers (an IoT communication protocol), and implemented Over-The-Air (OTA) firmware updates with our hardware development team. Technologies used  - QT framework ? was used for the development of the ? cross-platform? (Windows, Linux, iOS, Android) GUI applications for the end-users. - Tornado web framework ? was used for backend development for providing non-blocking network I/O and supporting thousands of network connections. - AngularJS framework ? was used? ? for frontend development (web interface). - C/C++ ? language? ? was used firmware development (IoT devices) Read More

About  In order not to scare anybody, the hardware keylogger we'll talk about in this case study isn't something hackers use to steal personal information. On the contrary, these devices are used by corporations to protect their data. Managers install keyloggers to monitor employee activity and provide a backup of data entered. Keyloggers are especially important for organizations that work with sensitive data and take measures to prevent private information from getting into the wrong hands. Request  Integra Sources was hired to build a USB keylogger for our client from Poland who wanted to implement this solution for two target markets. One of these markets is business owners who want to protect their corporate data. And the other one is parents who want to monitor their children. When our client contacted us, they already had a hardware keylogger for PS/2 keyboards and they needed to develop a new device that could capture keystrokes from a USB keyboard. Solution  The services we provided included custom schematics, printed circuit board (PCB) design, firmware development, and software development for the PC configuration utility. The keylogger is operating system-independent and can be hidden inside a keyboard. It captures every key pressed by a user and stores this information in the text file on the internal NAND-flash. Users can access the text file after pressing a special combination of keys that switch the device into the flash drive mode. Inside the keylogger, there is a text file (log), a configuration file for setting up the device parameters, and a file for keyboard layouts for controlling the language that the keyboard is set up for. There is also a small internal battery inside, so the time of the keystrokes is kept accurate even when the host PC is turned off. After launching the first version, we continued working on the keylogger for about a year and released several new and different versions of the device. The latest version offers 16MB of internal memory, a timestamp saving feature, a real-time clock, and text encryption. Technologies used  - USB Key Logger is based on ? AVR MCU AT90USB162? (later ? ATmega32U2? ) and ? EPM3064 CPLD - CPLD ? firmware was written on ? AHDL ? using ? MAX+PLUS IDE - MCU ? firmware was written in ? C ? using ? AVR Studio IDE - In critical cases, we used ? Assembler ? language for MCU firmware implementation - EAGLE CAD ? IDE was used for ? Schematics ? and ? PCB design?. Read More

About  Noise can be harmful. Exposure to noise increases stress levels which leads to raised heart rate and blood pressure. The University of East London had been conducting a study that examined how exposure to noise may adversely affect the cardiovascular systems of children and adults. To carry out their research, the Research Center built a portable electrocardiogram (ECG) device for the participants in the experiment. This device was designed to record heart rate and individual noise levels. With these records, researchers could analyze how different noise levels affect heart rates and heart rate variability (HRV). Request  The research team was looking for an experienced development company that could build firmware for their ECG wearable device. They also needed to create an application that could provide data visualization capabilities for further heart rate research. Solution Integra Sources provided firmware development so the ECG device could perform its function: record the data from all its sensors and send this data to mobile phones via Bluetooth where it is displayed in real time. We also provided Android mobile application development for our client. How it works  Participants in the experiment (children and adults) are equipped with a wearable ECG device placed on their skin. As they go about their day, electrical impulses released by the heart are picked up, processed by the microprocessor and recorded. At the end of the day, the participants come back to the lab where the researchers take off their ECG devices and study the heart's electrical activity in response to environmental noise, including from road traffic and aircraft. Technologies used  - We used ? nRF51? with ? BLE 4.0? support and ? Cortex-M0? core as MCU in this project. - FreeRTOS ? was used for firmware development. - The firmware was implemented using ? C/C++? . - Microsoft Visual Studio? with ? Visual GDB? plugin was used for firmware implementation. - The android ? application was implemented in the ? Android Studio? using ? Java ? language. - The device has a ? microphone? , ? ECG? , ? accelerometer, and thermometer sensors. Read More

