Objectives

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The key deliverable is an Android app that provides an Augmented Reality view from the device's camera which is overlayed with information about nearby aircraft in real time.

Here are some requirements and details I had in mind for this app (subject to discussion and investigation, but just to give you an initial idea):

• There are a number of free ADS-B APIs available; however, it may be worthwhile to look at using a premium one if it adds valuable features. I don't have an exact search radius in mind, but consider that some areas may be very sparse and others very dense.
• Usability is paramount. Users should be able to clearly distinguish aircraft in crowded scenes, locate and keep focus on specific aircraft without losing them, and become aware of aircraft in their vicinity without requiring a lot of tedious visual scanning.
• Aircraft should be able to be visually represented with 3d models of aircraft. This will help indicate their direction of travel and relative position. It would be good to have multiple models to distinguish by airframe type.
• Aircraft should be represented in 3d space relative to the user. You should be able to visually distinguish the relative altitude of aircraft to one another even if they are at different viewing angles or distances. I don't expect everything to be perfectly to scale though - that is unlikely to be the path of greatest usability.
• Aircraft that are out of the camera's field-of-view by up to some amount should be represented with an indicator around the edge of the screen so that the user knows they can look over there.
• Aircraft should display tail number, speed, and altitude, at a minimum. The user should be able to open a browser page that uses a pre-existing website to look up the aircraft's registration to gain more info about it.
• Other thoughts on the app:
  • I specified Android as the target platform because it is probably easier to get an affordable test device, and because I am an Android user. All other framework and architectural decisions are up to you.
  • Be mindful of data and battery usage.
  • It would be valuable to have a toggle for no-camera mode.
  • Please name the app something catchy and cool. I didn't have time to think of something. You do not have to publish it on the App Store, though.
  • The app does NOT need to include a top-down map view.

Motivations

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Planespotting is fun. Sometimes curious aircraft pass nearby and I can't get a good enough view to identify them, but I can use one of many ADS-B websites to look up their tail numbers. AR adds another layer of fun to this experience. However, only one prominent website has an AR app that I'm aware of, and its featureset is significantly limited in fun and usefulness. Let's use our graphics and usability design experience to improve upon that formula.

Qualifications

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Minimum Qualifications:

Given your degree progress, I expect you to be comfortable with:

• selecting software tools and frameworks on your own.
• learning and mastering new tools.
• discussing and negotiating project details and requirements in fine-grained detail.
• concocting your own development and testing plans.
• pivoting as needed when things go wrong.

Preferred Qualifications:

Your life will be easier if you have at least some familiarity with:

• Android app development.
• REST APIs.
• graphics technology.
• usability design.

Details

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Project Partner:

Benjamin Arvey

NDA/IPA:

NDA/IP Required

Number Groups:

1

Project Status:

Accepting Applicants

Keywords:
Software EngineeringAndroidgraphicsGeographic Information System GISRESTUsabilityAugmented Reality AR