GPS Navigator

Introduction

GPS navigator is a device that receives the signal from GPS satellites to provide current location and directions from it to where you would like to go. It will route you around traffic delays, help you find nearby services, displays the shortest routes.

Highlights

• 600 MHz AM3517 (built-in PowerVR SGX graphic accelerator)
• Two-system navigation receiver (GPS + GLONASS)
• Built-in GSM/3G modem
• 5-inch TFT display and 800×480 resolution
• Support for Micro SD up to 32 GB

Software Tasks

• Port X-loader (primary loader) and develop the NAND-memory driver
• Port U-Boot. Develop NAND driver and LCD display driver
• Port Linux kernel 2.6.32. Develop LCD and touchscreen driver, power and battery charging control
• Fix audio, USB, eMMC drivers
• Port Android to the target hardware. Develop userspace drivers for navigation module and GSM/3G modem

Implementation For iPhone

• Modern iOS and mac-OS applications are written in Swift programming language which is based on the older Apple Objective-C language. As a main Integrated development environment (IDE) the XCode is used.
• Apple’s MapKit framework has been used to integrate GPS geolocation into iOS application.
• To implement a set of maps into the application the ArcGIS Runtime Software Development Kit for iOS which gives access to custom off-the–grid Apple maps has been used to gain accurate location data about the certain area of the map. It is very useful to add a feature that shows nearest gas station and establishments around.
• The application has been synchronized with various social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Google+) to make authorization easier and faster and improve the connection between drivers’ community.

Implementation For Android

• Applications for Android are written in Java and Kotlin programming languages that runs on the Java Virtual Machine.
• GPS geolocation is implemented into Android navigation applications by the use of Google Maps Services API that is currently the fastest and the most accurate navigation instrument.
• The application also has the feature that remodels the route if the driver makes the wrong turn.
• Android has built-in voice search, so a user can tell the desirable destinations to the application and it will automatically execute the search.
• Google Local and Google Contacts are very useful features that show information about nearby locations that is based on previous visits.

Solution

The application developed receive signals from the GPS satellites and gathers information about location, identify the relative car position and direction by combining the information received from the sensors. It also shows current traffic situation in the particular area. It takes into account the time needed to reach the destination point considering databases like road network, traffic jam, police posts, road closures and other information that is published by the other drivers or other sources. The application collects this information and marks it on the map so that you do not have to scan it everytime you go through this area.