diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 8d56d1c..5fbf89b 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,15 +1,15 @@
 {
   "name": "@uci-utils/type",
-  "version": "0.6.2",
+  "version": "0.6.3",
   "description": "A variable type check and casting utility - extension of typechecker package plus type casting",
   "main": "src/index.js",
   "type": "module",
   "scripts": {
     "test": "./node_modules/.bin/mocha --timeout 30000",
-    "testd": "UCI_ENV=dev ./node_modules/.bin/nodemon --exec './node_modules/.bin/mocha --timeout 30000' || exit 0",
-    "testdd": "UCI_LOG_LEVEL='trace' npm run testd",
-    "testde": "UCI_LOG_LEVEL='warn' npm run testd",
-    "testl": "UCI_ENV=pro UCI_LOG_PATH=./test/test.log 0 npm run test || exit 0"
+    "test:dev": "UCI_ENV=dev ./node_modules/.bin/nodemon --exec './node_modules/.bin/mocha --timeout 30000' || exit 0",
+    "test:dev:trace": "UCI_LOG_LEVEL='trace' npm run test:dev",
+    "test:dev:warn": "UCI_LOG_LEVEL='warn' npm run test:dev",
+    "test:log": "UCI_ENV=pro UCI_LOG_PATH=./test/test.log 0 npm run test || exit 0"
   },
   "author": "David Kebler",
   "license": "MIT",
@@ -32,11 +32,14 @@
   "homepage": "https://github.com/uCOMmandIt/uci-utils#readme",
   "dependencies": {
     "@uci-utils/to-boolean": "^0.2.0",
+    "is-observable": "^2.1.0",
+    "observable-to-promise": "^1.0.0",
     "typechecker": "^7.17.0"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "chai": "^4.3.4",
     "mocha": "^8.4.0",
-    "nodemon": "^2.0.7"
+    "nodemon": "^2.0.7",
+    "rxjs": "^7.1.0"
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/cast.js b/src/cast.js
index d87a747..e2b8dfb 100644
--- a/src/cast.js
+++ b/src/cast.js
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 import { toBoolean } from '@uci-utils/to-boolean'
+import otp from 'observable-to-promise'
+import isObservable from 'is-observable'
 // adapted from  "https://github.com/eivindfjeldstad/const git"
 
 /**
@@ -61,6 +63,14 @@ const toArray = function (val) {
   return arr
 }
 
+
+// cast Observable to promise
+const toPromise = function (obs) {
+  if (!isObservable(obs)) throw new Error('not an observable, can not cast to promise')
+  return otp(obs)
+}
+
+
 /**
  * Cast given `val` to `type`
  *
@@ -69,15 +79,15 @@ const toArray = function (val) {
  * @api public
  */
 
-const typecast={string:toString,number:toNumber,date:toDate,boolean:toBoolean,array:toArray}
+const typecast = { string: toString, number: toNumber, date: toDate, boolean: toBoolean, array: toArray, promise: toPromise }
 
-function cast (val, type) {
+function cast(val, type) {
   var fn = typecast[type]
   if (typeof fn != 'function') throw new Error('cannot cast to ' + type)
   return fn(val)
 }
 
-export { cast, typecast, toBoolean, toArray, toDate, toNumber, toString  }
+export { cast, typecast, toBoolean, toArray, toDate, toNumber, toString, toPromise }
 
 
 // TODO support registering alternative casting functions with a register function
diff --git a/src/check.js b/src/check.js
index 12407d8..6bfe4f1 100644
--- a/src/check.js
+++ b/src/check.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import * as typechecker from 'typechecker'
+import observable from 'is-observable'
 
 // TODO add observable types and other custom uci types
 
@@ -18,10 +19,15 @@ customTypeChecker.isSymbol = function isSymbol(x) {
     || typeof x === 'object' && Object.prototype.toString.call(x) === '[object Symbol]';
 }
 
+customTypeChecker.isObservable = observable
+
+
 // Add custom types to typeMap
 let customTypeMap = {
   buffer: customTypeChecker.isBuffer,
-  promise: customTypeChecker.isPromise
+  promise: customTypeChecker.isPromise,
+  symbol: customTypeChecker.isSymbol,
+  observable: customTypeChecker.isObservable
 }
 
 customTypeMap = Object.assign(customTypeMap, customTypeChecker.typeMap)
diff --git a/test/cast.test.js b/test/cast.test.js
index db3c81e..ea255a2 100644
--- a/test/cast.test.js
+++ b/test/cast.test.js
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 import assert from 'assert'
-import { check, typecast, cast, toString, toBoolean } from '../src/index.js'
-
-console.log(typecast.boolean)
-console.log(toBoolean)
+import { check, typecast, cast, toString, toBoolean, toPromise } from '../src/index.js'
+import { of } from 'rxjs'
 
 describe('symbol', function () {
   it('should support isSymbol', function () {
@@ -26,10 +24,13 @@ describe('.string()', function () {
     assert(check.isString(toString(2)))
   })
 
+  it('convert an observable to promise with toPromise', function () {
+    assert.throws(() => { toPromise(() => { }) }, Error)
+    assert(check.isPromise(toPromise(of(1, 2, 3))))
+  })
+
 })
 
-
-
 describe('.number()', function () {
   it('should return a number', function () {
     assert(typecast.number('123') === 123)
diff --git a/test/check.test.js b/test/check.test.js
index 0180696..ecd614a 100644
--- a/test/check.test.js
+++ b/test/check.test.js
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 import { expect } from 'chai'
-import u, {typeOf} from '../src/index.js'
+import u, { typeOf } from '../src/index.js'
+import { of } from 'rxjs'
+console.log(of)
 
 describe('Type Check Library - ', function () {
 
@@ -8,6 +10,8 @@ describe('Type Check Library - ', function () {
     expect(u.getType(Buffer.from('this is a test'))).to.equal('buffer')
     expect(u.isPromise(Promise.resolve(2))).to.equal(true)
     expect(u.getType(Promise.resolve(2))).to.equal('promise')
+    expect(u.isObservable(of(1, 2, 3))).to.equal(true)
+    expect(u.getType(of(1, 2, 3))).to.equal('observable')
   })
 
   it('Should export typeOf for .getType', function () {
@@ -16,7 +20,7 @@ describe('Type Check Library - ', function () {
 
   console.log(typeOf(typeOf))
 
-  it('Should include typechecker methods', function () {
+  it('Should include base typechecker methods', function () {
     expect(u.isPlainObject([1])).to.equal(false)
     expect(u.getType(true)).to.equal('boolean')
     expect(u.getObjectType('a string')).to.equal('[object String]')