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Crystal ball

Introduction​

Young programmers want to know what the future holds too. The box will tell you. IoT magic will answer every question running through your head. 🔮 😱

In this project, you will learn to turn the box into a fortune-telling ball, also known as a magic 8-ball. ️🎱 You'll set it up to pick one of several answers at random when you shake it.

You will need the box with a button and a USB dongle, so the basic HARDWARIO Start Set is all you need.

Make it happen in Node-RED​

  1. Assemble the Start Set and pair it. The Core Module needs the radio-8-ball firmware.

Once the firmware is uploaded, you'll see that the Alias of your device on the Devices tab has changed to Future teller.

Playground Devices tab with the paired device listed under the alias future-teller:0

  1. In Playground, click the Functions tab, where you'll find the programming workspace.

  2. Place an mqtt in node from the network section on the workspace.

Mqtt in node highlighted in the palette and an mqtt node placed on the flow canvas
  1. Double-click the node and set up the key function: fortune-telling. 🔮 Copy this line into the Topic field:
node/future-teller:0/future/trigger
Edit mqtt in node dialog with the future-teller trigger topic in the highlighted Topic field

Confirm with Done.

Add a bit of chance​

  1. The box works by giving you one of its preset answers, always picked at random. Let's set that up now. You program the random choice with a little JavaScript. How? After the MQTT node, place a function node, which you'll find in the section of the same name.
Function node highlighted in the palette and placed next to the future-teller MQTT node
  1. Double-click the node to open it. Give it a name in the Name field (for example 8-ball). Copy this code into the On Message tab, exactly as you see it in the picture.
var answers = ["Nejspíš ano", "S tím nepočítej", "Možná", "Určitě ano"]
var num = Math.floor(Math.random() * Math.floor(answers.length));
msg.payload = answers[num];
return msg;
Edit function node dialog named 8-ball with the random answer JavaScript on the On Message tab

This code picks one of four answers (the code has them in Czech):

  • Probably yes,
  • Don't count on it,
  • Maybe,
  • Definitely yes.

Confirm with Done.

  1. Next to the 8-ball node, add a text node from the dashboard section.
  2. In it, set the Label field to Answer.
Edit text node dialog with the Label set to Odpoved and the text node placed on the canvas

Confirm with Done.

  1. Add a robot to the workspace that reads the answer out loud. It will be properly spooky. 🤖 You'll find it as the audio out node, also in the dashboard section.
Audio out node highlighted in the dashboard palette and placed below the answer flow

In the node, choose the voice that reads the message.

Edit audio out node dialog with a TTS Voice selected to read the answer aloud

Confirm with Done.

  1. Connect the nodes as shown in the picture.
MQTT, 8-ball, text and audio out nodes wired together, with the Deploy button highlighted

Start the flow with the Deploy button in the top right corner.

Let fate speak​

  1. Pick up your mighty box and ask it the question that's burning inside you. For example:
  • Will David from the year above love me back?
  • Will there be blueberry dumplings for lunch at school tomorrow?
  • Will I become a successful circus performer one day?
  • Will the sun rise in the morning?
  • Will I finally learn to eat with chopsticks?
  • Will I work at Google one day?
  • Should I dye my hair green?
  1. Shake the box and you'll find the answer in Playground on the Dashboard tab. 🎱 Don't forget to turn on your speakers, because you'll hear the answer too. Hallelujah!
Dashboard tile labelled Odpoved showing the drawn answer Nejspis ano

P.S. The box doesn't guarantee that its answer is right. 🤡