Voice control of your telescope.

[Dennis]

Hi

I’ve just been playing around with the following two applications on our desktop PC in the study:

SkyTools Real Time (http://www.skyhound.com/cs.html)(astronomy software with GoTo telescope control) and…
Dragon Naturally Speaking V8 (Voice control software).

The SkyTools main Window displays a list of objects that you would like to view for the evening, e.g. Messier, based on user selections and filters.

Using a headset with a built in mike, via Dragon I did the following:

Using the SkyTools Scope Simulator, I was able to use the following commands in the Real Time Observing List Window after manually connecting to the simulated telescope:


Move down one line. (This selects the next object to view)
Move up/down n lines. (This can jump to an object n lines above/below the current list position)
Slew to. (Slews the mount to the new object)
Sync. (Syncs the mount with the new object)
Space bar.
a to view interactive atlas. (displays a map of the object)
i to view object information. (Displays a panel showing object information)

When I uttered “Zoom in” or “Zoom out” whilst the interactive atlas was displayed as the active Window, STRT responded with “Telescope synced” and the zoom commands did not execute.

This means that I should be able to sit at my telescope and by using voice commands only, work my way through an observing list without having to leave the eyepiece and interact with the mouse or keyboard!

Can’t wait to try this out with my real telescope tonight!

Cheers

Dennis

PS - Warning: this is not a comprehensive test of all the Commands and Functions so beware; unexpected behaviour could result when using other Commands. If you choose to do this, you do so at your own risk and you should continuously monitor the position of your 'scope whilst issuing commands.

PPS - This beats talking to Ponders G11 - I can now hold a two way conversation with my EM200 mount!

[Astroman]

Careful with this stuff, your mount might ask you to put out the rubbish and do the dishes, then complain of a headache when you goto use it :)

Good stuff though, might be the way of the future but I seriously doubt it, way too many things can go wrong. I prefer pushing a button that is hard wired, less things to go wrong.

[[1ponders]]

:lol:

I hope we get to see a demo at Astrofest Dennis. Don't tell Striker though. I can just see him sitting in his lounge room:

> Roof - open
> Telescope - pick up SBIG off shelf and fit to robofocuser
> Computer - decide what I am going to image tonight
> Start

........

> Computer - process and upload to iceinspace
> Shutdown - close roof and turn off gear and replace camera on shelf


:lol: :poke:@Tony ;)

[Dennis]

Hi Guys

The main purpose I had in mind for using this software pairing of SkyTools and Dragon Speaking, was for just sitting at the ‘scope eyepiece and working my way through a list of objects in a single constellation.

By restricting the GoTo’s to a small region of the sky (a single constellation) and using a limited vocabulary of commands, I hope to be able to use this unexpected pairing to remain comfortably at the eyepiece and work my way through a list of objects in a single constellation, such as:


Doubles in Scorpius.
DSO’s in Sagittarius,
NGC Galaxies in Virgo, etc.

I have used Digital Sky Voice for my Vixen GPDX which is a true voice control of telescope software, but it is currently off the market (has been for almost 3 years) and it did not support the Tak EM200.

If I can also find a suitable Bluetooth wireless headset/mike, it will reduce the need for me to be tethered to the PC via my current headset umbilical cord.

Cheers

Dennis

[Astroman]

Yep for sure dennis, sounds (no pun intended) like a great way to do some searching around the place, as you say in a small area of sky. sitting at the eyepiece and searching the LMC or SMC at high magnification and just telling the scope to goto next object would certainly be an interesting adventure. Wish you the best of luck with it.

[Dennis]

Hmm, I wonder what the neighbours will think....the daft bugger is talking to his telescope...:screwy: :nerd: :astron:

[Astroman]

mine already think that LOL

oh and I dont have voice control yet LOL

[acropolite]

I bought a cheap bluetooth USB adapter from Jaycar and it works fine with my plantronics bluetooth mobile phone headset, so I don't think it will be difficult to find one. There are a couple of different bluetooth adapters though, one has considerably enhanced range.

[g__day]

Dragon, ... played with that in the old 486 days of PCs ... bring up Excel etc...

Brings back memories :) Personally I like click and point using Cartes du Ceil, you just got to be careful not to say sync when you mean to say goto!

[Dennis]

Hmm, 486 eh? Did that one have a math co-processor, or am I thinking of the 386?

Cheers

Dennis

[h0ughy]

:rofl: :rofl: a very normal action for you mate!!:whistle: ;)

DNS is a good package, I use it at work to dictate most things.

is there an " Oh S___" function:lol: ;)

[g__day]

Dennis,

The 486 has an in-buit maths coprocessor (and you could I believe get an external addition - but I've never heard of anyone doing so). The 386 relied totally on an external 387 maths co-processor if you wanted heavy duty floating point maths - like 3d processing mostly requires.

[erick]

Seems like only yesterday, but, heavens above!, it was getting on 20 years ago I was buying 16 MHz 386s with 387s installed. Got one as a server with a whole 300 MByte hard disk - full height of course! It crashed within the first year.

[ballaratdragons]

A telescope that is controlled by voice!!!

You'd have to be careful what you said.

Does it slew to anywhere at the constantly used term 'WOW!'? :scared:

[erick]

"WOW"? yep, it'll head Way out West?

[Dennis]

I used to use a very tidy application called “DigitalSky Voice (http://www.digitalskyvoice.com/index.htm)” with my Vixen GPDX and Skysensor 2000. It was extremely useful and efficient to conduct celestial tours constrained to a small region, or constellation, using your voice. The SW is no longer available pending a new release, although it has been at this status for 2 or 3 years now.

The available Vocabulary was all pre-set (in an American accent) so voice commands outside of the set would not cause the mount to do anything.

You could ask DSV for details about the object you had just slewed to and it spoke a very limited description.

Using Dragon and SkyTools is nowhere near as efficient, useful or effective, and is also fraught with potential danger as your spoken word may cause the mount to so something you didn’t really want!

Cheers

Dennis