R50 Connector - Rowing Machine to Fitness Apps Bridge

An Android application that connects to R50 rowing machines via Bluetooth and enables integration with fitness apps like Zwift, TrainerRoad, and others.

Features

• Bluetooth Connection: Connects to R50 rowing machines via Bluetooth Low Energy
• FTMS Support: Acts as a Bluetooth LE rowing machine for fitness apps (Zwift, TrainerRoad, etc.)
• MQTT Publishing: Optional data publishing to MQTT brokers
• Session Recording: Save and export rowing sessions as FIT files
• Real-time Data: Displays live rowing metrics including:
  • Elapsed time
  • Stroke count and rate (SPM)
  • Distance
  • Power output
  • Calories burned
  • Heart rate
  • Resistance level

New: FTMS (Fitness Machine Service) Integration

The app now supports FTMS, allowing it to work as a Bluetooth LE rowing machine that can be discovered and used by fitness applications:

• Compatible Apps: Zwift, TrainerRoad, Kinomap, MyWhoosh, and other FTMS-supporting apps
• Real-time Broadcasting: All rowing metrics are broadcast in standard FTMS format
• Multiple Connections: Can connect to multiple fitness apps simultaneously
• Standard Compliance: Follows official FTMS specification for rowing machines

See FTMS_GUIDE.md for detailed setup and usage instructions.

Setup Instructions

1. Configure the App

1. Device MAC Address: Enter your R50 rowing machine's Bluetooth MAC address, or use the scan feature to discover nearby devices
2. FTMS (Recommended): Enable FTMS service to use with fitness apps like Zwift
3. MQTT (Optional): Configure MQTT broker settings if you want to publish data to external systems

Permissions

The app requires the following Android permissions:

• BLUETOOTH - Basic Bluetooth access
• BLUETOOTH_ADMIN - Bluetooth administration
• BLUETOOTH_CONNECT - Connect to Bluetooth devices (Android 12+)
• BLUETOOTH_SCAN - Scan for Bluetooth devices (Android 12+)
• BLUETOOTH_ADVERTISE - Advertise as BLE device (Android 12+)
• ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION - Required for Bluetooth scanning
• INTERNET - For MQTT connectivity
• ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE - Network state monitoring
• WAKE_LOCK - Keep device awake during workouts

Troubleshooting

Connection Issues

1. Verify the correct MAC address for your rowing machine
2. Ensure the rowing machine is powered on and in pairing mode
3. Check Bluetooth permissions are granted
4. Try clearing the app's Bluetooth cache in Android settings

MQTT Not Working

1. Verify the MQTT broker URL and credentials
2. Check network connectivity
3. Ensure MQTT is enabled in the app settings

Development

Building the Project

1. Open the project in Android Studio
2. Sync Gradle dependencies
3. Build and run on an Android device (API level 24+)

Key Components

• MainActivity.kt - Main application logic and UI
• RowingData.kt - Data structure for rowing metrics

Dependencies

• Jetpack Compose for UI
• Eclipse Paho for MQTT
• Android Bluetooth APIs
• Gson for JSON serialization

License

This project is open source. Please ensure compliance with any applicable rowing machine manufacturer APIs and protocols.