🕸 THE SPIDER-SENSE SENTRY - RTOS ERC 2026

RTOS Project (Theme: Spider-Man Multiverse): RTOS Task Prioritization, ESP32-CAM MTMN Face Detection, UART IPC, Audio FFT Processing, Real-Time Python HUD.

The Multiverse has fractured! To keep the neighborhood safe, Peter Parker has built a hardwired, localized defense system using scavenged Stark Tech.

• ESP32 (Master — "Peter Tingle"): Reads ambient audio via an INMP441 I2S microphone, constantly sampling the environment with FFT for the specific frequency anomaly of an intruder (e.g. a loud clap or snap).
• ESP32-CAM (Slave — "Spider-Bot Eyes"): Runs onboard MTMN face detection and captures imagery when triggered by the Master entirely independent of WiFi/Web Servers.
• Laptop (PC — "K.A.R.E.N. HUD"): Runs a Python dashboard with live audio spectrum waveform, threat assessment UI, and real-time relayed images.

When an anomaly is detected, the Master ESP32 sends a trigger command to the ESP32-CAM. The ESP32-CAM captures a frame, detects villains, and relays the photo and threat level back through the Master to your Laptop!

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📁 Project Components

1. esp32_trigger_capture/esp32_trigger_master (Master ESP32 Code)
2. esp32_trigger_capture/esp32cam_trigger_slave (Slave ESP32-CAM Code)
3. pc_display (Python HUD Code)

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🔌 Hardware Wiring & Setup

1. INMP441 Microphone → ESP32 Master

INMP441 Pin	ESP32 Pin	Note
SCK / BCLK	GPIO26	Clock
WS / LRCLK	GPIO25	Word Select
SD / DOUT	GPIO33	Serial Data
L/R	GND	Tying to GND outputs on Left channel
VDD	3.3V	Power
GND	GND	Ground

2. ESP32 Master ↔ ESP32-CAM Slave (UART2)

Both boards communicate via UART at 460800 baud.

ESP32 Master		ESP32-CAM Slave
GPIO 17 (TX2)	→	GPIO 3 (RX0)
GPIO 16 (RX2)	←	GPIO 1 (TX0)
VIN	-	VIN
GND	─	GND

⚠ IMPORTANT: Both boards MUST share a common GND. If they are powered via separate USB cables, connect their GND pins together.

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🛠 Flash Instructions

1. ESP32 Master (esp32_trigger_master.ino)

1. Install the ESP32 board package in the Arduino IDE.
2. Install the arduinoFFT library (by Enrique Condes) via the Library Manager.
3. Select Board: "ESP32 Dev Module".
4. Flash esp32_trigger_master.ino to the generic ESP32.

2. ESP32-CAM Slave (esp32cam_trigger_slave.ino)

🚨 CRITICAL STEP: You MUST use the 1.0.6 version of the ESP32 Board core for the MTMN Neural Network Face Detection (fd_forward.h) to work. This library was removed in core v2.0.0+. If you use a newer core, the code will compile but fall back to a much less accurate basic skin-tone blob detector.

1. In Arduino IDE: Go to Tools → Board → Boards Manager, search for "esp32 by Espressif Systems", and select version 1.0.6 to install.
2. Select Board: "AI Thinker ESP32-CAM".
3. Set Partition Scheme: "Huge APP (3MB No OTA / 1MB SPIFFS)".
4. Flash esp32cam_trigger_slave.ino to the ESP32-CAM.

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💻 Running the K.A.R.E.N. Python HUD

Once both microcontrollers are flashed, wired together, and plugged in (The Master ESP32 must be connected via USB to your laptop):

1. Open a terminal and navigate to the PC display folder:

   cd pc_display

2. Create and activate a Python virtual environment (Recommended):
   • Windows:

     python -m venv .venv
     .venv\Scripts\activate

   • Mac/Linux:

     python3 -m venv .venv
     source .venv/bin/activate

3. Install the required Python dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

   (If you don't have the requirements.txt handy, run pip install pygame opencv-python pyserial numpy)
4. Run the display script:

   python KAREN.py --port <YOUR_COM_PORT>

   (Replace <YOUR_COM_PORT> with the Master ESP32's COM port, e.g., COM3 on Windows, or /dev/cu.usbserial-... on Mac/Linux. If omitted, the script will list available ports and ask you to type one).

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🎯 Usage: How to Trigger the System

1. Audio Tingle: Clap loudly near the INMP441 mic. The FFT running on the Master ESP32 will detect the energy spike and automatically fire a [CAPTURE] command.
2. Manual Button: Press the hardware push-button on the ESP32 Master's GPIO4.
3. HUD Button: Click the on-screen "FIRE CAPTURE" button or press the SPACEBAR / ENTER on your laptop keyboard while the Python HUD is in focus.

The system will snap a photo, process it through the AI neural net on the ESP32-CAM, count the faces, and display a threat level alongside the photo directly on your laptop display.

📊 Threat Level Scale

Level	Code	Faces	Description
0	SECURE	0	No villains detected
1	GUARDED	—	Reserved
2	ELEVATED	1	Single villain spotted