Android App

Hey guys, after my first gliding (sorry, I'm English ) session a
few months ago I'm dying to get into the sport, and I've got a couple
more sessions lined up over summer.

Anyways, amongst other things I'm a keen software developer and I've
recently stumbled across Google's Android. For those of you who aren't
familiar with what it is, it's an operating system designed to run on
mobile phones - very similar (if not better) than the iPhone OS.

I have found out that most phones have a full range of sensors (pitch,
yaw, digital compass and GPS to name a few) and was thinking that
Android would be the ideal platform for a small alternative instrument
panel.


Not having had much gliding experience I'm really not sure what to
include. So my question is, as a glider (hang-gliding included) pilot,
what sort of instruments do you regularly use or would find handy to
have displayed.

I was thinking something along the lines of a navigation system
(relatively easy to implement) and basic flight instruments such as
heading, altitude, airspeed etc.


Please bare in mind that this is obviously no replacement for any of
the instruments you already have and never will be, it's simply a
small project that I intend for it to make things a bit easier/
accessible for the pilot.


Would love to hear your feedback.

Regards,
Mike

On Jul 4, 11:58*am, Mike wrote:
Hey guys, after my first gliding (sorry, I'm English ) session a
few months ago I'm dying to get into the sport, and I've got a couple
more sessions lined up over summer.

Anyways, amongst other things I'm a keen software developer and I've
recently stumbled across Google's Android. For those of you who aren't
familiar with what it is, it's an operating system designed to run on
mobile phones - very similar (if not better) than the iPhone OS.

I have found out that most phones have a full range of sensors (pitch,
yaw, digital compass and GPS to name a few) and was thinking that
Android would be the ideal platform for a small alternative instrument
panel.

Not having had much gliding experience I'm really not sure what to
include. So my question is, as a glider (hang-gliding included) pilot,
what sort of instruments do you regularly use or would find handy to
have displayed.

I was thinking something along the lines of a navigation system
(relatively easy to implement) and basic flight instruments such as
heading, altitude, airspeed etc.

Please bare in mind that this is obviously no replacement for any of
the instruments you already have and never will be, it's simply a
small project that I intend for it to make things a bit easier/
accessible for the pilot.

Would love to hear your feedback.

Regards,
Mike

GPS is likely really all that is interesting in real soaring
applications. Look at SeeYou Mobile, WinPilot and XCSoar as example of
leading soaring software. The consumer grade compasses etc. are not
that useful in our cockpits. XCSoar is being ported to Linux and
Android. Without a lot of experience in soaring your best bet may be
to help that effort if you are interested.

Darryl

On Jul 4, 12:58*pm, Mike wrote:
Hey guys, after my first gliding (sorry, I'm English ) session a
few months ago I'm dying to get into the sport, and I've got a couple
more sessions lined up over summer.

Anyways, amongst other things I'm a keen software developer and I've
recently stumbled across Google's Android. For those of you who aren't
familiar with what it is, it's an operating system designed to run on
mobile phones - very similar (if not better) than the iPhone OS.

I have found out that most phones have a full range of sensors (pitch,
yaw, digital compass and GPS to name a few) and was thinking that
Android would be the ideal platform for a small alternative instrument
panel.

Not having had much gliding experience I'm really not sure what to
include. So my question is, as a glider (hang-gliding included) pilot,
what sort of instruments do you regularly use or would find handy to
have displayed.

I was thinking something along the lines of a navigation system
(relatively easy to implement) and basic flight instruments such as
heading, altitude, airspeed etc.

Please bare in mind that this is obviously no replacement for any of
the instruments you already have and never will be, it's simply a
small project that I intend for it to make things a bit easier/
accessible for the pilot.

Would love to hear your feedback.

Regards,
Mike

I'd encourage you to keep looking at the Android platform. I don't
know of one with the same 6DOF inertial measurement unit (IMU) as the
iPhone but I'd bet one is coming if it doesn't exist. An IMU offers
the possibility of a considerable improvement in thermal centering
aids and the possibly a fully inertial TE vario with zero gust
sensitivity and instant response.

GPS is very good at relatively long time scale navigation but an IMU
is much better at very short time scales.

On Jul 5, 12:47*am, bildan wrote:
On Jul 4, 12:58*pm, Mike wrote:





Hey guys, after my first gliding (sorry, I'm English ) session a
few months ago I'm dying to get into the sport, and I've got a couple
more sessions lined up over summer.

