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Designing Google Maps for Motorbikes

design.google

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Re: Designing Google Maps for Motorbikes

#11

Post by joecool1029 »

Halop wrote: post #7
77ko wrote: post #5

What would be cool if there was a very simple low power display bluetooth which just displayed an left/right/upp arrow with a number counting down when to turn or stop. Phones don't really work mounted on a bike, but a simple display could do the job. Sort of how android watch displays an arrow, but using a low power screen.

I feel you - I have tried attaching my android watch to the handlebars and functionality wise it's perfect UI for navigating. However it takes about 10 seconds for the screen to dim to the monochrome power saver mode and then it's impossible to see anything during daylight. Android wear does not support a permanently on screen all the time and I would totally buy a cheap device like that just for navigating.

>Android wear does not support a permanently on screen all the time and I would totally buy a cheap device like that just for navigating.

Buy a Pebble? I have been using a Pebble 2 SE for over a year and one of the primary use cases is so I can navigate on motorcycle.

I leave phone in my pocket. I set the route, maps sends a notification before turns and the watch picks it up. Works in full sunlight and I shake it at night to light it up.

Gets 5-6 days of battery life, I think I paid $40 for mine.

Re: Designing Google Maps for Motorbikes

#12

Post by modeless »

Halop wrote: post #7
77ko wrote: post #5

What would be cool if there was a very simple low power display bluetooth which just displayed an left/right/upp arrow with a number counting down when to turn or stop. Phones don't really work mounted on a bike, but a simple display could do the job. Sort of how android watch displays an arrow, but using a low power screen.

I feel you - I have tried attaching my android watch to the handlebars and functionality wise it's perfect UI for navigating. However it takes about 10 seconds for the screen to dim to the monochrome power saver mode and then it's impossible to see anything during daylight. Android wear does not support a permanently on screen all the time and I would totally buy a cheap device like that just for navigating.

How about a Pebble? Always on, sunlight visible, cheap. The company is gone but they still work. This is what you can get for navigation: https://apps.getpebble.com/en_US/application/530a8f36fc62a5e...

Re: Designing Google Maps for Motorbikes

#13

Post by joecool1029 »

modeless wrote: post #12
Halop wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel you - I have tried attaching my android watch to the handlebars and functionality wise it's perfect UI for navigating. However it takes about 10 seconds for the screen to dim to the monochrome power saver mode and then it's impossible to see anything during daylight. Android wear does not support a permanently on screen all the time and I would totally buy a cheap device like that just for navigating.

How about a Pebble? Always on, sunlight visible, cheap. The company is gone but they still work. This is what you can get for navigation: https://apps.getpebble.com/en_US/application/530a8f36fc62a5e...

Never saw that app for it. Thanks, I'll have to give it a whirl on mine.

Edit: Oh well, android only.

Re: Designing Google Maps for Motorbikes

#14

Post by barrkel »

michaelt wrote: post #10
keyle wrote: post #2

That's very cool. One time, I decided to just put the phone in my pocket and take my bike to a location. I had the ear buds in my ears, I thought, voice is enough... Oh my, was I wrong. I ended up missing most turn off in streets due to latency, some crossings made no sense over audio, a total disaster. So I got a stand to attach the phone to the handle bars... And that works great, for about 20 mins. I live in Austr…

I tried the same thing on my motorbike in London. I had a pretty cheap android phone at the time. The 'headphone hearing protection' would make the volume too quiet to hear over the engine any time you jiggled the headphone jack. Required a screen interaction to fix. Of course if you didn't hear the audio prompt or couldn't make it out precisely, you're on your own - no way to check it or get it to repeat if the phon…

Use Bluetooth helmet speakers for audio.

Most touring bikes, and many scooters have a cigarette lighter attachment point. My SH300 has one in the glove box. The 2016+ VFR800 has one. Etc.

Many better quality gloves have conductive tips on their forefingers for capacitive touchscreen usage these days. My Alpinestars SP8 gloves do.

I find Google Maps audio directions just barely acceptable for London navigation. I prefer my Garmin Zumo, but only use that if my destination is a long way off the big city-crossing roads I otherwise know reasonably well.

It comes with my when I have planned routes, rather than destinations, though. Google Maps is dreadful for planning a route with waypoints - it needs constant interaction at every stage.

Re: Designing Google Maps for Motorbikes

#15

Post by kristiandupont »

michaelt wrote: post #10
keyle wrote: post #2

That's very cool. One time, I decided to just put the phone in my pocket and take my bike to a location. I had the ear buds in my ears, I thought, voice is enough... Oh my, was I wrong. I ended up missing most turn off in streets due to latency, some crossings made no sense over audio, a total disaster. So I got a stand to attach the phone to the handle bars... And that works great, for about 20 mins. I live in Austr…

I tried the same thing on my motorbike in London. I had a pretty cheap android phone at the time. The 'headphone hearing protection' would make the volume too quiet to hear over the engine any time you jiggled the headphone jack. Required a screen interaction to fix. Of course if you didn't hear the audio prompt or couldn't make it out precisely, you're on your own - no way to check it or get it to repeat if the phon…

This is rather off topic, but does anyone understand how the cigarette lighter plug of all things managed to become more of an international standard than any other electrical outlet (with perhaps USB as an evolving exception)? It's baffeling to me..

