How-To: presence detection using a Raspberry Pi 3 and a bluetooth phone/tag

DieterKoblenz

You need:

• Raspberry Pi 3 (or lower with Bluetooth 4.0 usb plug)
• Phone or Tag with Bluetooth (always on..)
• Homey with HTTP app

How:
I am assuming you know your way around a Raspberry Pi and don't mind a bit of fooling around For this to work you need to install the latest "bluez" library for the Pi as this handles the low level bluetooth stuff. 
Install bluez:

sudo wget http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/bluetooth/bluez-5.41.tar.xz
sudo tar -xJf bluez-5.41.tar.xz
cd bluez-5.41
sudo ./configure --disable-systemd 
sudo make 
sudo make install 

Now you need to install the proper python library:

sudo apt-get install python-bluez python-requests

With that out of the way you will need to find the MAC addresses of the tags/phones you want to track. Run the following python script with your phone bluetooth on visible (this is only needed for finding the MAC).

sudo wget https://gist.github.com/DieterKoblenz/9efca3c9b90bd851c4130fe4c4b22677/raw/ed0ba86e03c91bc44549a7b7550600cd55c87e22/findmac.py
sudo python findmac.py

Hopefully you will get the following output:

found 1 device
  XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX - Phone

Copy the MAC-address as you need it for the final script.

I am using a modified version of a python tracking board I found on instructables  and you can modify it easily. 

https://gist.github.com/DieterKoblenz/15415aadf37dfbca2ac11759de32040c/raw/ea21233cb0fbd6f8c3b3889b5deee5644bba4931/homeytracking.py

As a final step you need to make a flow using the HTTP app. I am using a very simple GET request for presence HOME and AWAY. 

Ofcourse you need to edit the given requests in the homeytracking.py and make sure it runs at all times. Good luck!

DieterKoblenz

Also important, if you have a large house one Bluetooth setup will not do the trick. It might be good to combine this with the Better Presence app.

MatjaLipu

Nicely done! This is the perfect fit for Better presence provider. 

DieterKoblenz

MatjaLipu said:

Nicely done! This is the perfect fit for Better presence provider. 

Yep! However I can't seem to get it running. At least the better presence provider is working fine, but the app doesn't seem to recognize the provider.

MatjaLipu

What is the error? In settings Presence app URL should be without trailing /.

I've published new version 1.6.2 of Presence tracker app.

DieterKoblenz

Without "/".. Ofcourse! 

It is working now  

Now I need a way to combine both bluetooth information with ping information.

MatjaLipu

You need to add new (bluetooth) provider. see arpscan provider for a reference.

DieterKoblenz

Fun fact is that I can't get the arpscan function to work. I installed arp-scan and the node library arpscan, enabled the setting in config.json but unlike the other providers doesn't seem to work. (/providers tells me though that arpscan is active)

MatjaLipu

Did you add args in config?
First try running arpscan from shell. Use same args in config or remove args altogether.

DieterKoblenz

Yes, and arp-scan works from command line.

DieterKoblenz

@MatjaLipu ;

Is there a way to enable more feedback? Now I feel like just doing stuff blind.

MatjaLipu

try debugging with plain arpscan module . you can find default options here 

DieterKoblenz

Nope. Documentation on the module is non existent and the provided examples are not working. For someone who isn't into node.js this is just a step to far. 

In the mean time I've cooked up a python script that uses Bluetooth first and falls back to arp-scan when it doesn't detect my phone. Combined with doing three consecutive scans before calling me "away" has resulted in no false "Left the house announcements" so far.

nklerk

Cool! Im going to have a look at this