Pongbot Nova S Pro owners' review and discussion thread

[olanga]

Hi Olanga,
After seeing in other posts that a simple factory reset could fix same kind of problem, did it 3-4 times. Unfortunately it did nothing for me. Thanks anyway for pour response. Any other idea or suggestion ?

Hi @Franck, you could try following
- start version 1.3, factory reset and see if you can enter drill editor by long pressing the drill name
- start version 2, factory reset, connect and try to start a predefined drill by short pressing on a drill's name.
- in version 2, try to change the sequence of basic category drills by pressing the right edge of a drill
- try Cromite instead of Chrome on Android
- export/share any predefined drills and import to a custom category and try to edit
- try from a notebook?

 

[Franck]

Hi @Franck, you could try following
- start version 1.3, factory reset and see if you can enter drill editor by long pressing the drill name
- start version 2, factory reset, connect and try to start a predefined drill by short pressing on a drill's name.
- in version 2, try to change the sequence of basic category drills by pressing the right edge of a drill
- try Cromite instead of Chrome on Android
- export/share any predefined drills and import to a custom category and try to edit
- try from a notebook?

Hi Olanga,
Think I finally found what I did wrong. When I long pushed on a predefined drill button, it opened a pop up window allowing me to "download, share or print; the content of the drill, I guess".
In version 1.3 it opened a blank edit drill window. In the latest version, nothing appeared beside the download/share/print window.
Finally discovered that if I press with 2 fingers at 2 different spots on the button at the same time, it opens the genuine edit drill window with all the robot parameters. Strange, but the good news is that I now have access to all the robot parameters to modify.
I first installed cromite and it is there that I finally found, by luck, the 2 fingers trick. The 2 fingers also work in Chrome.
Thanks for pour help, now back to the Nova fun.

 

[olanga]

Hi Olanga,
Think I finally found what I did wrong. When I long pushed on a predefined drill button, it opened a pop up window allowing me to "download, share or print; the content of the drill, I guess".
In version 1.3 it opened a blank edit drill window. In the latest version, nothing appeared beside the download/share/print window.
Finally discovered that if I press with 2 fingers at 2 different spots on the button at the same time, it opens the genuine edit drill window with all the robot parameters. Strange, but the good news is that I now have access to all the robot parameters to modify.
I first installed cromite and it is there that I finally found, by luck, the 2 fingers trick. The 2 fingers also work in Chrome.
Thanks for pour help, now back to the Nova fun.

Cool, I'm happy it works after all. I will look into this 1/2 finger issue and will ask you to test.

 

[Siero]

Hello everyone!! New proud owner here, just received and testing in my dinner table XD.
So i've been following this thread and it is amazing what happened here, so many thanks to @plunder and of course to @smee0815 and @olanga , incredible job with the web app, way better than the official app.

I would like to ask you something about my robot, because i don't know if it's normal behavior. When the bucket is empty and there are only the balls inside the robot, it doesn't shoot them, its like it needs other balls in the bucket to push the ones inside. Is it normal? To me seems weird, because how do i empty the balls inside the robot...

Thanks!!!
Siero

 

[pongbot68]

it is normal!

 

[The_mfk_Dude]

Hello everyone!! New proud owner here, just received and testing in my dinner table XD.
So i've been following this thread and it is amazing what happened here, so many thanks to @plunder and of course to @smee0815 and @olanga , incredible job with the web app, way better than the official app.

I would like to ask you something about my robot, because i don't know if it's normal behavior. When the bucket is empty and there are only the balls inside the robot, it doesn't shoot them, its like it needs other balls in the bucket to push the ones inside. Is it normal? To me seems weird, because how do i empty the balls inside the robot...

Thanks!!!
Siero

Normal behaviour as with almost any robot.

 

[Dr. X]

Hi Olanga.

Any news on the next version of the amazing app you made? (I think you should give it a name)

I've run out of space for my custom drills.

Many thanks.

Nick

 

[Siero]

Thanks @pongbot68 and @The_mfk_Dude. This is my first robot so everything is new to me.

Hi @olanga I have a question or better said need some help with your app. The web app works great, still have things to try but its fantastic. The thing is that i have a raspberry pi so a tried to host locally the app downloading the repository, and as you sugest starting the server with python. Everything seemed to work, the page loaded like with the web app, but when trying to connect to the robot nothing happened... With your web app a popup lets you select the robot to connect via bluetooth, but having it locally doesnt seem to work. Any idea what could be happening? Has anyone been able to get it working locally?

Thanks,
Siero

 

[Siero]

Ok, already found the reason!! You need to host the server locally as "HTTPS", chrome wont let you use bluetooth over HTTP.
Hope this helps someone else.

 

[olanga]

Hi Olanga.

Any news on the next version of the amazing app you made? (I think you should give it a name)

I've run out of space for my custom drills.

Many thanks.

Nick

Hi @Dr. X , new version is online 2.2g. Please give it a try. You need to refresh the page until you see the new version number.
I have increased the limit to 100.
Name "Nova Drill Control"

 

[olanga]

Script shuffle balls vs robot random balls

I wanted to simplify the script by offloading the shuffle function to the robot and have noticed a behavior difference.
Let's assume a drill has 3 balls A, B and C.
Webclient's shuffle function will play all 3 balls in a random order. B,C and A or C,A and B.
Robot on the other hand will play 3 balls but it can be A, A and C or B,C and B. Each ball is picked randomly from a pool of A,B and C. I wonder which approach makes more sense and which should be implemented in the Webclient?

