[Wanderers]

As a driver, I am not sure whether to concentrate on road or keep looking at Map for Bumps.
Also if the map can be updated regularly for Bumps, why not mark the pot holes or the diversion or a bad stretch.
With the Indian navigation satellite equivalent of GPS already in sky, it is expected to be more reliable and faster. (I hope so)


I personally feels that Map should be used to get the overall Idea about the route and the important places, which we should cross-by. Thereafter, a driver should work on traffic & local roads as & when it comes along.

One honest confession

I read a lot on Team-BHP on website before taking up an unknown route or a long Journey. While I appreciate all the details, Hotels, sight-seeing and suggestion, I beg to differ on information given on Road condition, traffic, Jams and alternate routes.

I get biased about the route and keep thinking that a bad road or heavy traffic would be approaching as I had read it but it does not happen that way.

So coming to Speed-breakers on Map. I will keep looking for breaker, even if it has been removed or my map is showing incorrectly.

[MaxTorque]

Good idea indeed. It has both pros and cons.

An initiative (which is in same line) was started by Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corportation (PCMC) to track potholes on road. Somehow the map does not have any potholes now.

Please check it here.

[scorpion_blore]

I was in South Korea for almost a year. The GPS Navigators there warn about the speed-breakers about 100m in advance. During my journey I never saw any speed breaker that was not mapped in their maps. MMI could do something like this. I would really like Waze to provide this in their maps since it has a large community support.

[tatsago]

Originally Posted by tanwaramit

It would help if you have a co-driver who takes up the role as a navigator.

I wish that I could have a navigator who is interested in map- reading.

My co-driver is more interested in talking about the local gossip, what happened at the kids schools, etc. In fact it is the only time we have conversations and naturally it used to end up in a fight.

So now we have an agreement, she goes to sleep and so do the kids in the back seat. I have resigned to using my MapMyIndia GPS and google maps as backup.

[white-rabbit]

Always felt a need for this.Especialy in night drives.Is it available in google navigation?Or can we do something similar?

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by Wanderers

With the Indian navigation satellite equivalent of GPS already in sky, it is expected to be more reliable and faster. (I hope so)

Well don't hold your breath because you might be dissapointed. For all public/personal application GPS is plenty quick. How many positions update per second do you need?

If you have an issue its more likely to be in the device then a satelite issue. Reliable? I dont recall GPS ever being down, its always up and it has multiple back satelites and will have better coverage on a global scale then the Indian system. If you're thinking in terms of accuracy, again, what is wrong with the current GPS, especially if used for route planning in which case the GPS position is augmented very cleverly by the software of your device that can figure out where you are on a route. Even so, WAASvenabled GPS accuracy is better than 1m horizontally. The same is true for the Indian GPS system.

India went there own way, rather then going for enabling WAAS in India. Without WAAS you still get accuracy of somewhere in the 3-6 meters. Which coupled with clever routing software is more then sufficient to plan your rate.

To my understanding, I might be wrong, India decided to put their own system up because they want to be independent from the USA (and Russia.)

Here is an interesting link for the GPS minded or challenged:

http://www.gpsinindia.com/home

[supremeBaleno]

Is there something like this to map out the metal barricades on roads ? We in Chennai really need such an app.
And while at it, it should be able to map out the new ones that popped up overnight.

[Ponkermania]

Originally Posted by msdivy

Another solution is to put a radar or lidar on the car, which will show the distance to a speed-breaker.

That's a really good idea, and exactly the concept behind the suspension system Bose is trying to build. Yeah, Bose is trying suspension now, based on amplifiers -

Bose Suspension

This suspension system, AFAIK, uses radar to detect an upcoming bump, and prepares the electromagnetic suspension for the bump, the reverse of the way amplifiers read digital signals and cause speakers to generate sound waves.

[vinay kamath]

actually, the treacherous deep Potholes are what bother me and hurt my car and damage the bumpers/intercooler of my Manza ! any early warning systems ?

[triedeverything]

Originally Posted by white-rabbit

Always felt a need for this.Especialy in night drives.Is it available in google navigation?Or can we do something similar?

It would have been awesome to have it as part of an existing navigation system, something that can be 'switched on', like fuel stations for example. I wrote to the top dog in MMI and he responded saying they have some sort of tracker that can purchased at an additional cost. He says the unit also doubles up as a security device. Yet to make up my mind about the investment.