About  Learning to play the guitar is hard work. One US-based startup decided to change that. They created a full spectrum LED learning and display system called Fret Zealot. The Fret Zealot LED strip is attached to the neck of the guitar, turning it into a display. Colourful flashing lights on the strip show where exactly to put your fingers. The device works together with a smartphone app where a beginner can choose various chord progressions they want to learn. More skilled players can also use Fret Zealot: they can pick songs in the app's library and arrange flashy jam shows for their friends. Request To launch the device to the market, the team at Fret Zealot needed to improve the hardware design of their existing product. They also needed to make it compatible with all mass-market full-size guitars, including bass guitars. Solution: Integra Sources reviewed the existing solution for guitars with scale lengths of 24.75” (e.g. Gibson) and provided improvements to the circuit board. We also developed similar products for 25.5” (e.g. Fender) guitars and for bass guitars based on the initial circuit board design. Result Fret Zealot is a long, thin vertical strip in the shape of an oversized comb. It can slip between the guitar's neck and strings without interfering with the user's ability to play. Fret Zealot lets the players learn quickly and intuitively. After a user plays a note or a chord, the app detects the sound and the strip lights up showing them where to put their fingers next. How it works 1. Fret Zealot is stuck onto the guitar's neck under the strings. 2. The device is synced with an app. 3. A player picks the chord type in the app and the chord and finger positions are displayed on their fretboard. The functionality of Fret Zealot: - Ergonomic design - Easy to install - Long battery life - Full spectrum LEDs - Phone and tablet support - MIDI file compatibility - Customizable light patterns Technologies used - EAGLE CAD ? IDE was used for ? Schematics ? and ? PCB design - Fret Zealot has: a) many ? RGB? ? LEDs?; b) several ? ATTiny20 MCUs?; c) a connector on the Flexible PCB Read More

About  Today, you can buy drones in all kinds of shapes and sizes. The market offers ready-to-use drones with GPS, autopilot, and camera. However, when commercial drones weren't in great demand, there were lots of amateurs who constructed their drones from scratch. One e-commerce store was selling components for do-it-yourself unmanned aircraft. Because there were many competing stores of the same kind on the market, it was hard to offer a competitive advantage. The owner of this particular store decided to build a ready-to-market product whose target audience would be people without skills in aeromodelling. Request  Integra Sources was hired to develop an autopilot system that could enable a drone to fly autonomously and could be used with any type of drones, from quadcopters to fixed-wing systems. Solution We designed a circuit board based on the Atmel AVR XMEGA microcontroller, which was much smaller than the other analogs in existence at that time. Despite its size, we managed to pack in everything you need for an autopilot system including a gyroscope, accelerometer, pressure sensor, GPS, and a barometer. The device we designed runs ported and customized ArduPilot firmware written in C/C++ (AVR Studio IDE). The firmware works with a native host PC application called MissionPlanner. It's a great tool for setting up drones and planning flight missions. Result  The device we delivered is an autopilot system for a drone that controls all peripherals, actuators, and motors. It enables remote control and autonomous completion of flights. It is a great choice for people who prefer to buy ready-to-use quadcopters rather than building DIY drones from scratch. The circuit board for the Drone Autopilot has a three-axis accelerometer, a three-axis gyroscope, a pressure sensor and GPS on board. It has up to six radio control inputs to receive control from the radio control receiver and up to six radio control outputs to control motors and/or servos. The board has four external serial interfaces to connect extra modules. Technologies used  - ATXmega ? series MCU with? AVR ? core? ? was used for this project. - Altium Designer ? IDE was used for ? Schematics ? and ? PCB design? . - The firmware was implemented using ? C/C++? . - AVR Studio ? IDE was used for firmware implementation. - For precision positioning ? GPS? , ? accelerometer? , ? gyroscope,? ? barometer? and ? DCM (Direction cosine matrix) ? based algorithms are used. - The device has 6 RC inputs for remote control equipment like RC radio receivers, and 6 RC outputs to control motor controllers, servos, etc.. - The device has several ? buttons? , ? switches, ? and ? LEDs? . Read More

