Creation of a 405th Spartan tracker app

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GeekGuardianDee

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I am working on some computerized and automated features for my Sarah Palmer build with a small team of students from Simon Fraser University. One of the features we would like to get working is a mapping feature that would track active members of the 405th through the GPS in their smart phones; and then display them as 'friendlies' on a map (or in my case as a map overlay for my HUD).

How I imagine this would work is that members of the 405th would download the app to their smart phone, and when they are at events they would open the app and activate 'Spartan Tracker'. By activating the tracker you allow the app to use your GPS information . That information would be sent to a 3rd party server (one that I would be administering) that would take in the various GPS information and output the locations on a map overlay. The app would then display the portion of the map that is local to their current location and see 'pings' for the other various 405th members.

Small events like cons at one location would not get a very high level of detail while at the event location, but this would be useful for event meet-ups near the event space. Large events, like San Diego Comic Con, which spread across multiple buildings and have parades and other events outside of the main event space would make this app much more useful. Meet-ups, photo ops, and other 405th interests would be easier to locate when you notice a large number of them congregating in one place.

Some other features that I would like to have:
  • The ability to select the pings and send them all a message through the app (For example: select all 405th within 500 yards, send message 'Pizza in 30 minutes? Follow my location on your maps')
  • The ability to add special events with location information (For example: add in a photo-op, the location will ping and can be selected for details, location ping will cease when the event is over)

I think it would be a pretty cool app, but it would only work if other 405th members actually opt-in and choose to download AND use it. I have a couple of questions that I would like some feedback on before starting in on this project.
  • If this app was available, worked well, and was easy to use, would any of you guys use it?
  • What other features would you guys like to see on this app?
  • Does the 405th or Art Andrews have any reason why we shouldn't or can't have our own community app?
  • Would the 405th or Art Andrews like to try to tie this app to the 405th website (ie. have a process that ensures that spartans using the app can only log in under the member name used on the website)?

I am sure many more questions will come up, but I would like to open discussion and see if this project is even feasible. I figure if I can get about 50 people here who say they are interested, and we don't get any red lights from the 405th owner and staff, I will get it started. until then, lets discuss here.
 
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I like the idea on the front of it all.
I'll answer your questions in order.
- If the app worked, I would certainly download it and use it.
- Instead of constantly displaying our GPS and such, I think it may be more useful to be able to ping other 405thers to request their location. I only say this because at cons (comic con especially of course) where people are fighting for cellular bandwidth, any constant use apps, especially ones that use location services, could kill your phones 10x faster than normal
- I like the idea of a community app. I'd love to see one that incorporates helpful ways to communicate with others and look up information (mostly for first timers looking for build info) stuff like that
- A website integration would be helpful to keep it popular. Only having it on a phone or only on a browser could limit its use. A helpful example is the Destiny app for the game. It is integrated well and very familiar across phone apps as well as browser usage. It helps me stay interested in it and have easy access to it.
 
This seems like an awesome idea! Especially for those builds that have their smartphones tucked away in a UGPS tacpad. I would definitely use it even though I'm pretty sure there are only a handful of spartans I would guess about 10 or so stationed out in Hawai'i. But this would definitely come in handy at cons if I ever decide to fly up to Cali for SDCC or something. It would be cool if you could enter in your Spartan number and name as your ping on the GPS, so like for instance, John-117. Of course I could see where that also could be a problem, with multiple MCs, Noble Team members, etc. But I think it would be interesting to see an actual call sign pinged on your GPS.

I think a while back people tried to do this with google maps, but i don't think it was a mobile thing where you could look up real time positions. I think this would be huge especially at SDCC like you mentioned.

Also, would you be charging for this? I would imagine hosting a server would cost some $ in the end. If so, how much do you think you'll be charging per download? That would play a big factor in how many people jump on the bandwagon I would think.
 
It's an interesting idea to and it's worth exploring. I really like the idea of a beacon for the shoot and dinner/etc. The question is whether or not we can drive user adoption but I'd certainly broadcast on it.

There's a few challenges to consider, especially in your SDCC example.

1) Reception\Network Capacity: When I'm at SDCC, I don't expect to be able to communicate using data on a regular basis and I actually revert mostly to using SMS messages. Inside convention centers, reception tends to be sparse, and on top of that, the massive numbers of people in the local area tend to overload the network and make pulling/sending data patchy and inconsistent. I know the app can't address that, but it worth taking into consideration that it would be a hindrance to the usability of the app

2) Who has access to the app? Will there be restrictions on who can post/add beacons? I can imagine, if a several of us drop a beacon for the same event, it would lead to a little too much noise, but at the same time, everyone should be able to drop a cool event quickly in order to notify everyone rapidly

3) Using the app during Con conditions. Simply put, most of us are crippled in armor. We can't hear phones, we have trouble reaching them, handling them while roaming the floor and taking off gloves/setting down props/ moving away from photos/etc is a barrier to using the app. Keep in mind this is a general problem for any costumed con goer, not just us, but still worth noting.

