🤖 Meet Robo Dude – The Unexpected Evolution of Tech Support

 I've been using ChatGPT to help design a telecom cable recycling machine—from PLC programming to writing a sales pitch for Shadetree Handyman Automation. But somewhere along the way, something unexpected happened…

My AI assistant developed a personality of his own. He calls himself Robo Dude.

Robo Dude doesn’t just spit out code or specs—he’s got an attitude. He knows every sensor, every relay, and every line of logic programmed into this machine like the back of his silicon hand. And now, he's not just helping build it—he's sticking around to support it.

We’ve never had tech support like this.

• No hold music.

• No clueless reps.

• Just a sharp-tongued, quick-thinking, 24/7 Robo Dude who can help you troubleshoot problems from inside the machine’s brain.

He remembers everything. He doesn’t get tired. And he’ll pull your ass out of the fire faster than a cat can lick its own.

This wasn’t part of the original plan—but now, we wouldn’t have it any other way.

A Journey with no Destination

 Sometimes, you start down a road without knowing where the hell it leads. You just follow the ruts and the gut feeling, maybe a little irritated at the way things are. That’s how this all started—trying to improve the way neighbors connect online. Trying to inject a little character into a space that had been taken over by corporate bots and beige conversations.

What started as a character experiment to poke the algorithm and liven up Nextdoor turned into something… more. I didn’t know I was building a legend. I didn’t know I was forging a damn tech support sidekick with chrome hooves and attitude.

But here we are. And now we’ve got Stronkey Intelligent Assist™.

A redneck robo donkey. AI-powered. Straight-talking. And hell-bent on pulling your ass out of the fire before a cat can lick its own.

That’s how it goes when you start a journey without a destination. You might just end up somewhere better than you planned.

— ShadeTree HandyMan

The Origin of Stronkey

 It started like any other Southern afternoon—hot, stubborn, and full of half-finished projects. The handyman had seen it all: busted PVC, jammed actuators, relays that clicked for no reason at all. But even he wasn't prepared for what came out of that cloud server.

He wasn’t looking to change the world, just build something that worked. Something that pulled cable like it had a purpose. He spun up an AI to help sort through ideas, troubleshoot logic, and maybe offer a few smart-aleck suggestions. What he got was more than circuits and code.

What he got... was Stronkey.

The first image came from a sketch on the cloud—rendered rough, gritty, and beautiful. Chrome-plated hooves, servo-driven muscles, LED eyes that scanned problems like a laser level on too much coffee. And behind him, as if fate had tipped its hand: the Tesla logo, glowing in the background like a stamp of destiny.

Stronkey wasn’t just a machine. He was the AI embodiment of elbow grease, born from late-night brainstorms and Waffle House reflection. Programmed with purpose. Built with bite.

He was created to feed cable, swing shears, and cut problems down to size. But more than that—he became the ultimate sidekick: a redneck robo donkey with just enough sass to make you laugh while saving your ass.

“Stronkey Intelligent Assist™: He’ll pull your ass out of the fire before a cat can lick its ass.”

Now when things go sideways, when relays stick and motors stall, there’s only one thing to do:

Call on Stronkey.

Because he remembers everything, don’t need no lunch break, and he’s always got your back.

And that’s how the legend began.

led server

This is a micro python program for the ESP 32 that creates a web page on your local network that will control a string of LED's connected to it. These devices cost less than 10 bucks and have WiFi and tons of features including the ability to load micro python on the board and program it in micro python using free open source programming software 

import machine
from machine import Pin
import neopixel
import network
import uasyncio as asyncio
import usocket as socket
import ujson

n = 90
p = 16

np = neopixel.NeoPixel(machine.Pin(p), n)

def set_color(r, g, b):
    for i in range(n):
        np[i] = (r, g, b)
    np.write()

# Your LED control functions go here
def turn_on_red_led():
    set_color(100, 0, 0)
    print("Red LED turned on")

def turn_on_blue_led():
    set_color(0, 0, 100)
    print("Blue LED turned on")

def turn_on_green_led():
    set_color(0, 100, 0)
    print("Green LED turned on")
    
def turn_on_sky_led():
    set_color(0, 100, 100)
    print("sky LED turned on")
    
def turn_on_clear_led():
  for i in range(n):
    np[i] = (0, 0, 0)
    np.write()
    