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

Is there something like this to map out the metal barricades on roads ? We in Chennai really need such an app.
And while at it, it should be able to map out the new ones that popped up overnight.

Any object that is intended to reduce your speed can probably be classified as a speed breaker. You can mark all such spots and be prepared the next time you pass them.

[triedeverything]

And the result? - An immediate increase in FE.

I'm yet to calculate the tank full to tank full... but there's a lot more fuel in the tank after this trip!

[bravo6]

Hi everyone. My first post on Team BHP. Just registered to reply on this thread.

The simplest way I can think of implementing this is using the app Sygic that came with MapMyIndia maps. The problem however is that this app is no longer available from the developer. But, the app was made free before it was removed from Play, so sourcing the app and map data from third party websites wouldn't constitute piracy IMHO.
So, assuming you have got a copy of the app and the relevant map data, here is how you set it up:


1) Pre-requisites

• Copy the map data to your SD card
• Install the Sygic Aura apk
• Ensure the app is working correctly: getting a GPS lock, voice nav functional, et al

2) Set up POI category


This part walks you through how to set up a separate category for marking speed breakers.

1. Open Sygic
2. Go to Settings -> Favourite POI
3. Tap "Add new category"
4. Enter "Speed breakers"
5. Select whatever icon you fancy

Great. Now you have your category set up.

3) Enable warning for speed breakers


This part is to sound a warning as you approach a speed breaker

1. Go to Settings -> Map - Points of Interest -> Speed breakers
2. Check all the boxes you see
3. Go back to Settings -> Map
4. Tap on POI on route -> Select categories -> Speed breakers
5. Check all the boxes you see
6. Go to Settings -> Notification & Sounds -> Points of Interest
7. Ensure "Notification" is checked
8. Tap Speed breakers
9. Select the sound that you prefer to be played as a warning (My favourite is "beep")
10. Select the distance from the speed breaker when the warning should sound. For highways, a larger distance allows slowing down gradually. For city speeds, a smaller distance is better. Try it out and set according to your preference

4) Saving speed breaker locations to Sygic's database


Well, now that you've got everything in place, you can start adding the location of any speed breakers that you encounter. However, I insist that you do not attempt to do this when you are driving alone. Have a passenger do this. The driver's job is to drive safely. Loss of attention even for a moment can result in serious injury to oneself and/or others. The actions required here can be more dangerous than texting/talking whilst driving. So, once again, please do not do this while you are driving. Get one of the passengers to do it.

• Open Sygic & leave it running
• The big arrow marks your current location
• When you spot a speed breaker, let your passenger know. He/she then has to follow these steps

1. When the vehicle slows down to go over the hump, tap on the big arrow
2. Select "Add POI"
3. Enter a random name, not very important
4. Select "Done"
5. Select "Speed breakers" category
6. Select "Save"

• Repeat the above steps for each speed breaker you encounter
• The exact position of the speed breaker is not important

5) Using the speed breaker warning

• Firstly you need to have added the locations manually, or should have imported a POI catalogue (.upi or .rupi format; see below)
• You need to ensure the warning sounds are enabled for the Speed breakers category (If you followed the above steps properly, you are all set.)
• If you like to listen to music while driving, the ICE’s volume can easily mask the sound from your phone. Hence use an AUX or Bluetooth connection and play music from your phone. This ensures that when Sygic is giving out warnings/voice instructions, the music is automatically paused or played at a reduced volume, depending on your phone. Result: less chance of missing a warning, and they sound that much better on the car’s speakers.

1. Open Sygic
2. If you need route guidance, pick the destination and start voice guidance. Else just leave it running
3. Concentrate on driving. Every time you come near a speed breaker, you phone will now sound a warning. Fine tune the distance setting if you need more/less reaction time. Do not stare at the map. A lot can happen in the 2 seconds you take your eyes off the road. Listen for the warning sound. When you hear it, take your foot off the accelerator pedal, slow down gradually, and make sure the guy behind you, who does not know of the speed breaker ahead, doesn’t rear end you.
4. Enjoy a less bumpy ride/drive
5. Do not depend on this system to warn you of each and every speed breaker. Always be on the lookout for them. New speed breakers pop up more often than you expect