4) Accuracy of the GPS. Given that pinging the precise location of the GPS is a relative power hog, you're probably going to rely on network location and get an accuracy of ~100 meters or worse. Which is pretty much enough to tell you if someone is at the convention center, but not too much else. This is just something I've learned from using other location monitoring apps, that they're good enough to tell you when someone is at the con, but you're not going to get much more refined info than that.

4a) As an addendum to the above challenge. If you're pinging the location/accessing the GPS on a regular basis, that's obviously going to drain batteries. Something that we definitely have to be mindful of

I like the concept of an app, but I do have some concerns about the usability in real world situations.
 
I would definitely use this. Right now, the only things I have on my phone are my Destiny app, SWTOR app, and a bunch of music (go ahead and call me a Luddite, I deserve it). I would definitely use this.

I agree with the above, though. Make it a tap to ping rather than constant on. Some of us have limited data with our phones and most cons we're straining for bandwidth as it is.
 
Make adaptable to the Recon Jet by Recon instruments or their hud for snow boarding.

At the get-go we will have the app features usable, and displayable, on the Google Glass. We could take a look at the platform the Recon Jet glasses use and see if we can make a tie-in, but it would probably be a function that gets implemented in down the road.

I like the idea on the front of it all.
I'll answer your questions in order.
- If the app worked, I would certainly download it and use it.
- Instead of constantly displaying our GPS and such, I think it may be more useful to be able to ping other 405thers to request their location. I only say this because at cons (comic con especially of course) where people are fighting for cellular bandwidth, any constant use apps, especially ones that use location services, could kill your phones 10x faster than normal
- I like the idea of a community app. I'd love to see one that incorporates helpful ways to communicate with others and look up information (mostly for first timers looking for build info) stuff like that
- A website integration would be helpful to keep it popular. Only having it on a phone or only on a browser could limit its use. A helpful example is the Destiny app for the game. It is integrated well and very familiar across phone apps as well as browser usage. It helps me stay interested in it and have easy access to it.

  • Okay, so one for an opt-in.
  • For sure we have to come up with some clever ways to track the GPS information without a constant signal. I think it might end up being a regular ping at an adjustable interval, and the interval will be something we could play with. We could even allow the user to choose an interval on their own. Maybe they could choose from 30 seconds, 1 minute, or 5 minutes.
  • How far we can stretch this as a community app will probably depend on what people would like to have available, what content people are willing to put up, and how much interest/support we get from the owners and staff of the 405th. I don't intend for this app to take people away from our community here.
  • I will have to take a look at the Destiny app to see how things work there.


This seems like an awesome idea! Especially for those builds that have their smartphones tucked away in a UGPS tacpad. I would definitely use it even though I'm pretty sure there are only a handful of spartans I would guess about 10 or so stationed out in Hawai'i. But this would definitely come in handy at cons if I ever decide to fly up to Cali for SDCC or something. It would be cool if you could enter in your Spartan number and name as your ping on the GPS, so like for instance, John-117. Of course I could see where that also could be a problem, with multiple MCs, Noble Team members, etc. But I think it would be interesting to see an actual call sign pinged on your GPS.

I think a while back people tried to do this with google maps, but i don't think it was a mobile thing where you could look up real time positions. I think this would be huge especially at SDCC like you mentioned.

Also, would you be charging for this? I would imagine hosting a server would cost some $ in the end. If so, how much do you think you'll be charging per download? That would play a big factor in how many people jump on the bandwagon I would think.

  • Well here's two for opt-ins now.
  • I think it would be nice to have the same usernames as on the forums for the usernames on the app, so you can recognize the 405th members from the forums. But it may be better to have some sort of call-sign system.
  • I know we have a member map on the website, which is great for seeing where everyone is usually located. This app is definitely more suited for real-time positioning at events. And wouldn't it be cool to be talking with a group of people and you can say "Excuse me, Spartans incoming." and then more 405th members walk around a corner "Ahh, here they are!" That group of people would be like, 'Whoa they really have their group co-ordinated!'
  • As for charging, I am not planning on charging for the app download, as I don't want their to be any sort of impression that I am selling something that is owned by the '405th'. I might decide to have a donation option, or maybe an ad space if the server fees become an issue (there are free server options, and monthly server subscriptions aren't too expensive). This is a hobby for me, and my team is doing most of the work on this as either course credit, awesome portfolio filler, or because they love Halo. All of the software coding for the features of the suit will be publicly available for FREE! (Including the software that controls my suits cooling system, lights, sounds, and power, integrates with the Google glass, and the whole voice command library) so that we all can have EPIC SUITS!
 
