Spot The ISS

The solution aims to use a mix of mobile technologies and social networks to make possible for people all around the world to be aware and much closer to a great human accomplishment represented by the ISS. The use of the common capabilities of mobile devices, via an App on iOS and Android, which uses open API’s, 3D earth models, and lets the user know when it’s the best time and weather for him to “Spot The ISS”, also record and share with the world the experience through social feedback.

This project is solving the Spot the Station challenge.

Description

The project is based on the development of two mobile Apps, one for iOS and the other one for Android, it also have a Webpage to save statistics for the personalized interaction. The main objective is to use a mix of mobile technologies and social networks to make possible for more people to come closer and aware to an spectacular human accomplishment, which is the existence of the ISS. The main features are:

  1. Locating the ISS on a mobile map, continuosly updating its position.
  2. Locating the ISS on a 3D Earth Globe, continuously updating its position.
  3. Presenting to the user the times in which the ISS is going to pass nearby him, based in his device GPS location.
  4. Obtains real time weather prediction for the dates the ISS is going to pass nearby.
  5. Let the user select a Passing nearby date and time, and configure it to receive local notifications and create calendar events, so he can be advised when is time to Spot the ISS, also the use of Push notifications generated from the backend.
  6. When the users gets to Spot the ISS, the App lets them report to a backend, and they can report if they could spot the ISS or not, and why.
  7. Also it lets the users use its social networks to share its "Spot the ISS" experience.
  8. It interacts with a web page to make checkins.
  9. Uses web services with json for the data interaction.

The use of wearable computing is planned for the future, when complete SDK's are available for:

  • Pebble Smartwatch, to synchronize date and time with a timer app on the smartwatch, so it can notify the user on a more personalized and direct way.
  • Google Glass, the use of augmented reality and mapping directly on the eye of the user.

Project Information

License: MIT License
Source Code/Project URL: https://github.com/jmroca/SpotTheISS

Resources

Web source - https://github.com/gerardino/siss
Android source - https://www.dropbox.com/sh/q65q738wmcm3a8a/BW40V0yREM?m
Free Weather Service API, used for the Apps - http://developer.worldweatheronline.com/
Open Source iOS 3D Earth OpenGL Component utilized - https://github.com/mousebird/WhirlyGlobe
ISS Open Notify API, used for the Apps - http://open-notify.org/
iOS App Screenshots - https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1e2thm4m6e9zyjy/blaWrQXal1
Social Network Integration Screenshots - https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8fodh1m5l8zdq4m/pEdHcY65l3