 

[pongbot68]

Each ball is picked randomly from a pool of A,B and C

 

[The_mfk_Dude]

Script shuffle balls vs robot random balls

I wanted to simplify the script by offloading the shuffle function to the robot and have noticed a behavior difference.
Let's assume a drill has 3 balls A, B and C.
Webclient's shuffle function will play all 3 balls in a random order. B,C and A or C,A and B.
Robot on the other hand will play 3 balls but it can be A, A and C or B,C and B. Each ball is picked randomly from a pool of A,B and C. I wonder which approach makes more sense and which should be implemented in the Webclient?

I think the important thing for a drill is, that you can configure each ball if it should be randomized or not.
So you can practice serve received and follow up. With a simple random function for all balls, this is not possible (because it is not sure, that ball one is a serve).
If the server is shot A, I don't think it is important if shot B,C and D get randomized the way, that the whole pool (B to D) gets played in one set of the drill, or if it would be also possible to have a sequence A DDD.
That said, my preference would also be the letter version.

I still don't have the robot, but when I have it, the following drill would be handsome:
Short serve (ball A)
Short push either to FH or BH (Ball B or C)
Topspin to either FH or BH (Ball D or E).

So we have ball A to E in one drill. It should always start with A and than there should always be first a short push and than a topspin.

As far as I understand, this is perfectly possible with your app, isn't it?

 

[Siero]

I also give my vote to pick the ball randomly from the pool.

@The_mfk_Dude , in any of the case scenarios you won't be able to choose th first ball, would be random, but you still have the option of the "VARIANT" ball, wich is a really nice option and it would definitly let you have a drill like your example:

Short serve (ball A)
Short push either to FH or BH (Ball B or C) <- Variant
Topspin to either FH or BH (Ball D or E). <- Variant

You could even have a variant on the serve ball...

 

[olanga]

I also give my vote to pick the ball randomly from the pool.

@The_mfk_Dude , in any of the case scenarios you won't be able to choose th first ball, would be random, but you still have the option of the "VARIANT" ball, wich is a really nice option and it would definitly let you have a drill like your example:

Short serve (ball A)
Short push either to FH or BH (Ball B or C) <- Variant
Topspin to either FH or BH (Ball D or E). <- Variant

You could even have a variant on the serve ball...

I also opt for the random ball from a pool (robot native) so the next version will have it.
And regarding the @The_mfk_Dude question, ball variants is the way to go as described by @Siero

 

[TampaBayTableTennis]

I’m curious, is using this third party app easy for people who are not tech savvy? (Installation and operation)

I know I sound like a broken record with these types of questions but the feedback matters to me. I’m trying to understand how good/bad/easy/hard the original software interface is to use and what are the best ways to improve the user experience with these robots (this third party app, for example).

For example, random IPONG user gets a Nova S robot and wants to use this other app because hypothetically they aren’t a fan of the standard Pongbot app.

Easy, possible but not easy, or really unlikely they can manage it?

And for the app creator, @olanga , to what extent would you like this app promoted as an alternative interface for this robot?

Open to many people using but not really promoting, open for whatever, or not really interested in promoting it?

 

[olanga]

I’m curious, is using this third party app easy for people who are not tech savvy? (Installation and operation)

I know I sound like a broken record with these types of questions but the feedback matters to me. I’m trying to understand how good/bad/easy/hard the original software interface is to use and what are the best ways to improve the user experience with these robots (this third party app, for example).

For example, random IPONG user gets a Nova S robot and wants to use this other app because hypothetically they aren’t a fan of the standard Pongbot app.

Easy, possible but not easy, or really unlikely they can manage it?

And for the app creator, @olanga , to what extent would you like this app promoted as an alternative interface for this robot?

Open to many people using but not really promoting, open for whatever, or not really interested in promoting it?

Hi @TampaBayTableTennis, outside of this forum, I haven't done—and have not planed to do—any active promotion. However, anyone else is welcome to share, demonstrate, or mention it in other communities.

 

[TampaBayTableTennis]

Hi @TampaBayTableTennis, outside of this forum, I haven't done—and have not planed to do—any active promotion. However, anyone else is welcome to share, demonstrate, or mention it in other communities.

sounds good and great work with this @olanga ... i may mention it as an option to people who have the robots but express dissatisfaction with the regular app. thanks!

 

[Imperfecto]

Was really considering buying this robot as i often find myself without training or playing partners, but i just read that it NEEDS wifi and thats a no-go for me as the place center i play at doesnt have wifi and i dont have a way to set a hotspot as my mobile plan doesnt allow it

 

[SergiArias]

Thank you very much @olanga and @smee0815 for your amazing contribution to the robot! Thanks to you the robot feels way more advanced for the price!

I want to make some suggestions:

Make the webapp independent of the keyboard, as when using it in the phone it scrolls out of the position pre keyboard and it's quite messy. I would place some arrows to up and down the values.
When changing the speed, the spin always goes to 2, I guess it is because not for all speeds we can use the same spin. But it's annoying when fine tuning an exercise. Is there a possible solution?

Also, it would be nice to share in this forum some of the drills, as they take a lot of time to fine tune, and we could all benefit of this info. I will start posting mine as soon as they mature.
Regarding the promotion of the webapp, I wouldn't. Because if in PongBot they find out, the logical way to go is to update the firmware so it doesn't work anymore (in fact, it would be a smart move to save the current firmware, if possible, just in case).

Probably, most of their users will never come to this forum, so for them it should'n be a threat to their business. I really was very disappointed when I saw with the app couldn't program more than 5 balls, and this doesn't appear on the specs (I wouldn't have bought it if I knew). That's how I found about the webapp (searching on how to extend the 5 balls).

@Imperfecto I train with the robot in shared tables in my town's sport center and I am not using wifi. With bluetooth and data connection is enough. No wifi is needed, in fact I don't even know how to set it up, it never asked for a wifi connection, even with the official app.