NEcoBot

NPEC Ecotron

EcoBot support

EcoBot is free to download, but operational access is limited to approved NPEC users with a current experiment assignment.

Explore without credentials

On the first setup screen, choose “Explore read-only demo” to inspect EcoBot with bundled synthetic sample data. The demo does not connect to NPEC services and cannot send controller commands. Leave the demo from Settings when you are ready to connect an issued credential.

What you need

  1. An NPEC-issued OpenVPN profile imported into OpenVPN Connect.
  2. A current experiment-dashboard or EcoBot pairing link issued by your NPEC administrator.
  3. An iPhone running iOS 17 or later with Face ID or a device passcode enabled.

Connect EcoBot

  1. Open OpenVPN Connect and activate the NPEC profile.
  2. Launch EcoBot and select “OpenVPN is connected”.
  3. Paste the issued experiment link and select “Connect securely”.
  4. Wait for the assigned floor, experiments, and authorization to appear.

Treat the OpenVPN profile and pairing link as private credentials. Do not send them through public support channels or include them in screenshots.

Troubleshooting

EcoBot cannot reach the server

Confirm that the issued OpenVPN profile shows Connected, then return to EcoBot and pull to refresh.

The pairing link is rejected

Request a current link from the experiment contact. Links may be scoped, time-limited, revoked, or already exchanged.

A controller command is unavailable

EcoBot displays only controls authorized for the current role and experiment. Live server interlocks, assignment conflicts, controller state, or a restoration in progress may block a command.

Remove access from this iPhone

Open Settings in EcoBot and choose “Remove pairing from this iPhone”. Ask an NPEC administrator to revoke the server credential if the device or credential may be compromised.

Contact

For experiment access, pairing, controller state, or a suspected safety issue, contact your assigned NPEC experiment administrator. Public location and front desk details are available on the Utrecht University NPEC page. For privacy questions, contact privacy@uu.nl.