Hi.

As many of you know, I have been trying to start this project for quite some time now. I hoped to cooperate with Kim Salo, because he already has large parts of a navigation system going, but he is either too busy with other projects or is simply not wanting to let others in on his project. At least I was unable to get any information from him for quite some time now, and I couldn't find a web page with information on his current project state either. Seems like we have to re-invent the wheel on this.

Anyhow, I just collected a few tasks that need to be completed to get a navigation system running (well) on the empeg. I listed them below, some are very detailed, some less detailed, some are huge tasks that probably need more than one person to fulfil them, some are minor tasks that might get done within a few days. Here is the list:

1. Software installer for the empeg, to make software installation easy for end users. This should be relatively easy to do using the info at the tweaking/programming pages at http://www.incase.de/framed/empeg/


2. Sound-API/Display-API/UI-API this might be a bit more time consuming, but should be farely easy to do, just needs some write-up. This will be needed to draw a neat line between the interfacing parts of the program and the actual logic in it


3. serial access to GPS (and other sensors, see below), ideally, this is goint to be neatly encapsulated, too. I really want the core of the system to be as independ of the hardware and operating system as possible. This will make porting to other architectures easier and might even attract people from outside the empeg scene.


4. MAPS we need maps for the various areas we are going to cover. For europe, I would recommend the maps provided by AND (http://www.and.com/), but they are expensive as far as I know. I would really appreciate help in this area. I currently don't have the time to do intense internet research for map data (and even more important: The data format specs for that maps). So if anyone would contact the various providers of map data and find out their conditions, this would be great.


5. A small serially connected device would be great that allowed the parallel use of a GPS and some other sensors (like compass, speedometer etc.). Most commercially available systems only use GPS for their initialization and use compass and speedometer sensors mainly to keep track of the current position, because GPS is not always available within a city.


6. A program framework that links the user interface with the real functions of the system.


7. A converter that converts the various map data formats to one format that we will use internally (well, the internal data format also needs to be specified here)


8. Many, many, many functions that build the real core of the system, like the position estimator (that reads the GPS, compass and speedometer information as well as the map data and estimates the current position, direction and speed), the advisor (that tells the driver where to go next) and the innermost function: The routing functions that calculate the route the driver should go.


9. Even more functions that are linked to the UI, like setting up the type of car, the drivers preferences (likes to use freeways or "normal" streets, likes to drive relatively slow or fast) etc....

In other words: There is a whole lot to do, and I really would like to get this going. This project will probably involve many different activities, contacts to the industry (map data, GPS receivers,...), hardware design (interface for speedometer+GPS,...) and last but certainly not least the software development itself. If we want this to grow to a usable system fast (within a year or two), I would say that we need at least 5 or 6 active people (putting in a lot more than just a few hours of work each month): One to acquire the information needed (map data and associated data formats, licensing information for the map data etc.), one for the hardware job (GPS+sensor interface) and 3 or 4 people that actively develop the software. note that this software development should be general enough to be of use to other projects (even non-empeg ones), too. The innermost core, the navigation/routing itself could best be handled by one or two developers, I guess.

Ok, anyone that would like to help with personal effort, please contact me via email (sven-navem@incase.de), stating your skills and your estimate on how much time you would be willing to invest on this project. Anyone that can not help in person, but still wants to help, here are a few things that would help me getting the project started a little bit faster than I would expect it to start currently:

• a notebook harddisc for my empeg, anything with at least 4gb would help. My empeg is simply full to its limit currently, and I don't have much money at the moment, so I can't buy one


• a GPS receiver that has a serial port and is capable of talking NMEA


• a serial cable (to connect it to the empeg) and power supply for the GPS receiver


• Oreos


• A bottle of really good whiskey

I anyone from Europe would be interested in helping on the software side, I would like to arrange a meeting on some weekend in late october / early november, to discuss the primary program layout and such things. I can provide sleeping space for up to four people (two for each room).

Geee, I just realized that I didn't work on the project for almost a year now, due to my studies, work and personal things. I really need somebody else involved with this project to gently kick my lazy ass from time to time ;-)

cu,
sven

proud MkII owner (12GB blue/green/smoked, was #080000113 is #090001010)