Volunteer Org, wants to record all incoming/outgoing GPS data on Nexus 5.. & later 'play it back'

[33i]

Volunteer Org, wants to record all incoming/outgoing GPS data on Nexus 5.. & later 'play it back'

Well play it back... or send it in 'real time' to a pc router -> to other peoples phones. Ok so first of all, note that this all involves a charity orgnization I'm involved with. And any help is greatly appreciated, i don't have much to 'give back' to you but i guess consider any tips you might give as "positive karma" for a rainy day

Ok so all that data that come's into my Nexus 5 via it's internal GPS chip, that then gets relayed to Google Maps & other applications. How many different types of data is that comprised of? Nextly... since app's can access this data to figure out (a) exactly where I am within 1m, (b) which way I'm pointing (compass?), (c) how fast I'm moving (accelerometer?) .. how can I get access to all of that raw data streaming in/out regarding my own location... and then how can i go about recording every bit of it??
That's the first step we need to figure out... I want to record every bit of gps/location/speed/direction/compass information that other major apps rely on. Second step..figure out how to parse it into a database that can then later be used to "Playback" all that information.

I'm not interested in 'route planning' or 'basic simulation'.. and I'm not interested in those worthless "fake gps" programs that rely on that Mock Locations junk feature. All good apps/games can tell when you're using those crappy programs & that's a good thing for the most part... except for in circumstances like mine...

I volunteer for a group that works with the disabled.. amazingly awesome people who suffer from late stage muscular dystrophy, quadriplegia/paraplegia/tetraplegia/brown-sequard syndrome & illness related amputee's. I'm into geocaching/geo-based games lately & a few of my friends at the center really would love to do it but the gas costs associated with the center's van makes it a non-possibility at the moment. So I would like to record my daily routes when I'm playing & be able to share the EXACT same experience with them, as if they were in the car next to me.

It would mean so much to these guys... this is what I want to do & how i want to do it. So if you think you can even "point me in the right direction" to get started, I would REALLY appreciate it. If you think my idea is stupid/or 'un-doable', then just don't reply to this post, we don't need your negativity... I'm sorrounded by a group of friends who don't know the meaning of "impossible" or "ridiculous". My homies here at the center... are all about making far-fetched dreams a straight up reality

(** tech notes ** )
[ equipment currently available to us ] (1) Nexus 5 (1) Nexus 7 - 2013 <-- Both gps/bluetooth/3g/4g/wifi enabled & on T-mobile...
(1) Sprint 3/g/4g Wifi Hotspot
(1) Personal PC (at the rec-center, we have full use/access)
(1) Asus RT-N16 Router (connected to high-speed 10mbps net)
(1) Tech geek who promises to help us out... he's a part-time programmer & knows both Windows & Android stuff
(7) Really awesome people from ages 17 to 39 who want to enjoy some of the same thing's we usually take for granted

 

[jj14x]

Re: Volunteer Org, wants to record all incoming/outgoing GPS data on Nexus 5.. & later 'play it back

Assuming that the user will have a google account associated to their Android phone, they should be able to get their location history from google directly (make sure users have enabled location history in their settings first of course)
https://maps.google.com/locationhistory/ It can be exported to KML
That, I suspect, would be the simplest option.

You can also write an app using Tasker (paid app, but well worth the price in my opinion) that would keep track of whenever the device "moves", and just log that location into a file. Tasker can check location using cellphone tower that the device is connected to (less accurate), or using active GPS (more accurate, but will consume more battery), or even using SSID of Wireless network that user is connected to (not always available)

I don't think either of these options will capture speed and compass direction though. If you want that to be tracked at all times, it would likely drain your battery very quickly. Consider whether you really need to know exactly which direction the phone is pointed to at ALL times. User goes to kitchen, turns to a counter, turns to sink, turns to fridge, walks back to oven, walks to dishwasher - do you need to know about all these direction changes, and the speeds associated to these? I'm not saying you don't - only you know the "requirements".

If you think my idea is stupid/or 'un-doable', then just don't reply to this post, we don't need your negativity... I'm sorrounded by a group of friends who don't know the meaning of "impossible" or "ridiculous".

This is the internet, so you should really expect ALL types of responses, and learn to ignore the ones that don't add any value to you. Sometimes, the answer really is "no, not possible", and while that is not the answer you want to hear, some forum users will tell you that. (I know I would, if I knew for a fact that it was not possible with current technology).

All the very best in your efforts though. It sounds like it is for a good cause.

 

[33i]

Re: Volunteer Org, wants to record all incoming/outgoing GPS data on Nexus 5.. & later 'play it back

Ok so location history turned on will record every single gps coordinate in a trip... or will it record it every (5mins) or every time i stop etc?
Seems like using tasker to log to a txt from raw-gps data might be the most logical move at this point.

P.S.
Thanks for your well-thought out reply... it gave me a lot to think about/work with!

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1 more question
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Has anyone here created a tasker script in the past to record raw-gps data? Anyone willing to share some source-code to get me started!?