About Leaving pets at home alone can be stressful for pet owners. But in-home pet cameras solve this problem. No wonder there are so many of them on the market. To build one, you need both software and hardware development teams. Request  A startup that was looking to develop a pet monitoring camera had a software development team in-house ready to implement the solution for pet owners. But they needed a strong hardware development partner to be able to handle the low-level requirements. They found Integra Sources. Solution  We provided PCB design and developed a custom embedded Linux distribution build for the device installed at home for pet monitoring. We also developed a camera module that enables real-time video streaming via a mobile application. Result  The final device is an IP camera similar to PetCube with real-time video and a built-in laser pointer. The main purpose of the camera is to watch if a pet is playing nicely while the owner is away. The pet owners can watch, talk to, and play with their pets using a mobile app. How it works 1. A user installs the camera at home and connects it to the in-home WiFi network. 2. Once installed, the user connects to the camera using a mobile app. 3. To monitor the pet, all a user has to do is open the app and stream the video. Video streaming is available regardless of the user's physical location. Technologies used  - We used ? Allwinner A20 SoC ? with 2? ARM ? cores as CPU in this project. - We built a ? custom Linux image? for the device. - The device firmware was stored on an onboard ? NAND ? flash. - CMOS sensor? (camera) with ? CSI ? bus was used. - The device was able to stream ? 1080p ? at ? 30fps H.264? encoded video. - We used the ? H.264 hardware codec? for video encoding. - The device has an onboard ? WiFi ? module for networking. - NAT traversal functionalities? were implemented. - All software was implemented in ? C/C++? language. - Altium Designer ? IDE was used for ? Schematics ? and ? PCB design? . Read More

About  One of the leading technology and innovation schools in Brazil offers interactive computer programming courses where kids can learn how to build drones, games, and applications. To make the learning process fun and interactive the company uses a special device tailored specifically for educational needs. It's a DIY (Do It Yourself) tablet based on Raspberry Pi3. With this device, children can learn how to code, create digital music, develop games, and more. Request  Integra Sources was hired to: - Build a custom Linux operating system for the DIY device - Develop entertainment and educational applications for children - Build an autonomous power supply system that ensures fast charging - Write firmware for the power bank Solution To create a custom OS for the touchscreen device we modified Debian – the operating system based on the Linux kernel. We redesigned the interface to make it simple and intuitive and built two applications for learning how to code. The apps are integrated with the Blockly framework. It uses linked-together visual blocks that make writing code easier. Our hardware development team at Integra Sources provided a solution for a high-efficiency autonomous charger. We picked out hardware components and wrote firmware that provides a quick charge without harming the battery. We also developed an interface converter from DSI to LVDS to support 1280*720 touch-screen display. How it works  The DIY device is used in the classroom. With it, children can assemble their own tablet by connecting the components and cables. After the device is assembled they can explore "planets" and learn how to code with Minecraft and compose their own digital music using the Blockly language. Result: The solution represents a DIY tablet that children can assemble by following instructions. The operating system comes with applications which are grouped into fun “planets” (Art planet, Media planet, Game planet, Code planet, App planet, Web planet). One of the apps that our software development team created teaches kids how to code by creating modifications in their world of Minecraft. And the other one allows them to compose digital music. Technologies used  - The OS we developed used ? Debian ? as a basis. - Buildroot ? was used for the custom OS creation - QT ? application was developed as the main launcher - JavaScript ? application was used for generating sounds - JavaScript? application was used for taking control over the playing characters in Minecraft - Adapted ? video driver ? to be able to work with HD resolution - Developed hardware ? DSI - LVDS converter ? to support higher resolution of the display - Powerbank was developed using ? TPS61088 ? and ? BQ24295RGER made by Texas Instruments - STM32 ? was used for controlling the charging process - Firmware for ? STM microcontroller ? was written using ? C++ Read More