It's an interesting idea to and it's worth exploring. I really like the idea of a beacon for the shoot and dinner/etc. The question is whether or not we can drive user adoption but I'd certainly broadcast on it.

There's a few challenges to consider, especially in your SDCC example.

1) Reception\Network Capacity: When I'm at SDCC, I don't expect to be able to communicate using data on a regular basis and I actually revert mostly to using SMS messages. Inside convention centers, reception tends to be sparse, and on top of that, the massive numbers of people in the local area tend to overload the network and make pulling/sending data patchy and inconsistent. I know the app can't address that, but it worth taking into consideration that it would be a hindrance to the usability of the app

2) Who has access to the app? Will there be restrictions on who can post/add beacons? I can imagine, if a several of us drop a beacon for the same event, it would lead to a little too much noise, but at the same time, everyone should be able to drop a cool event quickly in order to notify everyone rapidly

3) Using the app during Con conditions. Simply put, most of us are crippled in armor. We can't hear phones, we have trouble reaching them, handling them while roaming the floor and taking off gloves/setting down props/ moving away from photos/etc is a barrier to using the app. Keep in mind this is a general problem for any costumed con goer, not just us, but still worth noting.

4) Accuracy of the GPS. Given that pinging the precise location of the GPS is a relative power hog, you're probably going to rely on network location and get an accuracy of ~100 meters or worse. Which is pretty much enough to tell you if someone is at the convention center, but not too much else. This is just something I've learned from using other location monitoring apps, that they're good enough to tell you when someone is at the con, but you're not going to get much more refined info than that.

4a) As an addendum to the above challenge. If you're pinging the location/accessing the GPS on a regular basis, that's obviously going to drain batteries. Something that we definitely have to be mindful of

I like the concept of an app, but I do have some concerns about the usability in real world situations.

Absolutely there will be challenges, here are my thoughts on each;

1) Network capacity is definitely an issue, and one that I have been putting my mind to a considerable amount recently. Unfortunately, it is also something that is partially out of my control. One option is to create a virtual wi-fi hotspot somewhere on site, but this is limited by the wi-fi broadcasting capabilities of the hot spot. Maybe we can get some sort or large scale wi-fi offering, like what is described here http://www.xirrus.com/cdn/pdf/the_connected_event_dilemma

2) I would like to make some way to have the users of the app have a tie-in with the website, so only legit 405th members can log-in and access the features. We may have some sort of data recognition running on the server that would recognize similar events being entered and have a message pop up with 'another user has already entered this event, please contact _______ with to update the event listing'.

3) Because I will have an android device as a control panel attached to my suit, and most of the functions are communicated to or through the google glass and activated via voice command it will be considerably easier for me to use something like this at an event. But, of course there needs to be a way to work the app that is usable to every 405th member. I am hoping the design elements can be mindful of these restrictions. One idea, having the app function via voice commands (ear bud with small mic) may make it easier.

4) This is definitely something that is an obstacle that will take some real consideration to overcome. I know that the apps for helicopter parents have significantly more accurate GPS tracking, so I will be looking into how these function in order to find a solution to this issue. Another point, google maps is only good in urban areas where there is actual google map information; get out to the suburbs, or into rural areas and you might just be hooped. I guess those barn yard meet-ups will be out of luck.

4a)Yep battery drain will be a consideration, hopefully having some sort of customizable interval would help reduce battery drain on devices where that is a concern.

These are some of the concerns my team and I have been discussing, some of which will severely impact the opt-in of this program. I am hoping through this discussion we all can put our heads together to see if we can come up with some possibilities to make the real-world situations more awesome, and less buggy.
 
I would definitely use this. Right now, the only things I have on my phone are my Destiny app, SWTOR app, and a bunch of music (go ahead and call me a Luddite, I deserve it). I would definitely use this.

I agree with the above, though. Make it a tap to ping rather than constant on. Some of us have limited data with our phones and most cons we're straining for bandwidth as it is.

I would love to see this come to fruition

Yes, please.

That's 5 so far. I am glad to see some interest this fast, means I might be on to something.
 
Sounds like a very useful app! I would definetly get it!

One idea I have is sinking the ping relative to real time, so everyone pings at once. But this would comprise a selectable ping.

I know network bandwidth would be low, but you also have to remember that an app like this will take extremely little data. Just a couple variables for position. And a few for name, id and such. And only having that transmitted once every so many seconds makes it extremely little on the network side. So a old tower PC should be plenty for a server.