Anyways, amongst other things I'm a keen software developer and I've
recently stumbled across Google's Android. For those of you who aren't
familiar with what it is, it's an operating system designed to run on
mobile phones - very similar (if not better) than the iPhone OS.

I have found out that most phones have a full range of sensors (pitch,
yaw, digital compass and GPS to name a few) and was thinking that
Android would be the ideal platform for a small alternative instrument
panel.

Not having had much gliding experience I'm really not sure what to
include. So my question is, as a glider (hang-gliding included) pilot,
what sort of instruments do you regularly use or would find handy to
have displayed.

I was thinking something along the lines of a navigation system
(relatively easy to implement) and basic flight instruments such as
heading, altitude, airspeed etc.

Please bare in mind that this is obviously no replacement for any of
the instruments you already have and never will be, it's simply a
small project that I intend for it to make things a bit easier/
accessible for the pilot.

Would love to hear your feedback.

Regards,
Mike

I'd encourage you to keep looking at the Android platform. *I don't
know of one with the same 6DOF inertial measurement unit (IMU) as the
iPhone but I'd bet one is coming if it doesn't exist. *An IMU offers
the possibility of a considerable improvement in thermal centering
aids and the possibly a fully inertial TE vario with zero gust
sensitivity and instant response.

GPS is very good at relatively long time scale navigation but an IMU
is much better at very short time scales.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Maybe you should at this site as well: http://www.kflog.org/cumulus/
It is an open source development of a nav system running Maemo,
another linux derivative.

What we really need is an electronic yaw string. Physical yaw strings
cause so much drag, and they sometimes come off during flight.

"Liam" wrote

What we really need is an electronic yaw string. Physical yaw strings
cause so much drag, and they sometimes come off during flight.

They don´t come off if you mount them properly, see this link for
instructions:
http://groups.google.de/group/rec.av...16a6bf3984f0cc

Michael

On Jul 6, 4:07*am, "Michael Huber" wrote:
"Liam" wrote

What we really need is an electronic yaw string. *Physical yaw strings
cause so much drag, and they sometimes come off during flight.

They don´t come off if you mount them properly, see this link for
instructions:http://groups.google.de/group/rec.av...16a6bf3984f0cc

Michael

That sounds like a viable option. I wonder if anyone's tried simply
mounting the string on the inside of the canopy? It could be located
in the stream of a defogging air vent outlet so it would still perform
it's function.

On Jul 6, 7:07*am, Liam wrote:
What we really need is an electronic yaw string. *Physical yaw strings
cause so much drag, and they sometimes come off during flight.

Do yaw strings really cause that much drag? I would never have
guessed.

I'm doing an intensive gliding course this summer so I should have
some time to test out some stuff then. I managed a whole couple of
circuits until finals by myself the other day, I was rather pleased
with myself xD

I have a HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1) and it has a full 6DoF IMU, I think
quite a few other devices do actually. I'm thinking something along
the lines of datalogging the positional data from the GPS and allowing
you to import it into something like Google Earth when back on the
ground so you can view the flightpath and attitudes at any given time.

Regards,

Mike.

On Jul 6, 6:40*pm, Liam wrote:
On Jul 6, 4:07*am, "Michael Huber" wrote:

"Liam" wrote

What we really need is an electronic yaw string. *Physical yaw strings
cause so much drag, and they sometimes come off during flight.

They don´t come off if you mount them properly, see this link for
instructions:http://groups.google.de/group/rec.av...16a6bf3984f0cc

Michael

That sounds like a viable option. *I wonder if anyone's tried simply
mounting the string on the inside of the canopy? *It could be located
in the stream of a defogging air vent outlet so it would still perform
it's function.

Do yaw strings really cause that much drag? I would never have
guessed.
I'm doing an intensive gliding course this summer so I should have
some time to test out some stuff then. I managed a whole couple of
circuits until finals by myself the other day, I was rather pleased
with myself xD
I have a HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1) and it has a full 6DoF IMU, I think
quite a few other devices do actually. I'm thinking something along
the lines of datalogging the positional data from the GPS and
allowing
you to import it into something like Google Earth when back on the
ground so you can view the flightpath and attitudes at any given
time.
Regards,
Mike.