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Logging barometer and other device sensor data during track recording?

Stefan Hoffmeister shared this question 7 years ago
Answered

Hi, is there any way to record barometer (and, more generically, device ambient sensor data) as part of track recording?


Basically, I would love to have a single track log comprising of, ideally, every single sensor built into my mobile device, all along a clean timeline.


Is there a means to accomplish this within Locus Pro?


Bonus: Would there also be a means to render moving averages of ambient pressure, ambient temperature, and raw height (differential) detected via GPS in a window / overloay? This basically could allow for simplistic weather forecasting while track recording (temperature falls, pressure goes down, while GPS height stable -> low pressure system coming in). Use cases are hiking, trekking, bicycle touring (in the flats or in the mountains)

Best Answer
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Sorry for interrupting. This idea already exists here, so please vote there in case of interests, thanks.

Replies (6)

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Hi Stefan,


I'm afraid Locus uses built-in barometer of mobile devices only for optimization of its elevation/altitude measurement. No pressure values are recorded directly. The same situation is with temperature or other non-GPS-related variables.

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Hi Michal, many thanks for the update on the current implementation.


What would it take to amend Locus Pro in such a way that more raw device (sensor) data (associated with the GPS location and time data) is collected and made available for export?


Given that Locus Pro allows at least collection of health and cycling data via external Bluetooth and Ant+ sensors (and, I gather, export of that data), adding the ability to work with the device's built-in sensors would be less of a challenge? Basically all it would take is to enumerate all the sensors exposed by the Android API, then offer them, as-is, to the user. The user is then expected to enable a sensor and "tune" it (e.g. sampling frequency or event-driven implementation)?


Examples; My Android device exposes sensors numerous sensors, some of which are: accelerometer, gravity (braking with the bike, quality of trail), step counter (running cadence), heading (= compass, in a way).

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Hi Stefan,


it would take hours of work of Menion, the Locus developer - primarily, he pays his attention to topics which are strongly demanded by Locus users - that's, for instance, the case of Locus-sports tracker. Locus as an all-device-sensors-values browser or meteorology tool hasn't been demanded yet and I'm not sure we would like to amend it this way. As for the weather forecast, people in general are satisfied with the online weather forecast Locus provides.

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Hi Michal, thank you for your additional insight!


Well, can I make a case for the steps counter sensor _built into my device_, as part of the "Locus sports tracker" use case? ;) I want to make sure that my step cadence is high (healthy), and regular (technically clean, no fatigue), over certain sections of a track.


Similarly barometric pressure, while hiking in the mountains (Alps - 1000 to 4000 metres of altitude), because you can forget about GPS performance there (deep valleys, reflection, foliage in the lower regions).


From a development point of view (architecture, design), once that "built-in sensor" capability is present, the remainder comes literally for free ;)


Incidentally, a "general sports tracker" is exactly what I have in mind - extending beyond a mere "GPS location tracker" and correlating location with other relevant sensor data. Right now, for instance, I am quite intrigued to learn how "technically clean" my running is over the course of running (in the flats). For that, I could argue that correlating location with motion data (acceleration etc) would help in later analysis. But that is too many steps ahead, more of a vision, than a specific suggestion.

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Stefan,


- Locus track recording can already involve your step counter - hold any field in the track recording panel and select from the list of measured parameters

- hiking in the Alps - Locus can optimize GPS elevation values by barometer, by SRTM data or you can switch GPS values off and use SRTM only


All ideas and proposed changes to Locus must go through user voting here at helpdesk - I've changed your question to an idea so that we can find out interest of other Locus users.

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Sorry for interrupting. This idea already exists here, so please vote there in case of interests, thanks.

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