An app like this should be very simple and fast to get up and running, just to test out.

You should also be able to gather your location in increments from your GPS, to save on battery. I don't see why you GPS would be stuck to real time location.

I've never been to a con before, but how bad is the bandwidth in a building full of people? What can't you normally do? (just trying to get an idea here)
 
I'll opt in, I have a Recon Jet on pre order and I have an IPhone 5 so that's the other half of your challenge.

Cool mini feature
Spartan teams
ODST teams, incase you Cosplay as either and or only want to see either
Also personal teams, what if you only want to see your teams IFF?
 
Maybe just maybe we could have some marines running around with RRB stations at the big cons, so who ever has it can set up a service booster (can buy on Ebay) and boost our signals. Sorry I Role Play a lot on my RTS games. But an RRB ( Radio Re Broadcast) unit might solve some issues with service on the inside and halo does have a few cool looking radio things. Idk something to think abouti guess
 
Sounds like a very useful app! I would definetly get it!

One idea I have is sinking the ping relative to real time, so everyone pings at once. But this would comprise a selectable ping.

I know network bandwidth would be low, but you also have to remember that an app like this will take extremely little data. Just a couple variables for position. And a few for name, id and such. And only having that transmitted once every so many seconds makes it extremely little on the network side. So a old tower PC should be plenty for a server.

An app like this should be very simple and fast to get up and running, just to test out.

You should also be able to gather your location in increments from your GPS, to save on battery. I don't see why you GPS would be stuck to real time location.

I've never been to a con before, but how bad is the bandwidth in a building full of people? What can't you normally do? (just trying to get an idea here)

I am hoping that we can make it a low bandwidth app, nice and lightweight for the most general audience. Once I give everyone here a chance to discuss I figure we'll have something basic to play around with almost right away.

At a con the bandwidth can get pretty crappy pretty quick. Everyone taking selfies and posting to instagram can bog down a system real fast. I will be live streaming a helmet cam, and chrome casting the control panel and HUD simultaneously to my website while i am at events. All of that takes some serious dedicated bandwidth. I figure that in order to guarantee my own stream I will have to have a wi-fi broadcaster travelling around with me. Maybe I will just open it up to all of the app users and hand out a couple of radios to fellow 405th members to wander around with.

I'll opt in, I have a Recon Jet on pre order and I have an IPhone 5 so that's the other half of your challenge.

Cool mini feature
Spartan teams
ODST teams, incase you Cosplay as either and or only want to see either
Also personal teams, what if you only want to see your teams IFF?

So, researching the recon jet platform and ios functionality is now on the task list. With you that's 9 opt-ins.

Teams would be pretty cool, then we can play Grifball! (Holy crap that's a fantastic idea!)

Maybe just maybe we could have some marines running around with RRB stations at the big cons, so who ever has it can set up a service booster (can buy on Ebay) and boost our signals. Sorry I Role Play a lot on my RTS games. But an RRB ( Radio Re Broadcast) unit might solve some issues with service on the inside and halo does have a few cool looking radio things. Idk something to think abouti guess

Definitely, I think it might be something where when the 405th has a table set-up we can set-up a large broadcaster (the kind new stations use for live reports) and hand out some broadcasters to individual members.

I figure I will just stash a broadcaster unit into my chestpiece. it will help balance out the coolant tanks.
 
I really like the idea! I would definitely download and use it once it is available. The thing is, there are little to no cons over here in Malaysia and there is only less than a handful of 405th-ers over here too. But I'd still want to download once its up and running. Cant wait for more progress, keep us updated ! ;)
 
I really like this idea. If it's actually possible, maybe we can have this implemented into a helmet and use it to make a HUD and have it in the motion tracker section if it's possible.
 
I really like the idea! I would definitely download and use it once it is available. The thing is, there are little to no cons over here in Malaysia and there is only less than a handful of 405th-ers over here too. But I'd still want to download once its up and running. Cant wait for more progress, keep us updated ! ;)

Yeah I am not sure how well it would function outside of North America, but only testing will really tell.

I really like this idea. If it's actually possible, maybe we can have this implemented into a helmet and use it to make a HUD and have it in the motion tracker section if it's possible.

That's kinda what I am trying to achieve. The app will be active on my control pad (nexus 5) and the map data will be displayed on my google glass, which will either be worn or rigged into my helmet. The google glass has its own direction detection so the display will spin with whatever way the helmet is pointing. Is that what you were thinking?
 
Sounds interesting. If the app was made to be compatible with windows phone 8.1 devices, then I would download. I would also love to see support for Cortana added to such an app ie, "Cortana, give me a tac map." or such.
 
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