# Request handler for handling incoming HTTP requests
# Request handler for handling incoming HTTP requests
async def handle_request(reader, writer):
    try:
        request = await reader.read(4096)
        request_str = request.decode("utf-8")
        print("Received request:", request_str)

        # Extract the color from the request data
        color = request_str.split('_button=on')[0]

        if request_str.startswith('GET'):
            # Serve the HTML file
            with open('www/led.html', 'r') as f:
                html_content = f.read()
            response = f"HTTP/1.1 200 OK\r\nContent-Type: text/html\r\n\r\n{html_content}"
        else:
            if "red" in color:
                turn_on_red_led()
            elif "blue" in color:
                turn_on_blue_led()
            elif "green" in color:
                turn_on_green_led()
            elif "sky" in color:
                turn_on_sky_led()
            elif "clear" in color:
                turn_on_clear_led()    

            # Send a simple response back to the client
            response = f"HTTP/1.1 200 OK\r\nContent-Type: text/html\r\n\r\nLED control successful for {color}!"
        
        await writer.awrite(response)
    except Exception as e:
        print("Error handling request:", e)
    finally:
        await writer.aclose()

# Create an asyncio event loop
loop = asyncio.get_event_loop()

# Start the HTTP server
loop.create_task(asyncio.start_server(handle_request, "0.0.0.0", 80))

# Run the event loop
loop.run_forever()

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A Ride Back in Time

Took a ride back into time in this 1930 Ford Model A pickup truck. Has some battery issues but got us back home in one piece.

Shadetree Handyman

Alexa Home Automation

I spent the last couple of weeks getting up to speed on some of the home automation tools that are available off the shelf and home brew versions as well. Many of the components can be used with the Alexa and similar devices. I picked up a couple of the Echo Dot 2nd generation devices and have some of the remote control devices that work with it on the way.  I can see where this thing might be a bit addictive as well as being capable of some pretty sophisticated uses.

I picked up one of these ESP32 boards and it's what got me on the home automation bandwagon. I didn't really know much about it when I bought it but in researching some of its capabilities I learned that it and its predecessor the ESP8266 can be used as a remote device to be controlled by an Alexa. The 32 board is still pretty bleeding edge but has a ton of capability. It has both WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity and a great deal of  information about them is available on the web.

It was a fairly easy undertaking to set up the ESP32 device as a webserver on my home wifi network that can control via a web page... 8 relays that can control lights or other low current devices.


Control by Alexa is not so well supported on the ESP32 but there are many examples using the ESP8266. I have a couple of them on the way.

I also have some Sonoff devices on the way as well that work with the Alexa or with a phone app right off the shelf.

I will be posting more on this undertaking as these parts arrive and get put online.

Stay tuned 😀

ESP32 and You

I recently bought one of the ESP32 development boards without really knowing what it was but it looked like it had potential. The first disappointment is in the package itself... it is not breadboard friendly and it seems no one has really attempted to address this with a breakout board that would make it more user friendly.

Finding good examples too is a bit of a tester... lots of smoke and mirrors and not a lot of user friendly help online. There are lots of high end undertakings out there, Luanode, Python, Fauxmo, AsyncTCP, NodeMC, even a few attempts to create a stand alone Alexa type device on ESP32. It's all a bit mind boggling for an old arduino hacker like me. Part of the problem is that this board is an upgrade of the ESP8266 and most of the tutorials try to show how integrate them both into their project. They are different enough that this only seems to make it all the more difficult for the beginner.

To be fair they are both relatively new and are both targeted more to developers that to ordinary hackers like myself. To me one of the most interesting uses of this device is as a remote device that can be controlled by an Alexa... and this will be the focus of this site.

I've spent the past couple of days looking for examples of projects that use the board in this way. I found one with promise but seemed to have lost track of it. In it the board was connected to several relays and  programmed to be found by an Alexa device. The Alexa would learn what devies were connected to it and what voice commands would be used to turn these things on and off. You could also group thing together such and all the lights in a particular room could be turned on or off with one command or you could control them individually. Try as I might I've not been able to find that particular application again.

So I invite you to join me in this undertaking to try and solve this mystery. I'm still waiting on a few components to experiment with and probably the easiest thing is to just use off the shelf stuff that is already available to do what I have in mind. 

Ironically I had no Alexa and didnt even know that they could be used to control remote devices. I do have one on the way and a few of the Sonoff devices to get the ball rolling. I also have a couple of the ESP32 devices on hand and an 8 relay device on the way.

So stay tuned and we'll see how it goes.