6) Getting more use out of this Early Warning System

• Sygic can warn you of more than just speed breakers. For example, I have enabled the warning for school zones and hotels as well (Sygic has these built in).
• You can create a new category for other stuff. For example you can undertake to mark sizeable potholes that are hard to avoid or big enough to cause damage to your vehicle.
• I have created a category for Cafe Coffee Days, so that I get to know if one is around. (Who doesn't love caffeine and clean toilets!)
• One person simply cannot map a very large area. This has to be a community based effort for it be practically useful and up to date. Also a central repository is needed to collect/consolidate/share our POI databases (Categories)

7) Importing POI databases shared by others


Go to http://www.sygic.com/en/poi
All the relevant info is on that page


8) Exporting POI databases (categories) to share with others


I admit this is new to me as well. So far I have come across this: https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...d=Rupi+Manager
But I haven't had the time to test it out. Perhaps someone might want to research on this front.


9) Consolidating data shared by all users


The POI databases are essentially text files with a list of GPS co-ordinates of each spot you mark. Someone needs to come up with a way of merging all the data, removing duplicates, etc. All this is beyond me.
Also, we will need a repository to host a single up-to-date DB of all known points of interests. This will help share data with everyone else.


Tips & Tricks:

• If you are unable to type/edit anything in Sygic when saving POIs, go to Settings - Regional and uncheck "Use native keyboard"
• If you are not using route guidance, switch off the screen (tap the power button) to conserve battery and also to avoid distraction. Warning will still sound
• This app will in all probability never receive map updates in the future. However, it is the best app I have used till date for offline navigation. Of course when I’m in range of a data network, nothing beats Google Maps. So between the two of them, you pretty much have a very effective navigation system. All for free!
• This version of SygicMMI had a lot of other features as well. One was a warning for sharp turns! Another was a warning for crossing the speed limit.

Disclaimers:

• The only interest I have in this project is the increased safety it offers. Absolutely no commercial interest whatsoever.
• Do not attempt marking new locations when driving alone. Stop and do it if you are adamant about saving that particular spot. Professional rally drivers need a navigator to guide them; what makes you think you can drive and mess with your phone at the same time? Have a fellow passenger do it. Else let them drive and you do the honours.

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Going forward, do keep in mind that it's best to type directly into Team-BHP.

Thanks

[bravo6]

Err...isn't anyone interested in trying this out?

Regarding consolidating data/removing duplicates, Sygic POI databases consist of GPS co-ordinates in decimal form up to a precision of 6 decimal digits, which translates to 11cm at the equator. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimal_degrees)

Our phones’/tablets’ GPS receivers are nowhere near that accurate.

To remove possible duplicates, we can assume any points within 30m of each other to be the same POI. Even if they are two individual speed breakers, it wouldn’t matter since we would have already slowed down.

So, if the differences between two longitudes and two latitudes is less than or equal to 0.003, we can delete one of them. Alternatively, average them and store that as a more accurate location.

We need a simple program/script that does the following:

1. Combine all the POI coordinates received from members into a single file
2. Sort that file according to longitude/latitude
3. Compare the co-ordinates in one line with that in the next
4. If the difference is less than .003 for both longitude and latitude, delete the second line
5. Save the new duplicate-free list in upi or rupi format

The file can be uploaded on its own thread, and can be updated after every weekend trip.

[triedeverything]

Originally Posted by bravo6

Hi everyone. My first post on Team BHP. Just registered to reply on this thread.

Wow... some impressive stuff.

Let me ask you another question, (slightly off topic) because I would prefer Sygic. Is there a way to create your own map on Sygic? We often come to places where there's no road as per Sygic.. but in reality, it does exist. When this happens, I notice sygic actually creates a dotted line of the road.. but I couldn't figure how to save this 'new road'. Do you know if it can be done and how?

And more news on the speed bumps. It is better to map these out as different maps for the to and fro journeys. At some places, there isn't a bump on the return journey, (as we are on the other side of the road). So for all the perfectionists out there.. use the Bangalore - mysore map while going and the Mysore Bangalore map while coming back

[bravo6]

Hi, the dotted line shows up when you've gone "off the road" and helps you retrace your steps. I don't think you can save it as a new road.

As for editing/creating the map, I believe you would need MapMyIndia's proprietary tools. I am not aware of any 3rd party utilities that can convert other maps (for eg. Open Street Maps) to SygicMMI. Try asking MMI for the tools, but don't expect them to give it to you!

I'm curious, doesn't Google Maps show this new road of yours?