Entries Tagged 'idia618' ↓

My project concept has finally been scoped appropriately. I think scoping is the hardest part of this whole endeavor!

Here is the basic concept:

The semantic mediawiki GPS extension enables a user to connect a Garmin GPS device via USB and easily upload GPS tracks as well as associate these tracks to individual log entries via a unique trail identifier. It will later also provide additional GPS track services.

Functional capabilities are:

• Upload Garmin GPS tracks via USB using the Garmin Communicator Plugin
• Store GPS tracks to a database
• Semantically tag track with handler, K9, and trail identifiers
• Enable user to manipulate and tag multiple tracks in a single session
• Provide for map preview of tracks
• Enable the user to easily associate one or more GPS tracks with individual log entries
• Automatically generate a trail (tracklayer or subject) log

It would be nice to say that I’d have this as a turnkey installable mediawiki extension by the end of the semester, but I really doubt it. Time is short!

Gaak. It took me all weekend to get a start on this. Really, all week — as I’ve also been exploring an alternative option (an EditGrid Application).

I’ve installed MediaWiki 1.2 with a number of extensions such as Semantic MediaWiki, GoogleMaps, Semantic Forms, GoogleCharts, Semantic Calendar, etc. Sadly, I spent hours and hours trying to get the Halo Extension working… without success.

The plan is to customize the K9 Log Project to serve as a training / mission log for K9 GPS tracks and activities. I’ll probably also publish periodic updates on my K9 SAR Technology Blog.

Concept description and documentation coming… but you can always hop on over to the wiki where up-to-the-minute coverage is happening.

I’m already planning to switch to a new concept since the other piece of code is something I want to develop sooner. But I will do this one, as well! Perhaps, in parallel.

Concept:

The Garmin Astro is a GPS-enabled dog tracking system that enables a user with an Astro handset to view the position and movement of up to ten dogs simultaneously. Position updates occur approximately every five seconds.

There is currently no software product for viewing Astro tracks on a mapping application in realtime. However, Garmin supplies a plugin, the Garmin Communicator plugin, that allows web clients to communicate with a Garmin GPS and exchange data with that GPS.

This web application will poll a Garmin Astro handset, push track data into a database, and generate a KML network link for Google Earth. It is envisioned to work best on a single client laptop with a local webserver so that the user does not need an internet connection in the field. The generated KML network link will enable a user to see Astro collar positions on Google Earth in near realtime.

Why the heck is a computational linguist building a dog toy? See my dog blog…

What I really love about Erich Spencer’s course is that we get to design and develop our own project. The class is about the project, and the major assignments are the following:

1. A brief, concise written statement of project concept and scope. (Concept Document)
2. A static HTML prototype to visualize presentation and user task flow. (Static Wireframe)
3. A statement of required data entities and their attributes to communicate persistence. (Data Model)
4. A concise description of program sequences to communicate processing. (Sequence Diagram)
5. Code Elements. (Tarball of unit tests)

All of these things get packaged up into a design document and software deliverable due at the end of the course. I like it! Presumably, we have a few exercises to do, as well, but he hasn’t told us what they are yet.