Roboconnect

What's Roboconnect?

Roboconnect is an companion app to a third party module which you can install in compatible robotic lawn mowers. Learn more about the third party module called - Robonect.

The App is a versatile tool designed to enhance your lawn care experience by simplifying the management of your robotic lawn mower. It empowers you with a range of practical features that put you in control of your lawn maintenance.

With Roboconnect, you gain the ability to monitor and adjust your mower's operations effortlessly. Stay informed in real-time about your mower's activities through push notifications, ensuring you're always aware of what's happening in your yard.

One standout feature of Roboconnect is its Joystick control, which allows you to take direct control of your mower's movements. This feature provides a hands-on approach for those who prefer to guide their mower manually.

Roboconnect allows you to submit specific mowing instructions to your mower, enabling you to tailor its mowing patterns to your liking. You can easily modify the mowing schedule to suit your needs, providing convenience and adaptability to your lawn care routine.

Roboconnect also offers detailed status information about your mower, delivering insights such as battery levels and operational conditions. This data empowers you with a comprehensive overview of your mower's performance, ensuring you can address any issues promptly.

How did I do it?

Behind Roboconnect

Roboconnect holds a special place in my journey as it marks not only my first venture into app development but also my sole creation on the Apple App Store to date.

Technically speaking, Roboconnect is built using Swift, a powerful programming language, and a blend of UIKit and SwiftUI, which are popular frameworks for developing iOS applications. To streamline the development process and enhance the user experience, I integrated several third-party libraries, simplifying the app's design and functionality.

One of the standout features of Roboconnect is its push notification system, which is available for a modest annual subscription fee. This functionality operates by transmitting status information from your lawn mower to a backend infrastructure hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS).

To facilitate the seamless transfer of data, I employed a combination of AWS services. An API Gateway serves as the entry point for incoming messages, while Lambda functions and the Simple Notification Service (SNS) play pivotal roles in processing and delivering these notifications. Additionally, DynamoDB comes into play for securely storing customer subscription information.

The process involves cross-referencing the mower's unique identifier with the corresponding user profile to verify their subscription status. If the user is subscribed, the status information from the mower is routed through SNS, which in turn forwards the push messages to Apple's push servers.