About  A company that produces music gear and products that improve musicians’ performance using wireless devices came up with an idea for a Bluetooth-equipped guitar pedal. The idea of this pedal is to let a guitar player scroll through pages on their digital devices using their feet. This is a great solution for solo artists, music bands, orchestras, or church worship teams. It lets musicians turn pages and control hundreds of music apps hands-free. Request  The client was looking for a partner that could provide a turnkey solution for the Bluetooth-equipped guitar pedal. He needed to implement firmware development and PCB design for the device. Because our client was looking to fund the project on Kickstarter, he needed to dramatically decrease the cost of the end product so it could be competitive. Solution  Integra Sources helped our client develop a Bluetooth guitar pedal from a concept to an off-the-shelf product that supports iOS, Android, Mac, and PC platforms. We developed firmware and provided bug-free PCB design services and CAD models to visualize the physical enclosure. We also connected our client with expert manufacturers. Result  The music pedal is a Bluetooth 4.0 equipped device. It has a solid aluminum case and an elegant design. The device can be powered by 9V battery or external 9V power supply. It also has USB 5V output and can charge tablets or phones when powered from an external power supply. We used nRF51822 BLE SoC to provide high working range and low power consumption. Our customer received a full-fledged prototype with all the required unique features. He ran a successful campaign on Kickstarter and got positive feedback from influencers who tested the product. The device is currently in mass production and we're discussing a new version of the device with our client. Technologies used  - We used ? nRF51822? with ? BLE 4.0? support and ? Cortex-M0? core as MCU in this project. - The device has an internal ? 9V battery? and external input with reverse polarity protection for external 9V wall adapter? . - USB-A connector can be used as 5V power source for the tablet. - FreeRTOS ? is used for firmware development. - The device has several ? buttons? , ? switches, ? and ? LEDs? . - KiCad ? IDE was used for ? Schematics ? and ? PCB design? . - Microsoft Visual Studio? with ? Visual GDB? plugin was used for firmware implementation. - The firmware was implemented using ? C/C++ Read More

About Producers of household appliances use test and measurement instruments for validating their designs, testing different operating modes, and troubleshooting. During testing these devices collect a large amount of data that help engineers find out where the problems lie. One common system stores all the acquired data in a central database and displays the results to the engineers in the form of graphs and charts via special Business Intelligence software. Request  One of the leading providers of household appliances needed to implement a software system for their test and measurement devices. They were looking for a technology partner with expertise in firmware and software development. Solution  We implemented a solid software system that manages devices under test (DUT), collects data from sensors, and visualizes these data in a web-based Business Intelligence platform. Result  The system for testing and measurement is based on a single board computer (SBC) that acts as a middleman between the server and the sensors attached to the DUT. The SBC sends commands to the sensors, monitors the data they collect and records these data to the database. The testing results are then displayed in a web interface. How it works: 1. To evaluate product characteristics, a consumer electronic device (eg. an iron) is equipped with sensors such as temperature sensor, voltmeter, and amperemeter. 2. The relay switches on the iron. 3. The single board computer starts collecting the data from sensors and recording them to the database. The iron is turned on and off for about 10 seconds within a period of 8-10 hours. 4. The testing results such as voltage, current, and temperature are displayed in the form of graphs in the web interface. Technologies used  ? We used ? Quad core SBC ? for the hardware part of this project. ? We built a ? custom Linux image? for the hardware part. ? Websockets ? is used for direct communication between the ? GUI ? part and hardware. ? ZeroMQ ? library was used for ? socket ? communication between hardware and server. ? The software on the hardware side and part of the server software were implemented using C/C++? . ? For ? GUI ? we used ? HTML? , ? CSS, ? and ? JS ? (? Javascript? ). ? Backend part was implemented using ? PHP? Read More

About  It's a common practice for public spaces to stream videos for entertainment and advertising purposes. But have you ever wondered how the video streaming systems work? Request  A US-based company provides entertainment videos for wellness centers using hundreds of Raspberry Pi devices that connect to the internet via Ethernet or WiFi. They needed to build a system for downloading videos and playlists from the server and reproducing them in a certain order on several TVs simultaneously. Solution We used Java to build a video player for Raspberry Pi. It allows users to play videos downloaded from the cloud using REST API. To download videos we implemented the ability to automatically join a proper internet enabled Wi-Fi network. We added WiFi Protected Access (WPA) security protocols to protect the video player from vulnerabilities. Result  The result is a custom video player with specific functionality for downloading and automatic playing of video files of different formats on Raspberry PI. We used Java to build the player. The video player provides the following functions: downloading video files from the server, checking data integrity, VLC player control, and VLC optimization for the hardware. Technologies used: ? The application was implemented using the ? Java ? language. ? WiFi ? connection was used for networking. ? Raspberry Pi? was used for the hardware part of this project. ? The application uses ? REST ? and ? JSON ? to communicate with the server.  Read More