Re: Designing Google Maps for Motorbikes

#16

Post by AnnoyingSwede »

Riding in the Netherlands with google maps and a scalaG9x and a android phone in the pocket works pretty okey. The few issues i have is bluetooth not being on continuesly, so as the phone starts giving a new direction, i might miss the first few words, but as i get closer to the exit and the second or third remind goes off, i tend to hear the full message. I am using english phone settings and language settings, and this unfortuatly means that every streetname in Dutch are pronounced in English, which give it a comic tone that sometimes takes a second to wrap my brain around. Other than this, traffic redirects due to congestion works like a charm. I also own a Garmin Zumo 220 which i had mounted on next to the speedo, but since you have to pay for updated maps after a year, this device is now collecting dust in favor of Google.

Re: Designing Google Maps for Motorbikes

#17

Post by akerro »

keyle wrote: post #2

That's very cool. One time, I decided to just put the phone in my pocket and take my bike to a location. I had the ear buds in my ears, I thought, voice is enough... Oh my, was I wrong. I ended up missing most turn off in streets due to latency, some crossings made no sense over audio, a total disaster. So I got a stand to attach the phone to the handle bars... And that works great, for about 20 mins. I live in Austr…

I use this [1] for attaching phone to handle bars, it's completely waterproof, has a small hole for cable, so you can charge your phone during a ride. I also had a lot of problems with Google Maps on a motorcycle and bike. I switched to OsmAnd [2] once you learn how to use it (it has 100s of settings and built-in profiles) it will be your only and best satnav you ever used. Just checkout their plugins and settings, thing like offline wikipedia for tourist attractions, mountain peaks are great features. OsmAnd combines GM and TravelAdvisor, but it's had to use at the beginning.

[1] https://www.amazon.co.uk/Oxford-Motorcycle-Holder-Handlebar-...

[2] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.osmand&hl=...

Re: Designing Google Maps for Motorbikes

#18

Post by unwind »

kristiandupont wrote: post #15
michaelt wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I tried the same thing on my motorbike in London. I had a pretty cheap android phone at the time. The 'headphone hearing protection' would make the volume too quiet to hear over the engine any time you jiggled the headphone jack. Required a screen interaction to fix. Of course if you didn't hear the audio prompt or couldn't make it out precisely, you're on your own - no way to check it or get it to repeat if the phon…

This is rather off topic, but does anyone understand how the cigarette lighter plug of all things managed to become more of an international standard than any other electrical outlet (with perhaps USB as an evolving exception)? It's baffeling to me..

Lazy attempt at providing some answers at least: https://www.lifewire.com/car-cigarette-lighter-12v-socket-53....

Excerpt:

Although they weren’t originally designed with this purpose in mind, car cigarette lighters provided an opportunity that was simply too good to pass up. Since the actual lighter portion was removable once the coil-and-reel version fell out of use, the receptacle itself provided easy access to power and ground. That allowed for the development of a power plug that could be inserted and removed with no need to permanently wire an accessory into the electrical system of a car.

The ANSI/SAE J563 specification was developed to ensure compatibility between cigarette lighter receptacles and 12V power plugs made by different manufacturers.

Re: Designing Google Maps for Motorbikes

#19

Post by Itsdijital »

keyle wrote: post #2

That's very cool. One time, I decided to just put the phone in my pocket and take my bike to a location. I had the ear buds in my ears, I thought, voice is enough... Oh my, was I wrong. I ended up missing most turn off in streets due to latency, some crossings made no sense over audio, a total disaster. So I got a stand to attach the phone to the handle bars... And that works great, for about 20 mins. I live in Austr…

Years ago before a long motorcycle trip I made a nice setup to use google maps while riding for the trip. A custom mount, ran all the charging cables, NFC tag and tasker profile so it knows when it's mounted.

I used it for 3 days before a guy told me to give old fashioned maps a try, and gave me a few state maps. My tank bag has a nice window slot for them, so why not use it in tandem?

Within 2 hours I had totally stopped paying attention to the gps and just went off the map. The next day I didn't even use the gps at all, and ended up using just maps for next 3 weeks riding around the country.

If the signage is good (in the US it's superb, people just don't pay attention to it/understand it) then I have found a regular old maps to be far superior. You can quickly see all info on the map (no dicking around with zoom/scrolling on the touchscreen) and you can adjust your route very easily on the fly.

Seriously, I cannot recommend paper maps enough. Take some time to understand how to read the map (if you're not sure already) and pay attention to road signs. The two integrate beautifully and make getting around easy. If you have a place to put it on your bike, give it a try.

Re: Designing Google Maps for Motorbikes

#20

Post by maaaats »

keyle wrote: post #2

That's very cool. One time, I decided to just put the phone in my pocket and take my bike to a location. I had the ear buds in my ears, I thought, voice is enough... Oh my, was I wrong. I ended up missing most turn off in streets due to latency, some crossings made no sense over audio, a total disaster. So I got a stand to attach the phone to the handle bars... And that works great, for about 20 mins. I live in Austr…

I use a Garmin Edge 520 mounted on my bike (bicycle). It doubles as my fitness-logger so I'm not suggesting anyone buys it just for some maps, but I really like it.

It's not as smooth as using a phone when it comes to maps, but for preplanned routes it works great. It has made 4-6 hour bike-rides on unknown roads much easier. No more stops at intersections to struggle with the phone to see where to go, can just keep the speed up looking at the display once in a while. The display is also very easy to read in sunlight.

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