Virtual Serviceman

Type: Semester thesis
Students: Frank Segginger (in cooperation with the Institute of Robotics (IfR))
Advisor: Mathias Stäger, Roberto Barbieri

A man-machine-interface

The task of this project was to study the different possibilities for an interface between a serviceman and an elevator, and to implement an appropriate solution. The main goal was to produce an elevator client and an elevator server which are able to communicate and to support the serviceman in repairing an elevator.

For the client a Compaq iPAQ H3660 with a wireless LAN connection was used to connect to an elevator which was simulated on a desktop-PC. For the communication between server and client a general parameter format was created. The format was implemented with XML.

With this format, the client is able to connect to every elevator-server that exists without any recompilation. The number of parameters and control elements can differ, their meaning can be different, they can be arranged freely but the client can still communicate with the server because his interface is created dynamically depending on the content of the XML file. The serviceman can then control the server by changing parameter values on this PocketPC.