About  To make a video call most of us will use a front camera on our laptop or tablet and a video chatting app like Skype. But what if you need to make an online business presentation or conduct a video conference with an audience of people using different software? The webcam on Windows devices can be used for such scenarios if it is combined with the right software. Request  An enterprise company that creates software for call centers needed a solution similar to ? ManyCam? to allow people to use their webcams on various applications whilst simultaneously live streaming or using video chat. We needed to build a driver for this virtual camera. Solution  Our team at Integra Sources developed a reliable high-performance driver for a virtual camera for Windows that allows for displaying webcam data to the screen. The main requirements for the driver’s functionality included: ? 10 apps must use the camera simultaneously ? The CPU load must not exceed 50% ? The virtual camera driver must provide support for Windows OS 7, 8, 10 Result We wrote a high-performance virtual camera driver that doesn't overload the CPU and is compatible with three versions of Windows OS. All you need to do to enable broadcast to multiple channels simultaneously is connect a driver, configure settings and then you can add up to 10 video sources to your live stream. A year after we completed this project our client came back to us to develop additional features for the driver. Technologies used  ? The driver is written in ? C/C++? . ? We used ? Microsoft Visual Studio ? and ? Windows Driver Kit? (? WDK? ) to implement the driver. Read More

About  A home automation system is a complex network of items that typically involve lights, appliances, electrical outlets, and heating and cooling systems. To control various home automation systems, manufacturers provide a control panel that is operated intuitively by means of a touchscreen display. Request  A provider of a smart home system based in France was looking for a reliable supplier experienced in electronics engineering. They needed to build a custom control panel for their IoT-based home automation system. Solution  Integra Sources developed a tablet-style smart home head unit based on the Allwinner A20 microprocessor. We made the schematics, designed the layout and provided prototype testing. The device has a 7-inch touchscreen, NFC module to control access to the system, and a radio frequency (RF) module for integrating the tablet into the IoT ecosystem. We also provided software development for a custom Linux build and driver development for different modules of the system. Result The smart home control panel is a custom tablet placed on the wall. It integrates all smart home devices to an all-in-one app. With this device, users have the flexibility to monitor and control their home’s temperature, locks, lights, and other items. Technologies used  - We used ? Allwinner A20 SoC ? with 2 ? ARM ? cores as CPU in this project. - We built a ? custom Linux image? for the device. - The device firmware was stored on ? SD-Card ? flash. - CMOS sensor? (camera) with ? CSI ? bus was used. - The device has an onboard ? WiFi ? module for networking and ? Ethernet ? connector. - All software was implemented on ? C/C++? language. - The device has several ? buttons? , ? switches, LEDs, light sensor, microphone, and speaker? . - For GUI device has ? LCD ? with? touchscreen? . We ported ? Linux kernel driver ? from a different kernel version for ? NFC ? reader. - For ? LED-stripe? backlight we implemented a special ? Linux kernel driver? using an existing ? SPI driver. - The device has a special ? RF-module? for custom communication protocol. - UI interface was implemented using the ? QT ? framework and compiled to support ? EGLFS? . -The device has 2 power sources: internal ? LiPO battery? and ? 5V? ? wall adapter? . - EAGLE CAD ? IDE was used for ? Schematics ? and ? PCB design? . - Flexible PCB? technology was used for ? LED-Stripe? , ?NFC ? antenna and special ? LCD ? adapter PCBs? . Read More

About  When people grow old, falls can be extremely dangerous. They are often the result of a sudden medical condition, such as stroke, seizure, or heart attack. The problem is especially acute for people who live alone: once they fall, a significant amount of time can pass before they receive assistance. To reduce the risk of falls, numerous companies are working on technology solutions for fall prevention. These solutions include wearable devices, such as medical bracelets, reaction-based alarms, virtual sitters, video monitoring systems, and even smart shoes. Request  One of our clients, a Belgium-based startup called Algodroid is working on technology that uses cameras to detect falls in the homes of the elderly. They turned to us to help implement their solution. The problem Algodroid intended to solve with technology wasn't a trivial one. To build a system for fall detection we needed to implement a set of intelligent algorithms that would be able to: ? Recognize a human posture (sitting, walking, lying down, falling) ? Detect a human in a frame ? Detect the occurrence of a fall ? Differentiate between an incident of falling and the process of lying down Solution  Because of the complexity of the project, we offered Algodroid our Research & Development collaboration model that entails scientific research and project feasibility evaluation. We did thorough research in the area of computer vision and machine learning and are currently working on the implementation of artificial vision algorithms that enable video data collection and analysis. Result The video monitoring system for fall prevention we at Integra Sources are currently working on can be broken down into four parts: ? 3D cameras to track older people's activities throughout the day ? Single board PC for processing data from the cameras. ? Artificial vision algorithms to recognize human postures and detect if a person has fallen ? A communication system that sends an alarm message to caregivers along with a picture once a fall is detected. Technologies used: ? C++? language in combination with ? OpenCV ? library has been used for algorithms prototyping and receiving ? PoC? . ? We used ? JeVois ? smart machine vision camera as a compact and cheap solution which could be integrated into an ? MVP ? product. ? Depth cameras? , such as ? Intel RealSense? and ? Orbbec Astra? have been used for distance estimation to an object under observation. ? We used ? Nuitracl ? library for working with ? depth channel? . ? BodyTracking ? algorithms have been used for obtaining information related to a human's silhouette. ? Banana Pi? Media Board Computer has been used as an ? RTSP ? server for streaming frames received from Astra camera. ? RTSP ? server has been implemented with the help of ? C++? language in combination with live555 ? library. ? Qt Framework? has been used for developing a cross-platform ? GUI ? application for further interaction with ? Banana Pi? board. Read More

