I’m curious if anyone is working on (or perhaps has already built) an app for goTenna Mesh that approximates the functionality of the Lynq product.
There are probably limitations that would prevent such an app from achieving the degree of real-time updates promised by Lynq, since a goTenna-based solution would need to rely entirely on GPS for determining the location of each device, whereas Lynq might be using a direct device-to-device relative location beacon (from the product information they’ve made public, it’s difficult to tell).
Lynq seems to be aiming their product at people who would not be carrying a phone, or would not be inclined to use one (e.g., while skiing).
Apart from these limitations, it seems like such an app would be a feasible thing to build.
The Lynq product is simply a 900mhz transceiver, a GPS receiver, an accelerometer, and a magnometer. They are definitely not using device to device relative positioning. A smartphone and a GoTenna have all of the same functionality.
The NS Dashboard App in combination with a GoTenna actually does all of the things the Lynq product does. You can even configure the map to be oriented to your heading, which will then make the location of other people be relative to where you are standing and what direction you are facing. The NS Dashboard App has the added benefit of showing an actual map too.
The NS Dashboard App’s main purpose is to serve as a dashboard for a snowmobile or ATV, but you don’t need the NS1 Gauge System hardware to use the app. In addition, you can easily change the screen to simply show the map with no gauges.
You can find details on how to use the Location Sharing feature of the NS Dashboard app starting on page 38 of the NS1 Gauge System User Manual.
One thing to note is that there is an update for the NS Dashboard App that will be released in the next two weeks that will drastically improve the ability for the app to know what direction you are heading. At the moment it only uses GPS based heading information, so you have to move in a direction for a distance before the heading will update. After the update the accelerometer and magnometer, if present, will allow the heading to be updated every second or two.
Here’s a screenshot of the NS Dashboard App’s Location Sharing Feature in action (note that in this screenshot the gauges are present, but they can be removed):
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Hi John,
I have built similar functionality to Lynq in my App “Mesh Developers Toolkit”
iOS Toolkit App
The bearing view is accessed by swiping left on the device name in the list of goTennas on the “Devices” tab.
It has a tab “Devices” which allows you to see other “Mesh Developers Toolkit’s” you have a position for and get a “bearing” to another goTenna, using the device’s GPS, Compass and Camera against a simple “Compass Rose”:
When you rotate your phone around the red dot moves to indicate the compass bearing and when you are pointing at the other GoTenna’s last location, the two dots line up (and the phone vibrates).
You can also quickly pair with another device running “Mesh Developers Toolkit” by using the “Scan QR Code” tab on both devices - on the one device you click on the “I” button which displays a QR Code which can be scanned by the other device.
I have submitted a new build to the iTunes App Store (2.7.1) which includes a new setting “Poll Devices” which will send a position request every few minutes to other “Mesh Developers Toolkit” in the “Devices” tab.
This functionality should be considered Alpha and I would be interested in your feedback.
Hope this makes sense.
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Release 2.7.1 of Mesh Developers Toolkit is now available in the iTunes App Store which includes the setting “Poll Devices” which automatic requests the position of other goTennas every few minutes.
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