The Droidalyzer - An open source, Bluetooth alcohol detector accessory for Android Phones

The Droidalyzer is an open source, Bluetooth alcohol detector accessory for Android Phones. Pair the Bluetooth enabled Droidalyzer to your Android phone and then use it to detect your alcohol level.

The Droidalyzer is not a professional Breathalyzer and is for entertainment purposes (ie, fun). It does not output a blood alcohol content (BAC) reading and rather plays different audio responses relative to alcohol levels with four character voices to choose from. After each alcohol reading, you're prompted with various options such as calling a preset designated driver, calling a taxi, finding nearby friends and places (via Facebook integration), and even a random drunk dial option if you’re feeling adventurous.

Hardware Features
• Small form factor, easily fits in your pocket
• Doubles as a phone charger with the included a re-chargeable battery (use a standard USB charger)
• Mouth piece not required to keep things sanitary when sharing the alcohol detector among friends

Android App Features
• Four selectable characters (old english gentleman, pirate, spooky, and mean guy) who speak the alcohol detection results in their own personality
• Verbal alcohol detection responses can also be personalized using Text to Speech
• Support for English, French, Spanish, and Simplified Chinese
• Pre-store designated driver and taxi phone numbers
• Simulation mode that allows you to try the app without the hardware

This is the DIY version if you want to build your own from scratch, a productized version will be available in April 2012, more info @ http://droidalyzer.com.

Materials:

Altoids Tin - $2
IOIO Board - $50
Seeed Lipo Rider - $10
Seeed Grove Alcohol Sensor - $8
LIPO Battery - $6
Bluetooth Dongle - $5
On/Off Switch - $1
Another IOIO board or a PIC3KIT programmer (required if using Bluetooth to upgrade the IOIO firmware to Bluetooth compatible)
Android Phone - 2.3.3 or above if using Bluetooth. Android 1.6 and above will also work but you'll need to connect the Droidalyzer to your phone with a USB cable as opposed to using Bluetooth.

The key component of this project is the IOIO board (pronounced yoyo) which enables an Android phone to receive data from external sensors (an alcohol sensor in this case). There are a few other methods to interface Android to external sensors including new hardware and an API from Google called ADK but IOIO in my opinion is the most mature and easiest way to go, plus this project needed to communicate over Bluetooth as opposed to a hardwired USB cable which ADK does not support. Ytai Ben-Tsvi, the guy who runs IOIO, has things well documented at IOIO Wiki as well as an active support community for questions and was kind enough to allow us to use IOIO in this project.

Demo Video


Video in HD

A little more nitty gritty detail on how it works


Video in HD

Step 1 Preparing the Components

First thing you'll need to do is upgrade your IOIO to be Bluetooth ready, instructions here

If you're using an Altoids tin for the enclosure, you'll need to de-solder the connectors on the Seeed Grove alochol sensor and Seeed LIPO rider as there won't be enough room with the connectors to mount everything inside the tin.

Comments

[amcelmon]

Love this project and concept, can't wait to keep seeing it grow.

[alinke]

thx, working on an integrated board currently which should make it cheaper, then also adding some features in the software like auto calling a friend when you've had too much

[zrishiraag]

brilliant idea !!

[bakedicecream]

EHHHH? i dnt get it but nice

[alinke]

thx for the feedback, the idea is that you're at a bar with your friends and you can in a fun/novel way check your alcohol level on your Android phone