About DaVinci Labs is based in Taiwan and uses robots as a learning platform to teach students aged 9-14 to code in Python. To give kids different coding challenges, instructors at DaVinci use Lego Mindstorms EV3, Vex, and Makeblock MeAuriga robots Case 1: Custom firmware development for Makeblock MeAuriga Request For their educational purposes, DaVinci Innovation Labs was using Google Blockly, a web-based, graphical programming editor where users can drag blocks together to build an application without any typing. This Blockly code can be translated into Python using a special program. Lego Mindstorms EV3, a robot that DaVinci Innovation Labs was using, had a custom service that allowed users to perform Python code on the robot. DaVinci Innovation Labs was looking to implement the same kind of system for their Makeblock MeAuriga robots. Result  We implemented custom firmware development for Makeblock MeAuriga which allows users to run commands via Bluetooth dongle from a Chrome browser using a special plugin. As a result, DaVinci Labs' students can compose programs using Google's Blockly framework that mixes visual and text programming and execute them on the robot.  Case 2: A cloud-based OTA system for Lego Mindstorms EV3 Request To instruct a robot what to do, kids need to type commands on their computer and then connect their robot to this computer via a USB cable. This isn't very convenient because at DaVinci, instructors work with a group of children and need to manage them all at the same time. Result  Integra Sources implemented a custom cloud-based Over-The-Air (OTA) system that allows a group of students to write and execute code on the Lego Mindstorms EV3 robot. Here is how it works: 1. A student writes Python code for the robot to execute using the Blockly framework. 2. After the student clicks play, the code they wrote is sent to the OTA system's server via a Wi-Fi network. 3. From there the server delivers the code to the robot assigned to this student. 4. The robot executes the programmed action (eg. it can drive, shoot, slither, walk, slam, and spin). 5. The robot sends the status update back to the cloud. 6. This information is delivered to the instructor. Each robot has a unique number to make it easier for the instructor to check the results. ?ase 3: A course management system Request  DaVinci Innovation Labs provides different learning materials, including courses and video lessons for kids who want to learn how to code. When parents enroll their kids in the school they select a course that matches their kid's level. DaVinci Innovation Labs needed a course management system to be able to manage their students and learning programs. Result  The web-based course management system that we helped to create allows school administrators to: - Add and delete students - Create courses and tasks - Track task progress - View the history of changes and it makes it easy for students to do their tasks and execute code on the robot (thanks to the integration with the cloud OTA). Technologies used  - Python ? language is used for scripting both robots: ? Lego EV3? and ? Makeblock MeAuriga? . - We used ? Google Blockly? for the ? visual programming? part of the current ? web portal? . - We prepared a ? custom Linux build? for the ? Lego EV3? robot. - Cloud-based ? OTA ? was implemented using ? WiFi ? for ? Lego EV3? robot. - Amazon Web Services (AWS)? with ?Docker ? containers are used for hosting purposes and balance loading. - Some utilities were implemented using ? C/C++? . - Raspberry Pi? was used to run ? Python ? scripts for the ? MeAuriga? robot. Read More

