Applies to the following products:
- Thouzer Standard - Basic and E-Series
- Thouzer Mini - Basic and E-Series
- Thouzer Giant - Basic and E-Series
💡 No additional licensing is required for this feature.
We love the Thouzer AGV for its power and simplicity, but let's be honest: that flute music it plays all the time can get a little… repetitive. Don't believe me? Just listen to this audio clip a few times and you'll see what I mean.
Whether you want to upgrade to something a little more peppy ("Thunderstruck," anyone?) or make your robot sound like R2-D2, this comprehensive guide will walk you through how to change the music on your Thouzer AGV.
If you've done this before and just need a refresher, scroll down to the quick steps just after the table of contents; otherwise, I recommend you start at the beginning of the detailed steps.
How to Change Thouzer Music - Quick Steps
- Gather your materials.
- New music/audio files to install,
- An SD card > 128MB but <= 2GB in size,
- A computer with Audacity installed on it,
- The Thouzer default music zip file, and
- Your Thouzer AGV.
- Format your SD card for FAT16.
- Unzip the default music zip file and place all the default music files on to your SD card.
- Use Audacity to trim all your NEW audio files down to the required lengths
- Rename your new MP3 files using the required Patlite format (001.mp3, etc.) and overwrite the default files you unzipped earlier.
- Eject the SD card from your computer.
- Turn on Thouzer.
- Insert the SD card into the alarm device.
- Press the Follow-Me button on Thouzer's joystick to start the file sync process.
- Once you hear your current Follow-Me music start playing, you may press the Follow-Me button again to cancel Follow-Me. (This will not interrupt audio file sync).
- DO NOT turn off the robot or remove the SD card until the process completes!
- Wait for sync completion - you'll hear the audio pattern change within 60 seconds.
- Once sync is complete, turn off Thouzer and remove the SD card.
- Turn Thouzer back on and test your new audio files!
How to Change Thouzer Music - Detailed Steps
0. Background Information
The Thouzer "alarm device" is a small Patlite speaker mounted underneath the deck of the robot. It measures roughly 3 inches square and 3/4" thick.
This alarm device is a self-contained unit and stores its own audio tracks internally. In other words, Thouzer is not generating audio and playing it through this 'external speaker.'
Instead, Thouzer sends signals to the alarm device that indicate the operational state of the robot, and the alarm device responds to the signals by playing the appropriate audio file for that robot state.
This Patlite device stores all its audio tracks as MP3 files and in the Thouzer implementation of this device, the audio files are numbered as follows:
- 001.mp3: Autonomous / Follow-Me Mode
- 002.mp3: Manual Mode / Waiting
- 003.mp3: Pause (waiting to resume)
- 004.mp3: Body confirmation alert
- 005.mp3: Pause due to obstacles
- 006.mp3: (Reserved)
- 007.mp3: Startup / System Error
In order to install new audio files on the alarm device, we 'just' copy new MP3s over to the device using an SD card, as described in the subsequent steps.
1. Gather your Materials
New Audio Files to Install
Audacity, the software we're using to prep the audio files, supports lots of formats. If you have audio files that aren't on their supported file format list you might run into issues, but if you stick to MP3s we should be ok.
👉Note: Ensure you have the rights to the audio you plan to use. Compliance with local laws is your responsibility, not ours!
An SD Card
Patlite and Doog both recommend you use Patlite's own SD card, SDV-2GP. It's about $56 direct from Patlite or you can get the exact same thing from Automation Direct for $20.
If you want to use your own SD card or Micro SD card in an SD adapter, you can do that too. You just need to make sure the total disk size is between 128MB and 2GB, inclusive.
💡 Pro Tip: Make Your Own "Tiny" SD Card
If you have an extra micro SD card laying around already, you can use that to move your new music over to Thouzer. You'll need an adapter like this one to make the micro SD card fit the robot, and you'll need to repartition the disk to make it meet the size constraints above, too.
A Computer With Audacity Installed on It
Audacity is free audio editing software that has been around for a long time. It's not the most user-friendly software out there, but it works on Windows, Mac, and Linux and it doesn't need Internet access. And it's FREE so we're going to use it. If you know a better tool - especially an online converter - please let me know in the comments and I'd love to include it.
👉Note: You also need a way to plug the SD or micro SD card into your computer! My laptop has a built-in micro SD card slot, but you might need an adapter for your computer.
The Default Thouzer Music Files
Download the Default Music Files Here
This .zip file has all the default music files you need. Hold on to it until Step 3.
Your Robot
Don't forget to have Thouzer charged and ready!
2. Format your SD Card for FAT16
If you bought the Patlite card, it should be ready to go out of the box. If you are using your own SD card, make sure it's formatted for FAT. If your memory card is larger than 2GB in size, you won't see the option to format it in FAT so you'll have to change the partition size. Comment below if you need help with that.
3. Unzip the default music files onto your SD card
When you're done, you should end up with these six MP3 files and an empty text file:
No, you're not crazy - there's no 002.mp3 file. You can make one if you like though. By default, Thouzer doesn't play music while under manual control, so no default file exists for that function.
