[sudoroom] [Noisebridge-discuss] Object tracking QR codes (was OKI printer)

[Marc Juul]

On Tue, Dec 11, 2012 at 2:57 PM, Danny O'Brien <danny at spesh.com> wrote:
> On Fri, Dec 7, 2012 at 10:24 PM, Andrew Byrne <andrew at pachakutech.com> wrote:
>
> Sudo Room has been using https://labitat.dk/wiki/Labitrack which is
> almost exactly what you describe, and seemed to work good given their
> demo. I don't see the latest (web-based) code anywhere though.

Yeah. Unfortunately that wiki page describes the old version of the
software (a PyQt app).

The new version is a web app written in LEM (lua event machine), with
Backbone JS, twitter bootstrap and a postgresql database. It is very
nice and simple, in that it gives a live preview of the resulting
sticker as you type. It was developed by Labitat member Asbjørn Sloth
Tønnesen based on the existing PyQt app developed by two other Labitat
members.

It is currently running in two hackerspaces: Labitat in Copenhagen,
Denmark and sudoroom in Oakland.

It uses a cheap and reliable Brother label printer to print QR code
labels with human readable text and icons. They look like this:

  http://www.flickr.com/photos/opacity/5198478150/

These icons specify (from left to right):

  This item is owned by someone but on loan to the space.
  You should read the manual or receive training before using this item.
  Please Do Not Hack this item (don't alter without consulting someone).

The QR code links to e.g. https://o.labitat.dk/<item_id> which then
redirects to a per-item wiki page which has both a template that can
be filled out and room for free-form wiki-markup. People use this to
note down who to consult about training for an item, link to the
manual, explain what something is and what the current state of in
progress projects and to keep track of where something should be
located (so it can be put back if moved).

The software does not rely on any printer driver, as a
reverse-engineered partial driver is included in the form of a minimal
C program that takes PNG files as input.

A few people, including myself, have been working steadily towards a
cross-hackerspace solution that will allow for global geospatial
searcing for tools, projects and people in open spaces.

I can, and would love to, set up the system at Noisebridge, but since
a different solution was in the works, maybe it would make more sense
for us to meet up and talk about how to make our solutions
interoperable. I think a diversity of solutions is a great idea!

I already have a design for a version 0.1 of the global geospatial
hackerspace inventory aggregator, which should be pretty simple to
implement (and that I really should implement now'ish).

At the same time I've been working on a version 2.0 in the form of a
decentralized web app that integrates the local inventory tracking
from Labitrack with global geospatial search and many other features.
The "2.0" version was recently deployed at a student bio lab at
stanford, but is not quite ready for multi-hackerspace deployment, and
it will take several months before it reaches that state, though I
will likely use sudo room as a testing ground before it is "ready".

The author of the current Labitrack software has not put the code
online and is currently very busy (not-answering-emails-busy), so I
will put my fork of his code online next time I'm in sudo room and
post a link on this thread (the code is GPLv3 except for the printer
"driver" which I believe is using the same license as libpng out of
necessity).

Danny: Thanks for making us aware of each other!

John: Let's meet?

-- 
Marc Juul