Solution  The Solar Manager consists of two parts: a Solar Manager device based on Raspberry Pi 3 which is installed in the house and a Solar Manager Cloud that performs calculations. The Cloud also includes an IoT platform to manage the Solar Manager devices. Our team at Integra Sources developed the Solar Manager Cloud, an energy-efficient system for monitoring the consumption of solar power in households.About  Solar energy is on the rise in households around the world. It provides a greener and cheaper alternative to traditional sources of power. Photovoltaic systems that get installed at home often come with a cloud solution that allows for monitoring energy consumption. Request  A provider of home solar batteries from Switzerland needed to build Solar Manager, a cloud solution for homes with a photovoltaic (PV) production system. The goal of this software is to optimize power consumption by displaying how much solar energy home appliances consume daily. It was to be offered to homeowners for a monthly subscription fee. Result  Solar batteries get installed at home as an alternative source of energy in addition to traditional sources. Solar batteries have a single board computer (SBC) whose job is to calculate how much energy home appliances use every day. The SBC gathers the information on energy consumption and transfers it to the AWS cloud. A user can see their solar production, total electricity use and the power consumption of their main appliances via a dashboard displayed on the web or mobile user interfaces. With these data at hand, homeowners can discover how to reduce their energy consumption. The system was going to support up to 5000 new users per year and we needed to make it possible for the solution to manage this increased data flow. Our client received the solution in a timely manner with all the required features. Technologies used  ? The software for ? Raspberry Pi? was implemented using ? Python? . ? PyCharm? was used for ? Raspberry Pi? software development. ? Python AWS SDK ? was used as a package for ? MQTT ? protocol support out of the box. ? The software for dashboard was implemented using ? LAMP? stack while utilizing ? EmonCMS? library for energy visualization. ? The ? AWS mobile SDK for Android and iOS? were used to build connected mobile applications using AWS. ? Android Studio? was used for Android mobile application development. ? XCode? was used for iOS mobile application development.  Read More

About Mowing the lawn is tedious work. And it's a year-round project. But it doesn't seem so tedious once there is a robotic lawn mower ready to do the job for you. Request A company in the consumer robotics industry was working on a robotic mower. They needed a professional company that could provide an independent design review for their first version of the printed circuit board that had been created by another electronics design company. Integra Sources' expertise and our ability to predict possible risks impressed the client so he decided to continue the development of the robotic mower with our company.  We were chosen to build peripheral device drivers for the first version of the lawnmower and then continued working on the second, a more advanced version of the circuit board. Solution Our major goal was to develop a machine that could independently cut grass in specified areas of home gardens with minimal supervision. We achieved it by doing research, designing a robotic movement mechanism with electronic control circuitry and programming the controller. We went through several iterations to build the electronics and develop firmware for the robot so it could meet the customer's expectations. The main challenge was to keep within the budget for hardware components. Our client wanted to make the lawnmower accessible to the mass market. Therefore, it needed to be cheaper than its competitors. Result Integra Sources managed to put the project on solid technical footing while lowering the estimated cost of the development effort required. We provided hardware design, prototyping, firmware development, and testing. The delivered result is a fully completed hardware solution for an autonomous robot that doesn't need any supervision. The robotic lawnmower is equipped with algorithms and sensors – camera, accelerometer, gyroscope – that allow the robot to map the area it's about to work on. It's also equipped with a charger and a Wi-Fi and 3G module. To set up the area of operation, you just need to walk around the lawn with the robot so it remembers where to work. After that, it is ready to cut the lawn’s grass 24/7 and will charge itself when it runs out of battery. Technologies used: ? STM32F4 ? series MCU with? the Cortex-M4 ? core? ? was used for this project. ? FreeRTOS ? was used for firmware development. ? Microsoft Visual Studio? with ? Visual GDB? plugin was used for firmware implementation. ? CMOS sensor? (camera) with ? DVP ? bus was used. ? The device can connect to the ? cloud ? (? server? ) using ? a WiFi ? or ? 3G ? connection. ? The first prototype of the device has a ? wireless module? ? NRF24L01 ? to communicate with the base station and ? LCD ? with ? a touchscreen? for GUI. ? For precision positioning, ? GPS? , ? accelerometer? , ? gyroscope,? ? compass ? (? magnetometer? ) and computer vision? algorithms are used. ? Altium Designer ? IDE was used for ? Schematics ? and ? PCB design? . ? The firmware was implemented using ? C/C++? . Read More