👉Note: If you're trying to reset your robot to factory defaults, jump to Step 8 and continue from there!
4. Use Audacity to Trim and Reformat Your Audio Tracks
Next, we need to reformat the audio files you want to upload to Thouzer, but there are some things you need to know beforehand.
- The music you hear while Thouzer operates is NOT just for show. Thouzer plays music for safety. Like it or not, the flute music carries well, even in noisy industrial environments. Consider your environment when considering new music and choose wisely!
- The alarm device on Thouzer can only hold about 63 seconds of music at a 64kb bitrate, so choose wisely and edit sparingly when you create your custom audio tracks.
With that information out of the way, open Audacity and load your custom music file. Then cut the file down in length until it only has what you want left in it. (There are plenty of YouTube videos on how to do this.)
5. Export the Audio Track and Save it on the SD Card, Overwriting the Original
If you're trying to overwrite the flute music, that's file 001.mp3. If you're changing another music file on Thouzer, refer to the list in Step 0.
Within Audacity, click File -> Export Audio and then choose to "Export to Computer" and follow the steps below.
- Browse to select the file you want to replace
- Ensure MP3 Files is selected in the dropdown
- Select Mono
- Leave the next three options at 44100Hz, Constant, 64 kbps
- Click Edit Metadata and remove any track info - Artist Title, etc.
- Click Export and click "Yes" when Audacity asks if you want to replace the file that already exists with the same name.
Thouzer Music File Specifications (Table)
| Setting | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Format | MP3 Files |
| Channels | Mono |
| Sample Rate | 44100 Hz |
| Bit Mode Rate | Constant |
| Quality | 64 kbps |
Make sure to repeat steps 4 and 5 for each file you intend to replace.
6. Safety Eject the SD Card From Your Computer
Don't just yank it out!
👉 Note: Rewriting the alarm device erases ALL existing music. Even if you're only replacing one audio file, make sure you have a complete set of your music on your SD card before ejecting.
7. Turn on Thouzer
Make sure Thouzer completes the startup process.
8. Insert the SD Card Into the Alarm Device
Now you have to crawl under Thouzer and insert the SD card into the slot on the alarm device. If you're old like me, this is the hardest part of the whole process!
See below for the location of the alarm device on our most popular Thouzer AGVs.
9. Press the Follow-Me Button
Press the Follow-Me Start button to start the file sync process.
💡 Pro Tip: Have Someone Else Press the Button for You
If you have a coworker around, you might want to ask them to start the file copy process while you stay on the floor near the speaker device. That way, you don't have to crawl back under the robot again in case you installed the memory card upside-down or didn't insert it all the way. Just make sure you're out of the way before they press the button!
10. Cancel Follow-Me
Once you hear the Follow-Me music start, you can cancel it by either pressing the Follow-Me Start button again or moving the joystick. We just needed to engage Follow-Me in order to begin the file transfer process on the alarm device.
11. Wait for the File Sync to Finish
On most robots, this takes less than 60 seconds, but it depends on how many files you're copying over and how big they are. The default audio set won't take the full 60 seconds to copy over.
DO NOT turn Thouzer off while you're copying the files over!
When the files are done copying, you'll hear the audio pattern on the alarm device change.
12. Turn off Thouzer and Remove the SD Card
This step is self-explanatory. Just make sure you turn the robot off before you remove the SD Card from the speaker device.
13. Turn Thouzer Back On and Test
Once you turn Thouzer back on, you should do a complete function check.
Remember, there are six audio files in the alarm device. If you changed all of them, I would test:
- Follow-Me first, then
- Record and replay a quick Memory Trace route that includes a hold/suspend point.
- Make sure you run in front of Thouzer at least once during replay to test the obstacle detection noise, then
- I'd pull the E-Stop to make sure you hear the expected noise when Thouzer's safety circuit is tripped.
Troubleshooting Error Sounds
If the update fails, the device will emit a specific beep pattern. Once I get an opportunity to record these sounds I'll upload samples of each, but for now hopefully the transliterations below will help in troubleshooting.
- Pip x4 (twice): Hardware error (check SD card format).
- Pee x3: MP3 data error (check bitrate or tags).
- Pipipee x3: Operating mode error (check MODE-G.txt file).
💡 Pro Tip: Cut the Quality Down to 32kbps to Save Space
If you can't make all your files fit, try choosing 32kbps quality when you export your audio files in Step 5 instead of 64kbps. That should give you about double the usual music capacity, but the audio will sound worse.
Conclusion
Changing the music on your Thouzer AGV is a quick process once you understand the MP3 requirements, SD card setup, and file naming structure. With the steps above, you can easily customize your robot’s audio while maintaining safe and effective operation. If you run into issues or want help optimizing your Thouzer AGV, our team is here to help.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Do you need help customizing your Thouzer AGV or integrating it into a new workflow? Our team specializes in Thouzer deployment and support. Contact us here.
