Velbus OLED glass panels as a 36 command IR receiver

Hello all.

For all of you with Velbus VMBGPOxx panels, here is some interesting news.

By enabling the IR receiver on your panels, you can now use a lovely Android app (as long as your device has an IR Blaster) to mimick all 32 buttons AND change the heating mode.

I've tested the app with a Samsung S6 and a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, if anyone has any other Android devices with IR Blasters, could you put a comment on about how you get on.

I'm told that the commands also work with other Velleman IR receivers, so please try those if you have the hardware.

On it's own that seems like a good enough improvement, however by adding some simple rules in OpenRemote, you should be able to monitor any button events from different glass panels and leverage diffferent commands across your installation, or beyond....

I'm considering offering two assisted living clients the choice of a small IR necklace to trigger a panic alarm or other function.

For example, as long as there is an OLED panel in each area of thier homes, the IR pendant / necklace transmission will register on the network.
OpenRemote can then summon assistance AND indicate in which area the help is needed.

Or it might just give the user the ability to turn lights on or off in any room with the same button on the pendant, or from a super simple android app.

I'd love to know what other uses you can dream up for this feature.

Many thanks,

Stuart

Link to the app on Google Play

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ee.rautsik.irremotecontrol

and the Pro version (Advert free)

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ee.rautsik.irremotecontrolpro

(Layouts can be moved from the two versions if you have a decent file manager on your Android device)