IMO, this is one of the applications where AR really shines. Having a HUD in your helmet to show this kind of information would be absolutely amazing. There have been attempts, I know, but it doesn't seem like there's anything really consumer-oriented at this point (Skully, for example, was ridiculously expensive - over $1k for a helmet, IIRC. That's plainly out of the realm of a normal helmet purchase).
Designing Google Maps for Motorbikes
91–98 of 98 posts
Re: Designing Google Maps for Motorbikes
#92Earlier quoted context omitted.
Physical maps are infinitely better in the rain. Gloves+moisture is no fan of touchscreens. Get an old-fashioned handheld marine GPS if you have to. One with clicky buttons.
I used an inexpensive (2 gallon?) ziploc bag around my iPad on a day when I had the roof off my Jeep and we got several inches of rain. Worked fine, even Touch ID was mostly usable, but I can't imagine what an unlaminated map would have looked like at the end of that storm.
There are maps on woven cotton. If the ink is waterproof, they work underwater. They aren't quite as thin though, at the same strength, due to the somewhat too regular bonding of the fibers (woven bundles vs. one big flat bundle).
Re: Designing Google Maps for Motorbikes
#93The public transportation and cycling options will become even more hidden in the app with this addition. How can Google Maps continue defaulting to car and Uber when asks for directions in ultra-dense cities with great public and cycling infrastructure (like Paris), while Google pretends helping the environment? Even when the subway directions are 10x cheaper and faster, Google Maps keeps highlighting car directions…
Actually, Gmaps seems normally fairly decent for cycling, which was my main method of transport. Only thing is, there are tons of cool cycle routes around, and I'd like to say I prefer those. It needs some safety/effort-based preferences for routing. Like, I'd prefer to ride 2 or 3km more, if it's on a dedicated bike path, rather than ride direct to my destination on busy traffic roads.
Especially because momentum is not nearly as free on a bike than on something with a somewhat powerful motor. You can go faster if you don't need to accelerate as much (due to breaking or inclination). I would like a sort of flywheel or so, something able to store energy for a few minutes and dump it about as fast as the traction allows. Even if it has to be manually switched between slow and fast acceleration based on whether conditions with a tool, that'd be fine. And then just give me something for my thumb to work or so that either uses the same setting to decide the breaking force, or allow full control over it. It shouldn't be too hard to do.
And no, an electric motor won't cut it, due to power density. I don't want it to be limited to 500 W or so, I want it to have more than that. And mechanics have much more power density than electromagnetics.
Re: Designing Google Maps for Motorbikes
#94That'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…
This. I've frequently been surprised by how useless the audio navigation is without being able to check the screen for clarity. There just needs to be a "no visuals" setting where you get given much more audio information. The worst experience I've had was riding in Slavic countries with just headphones in and realising after a few miles that GMaps couldn't pronounce the road names and so was just leaving a silence.…
Agreed. I've tried several times to use google maps with bluetooth headphones on my bike in London. Unlike in the states, the roads are never straight for very long and there are lots of roundabouts. If you take a wrong exit, it will recalculate a new path, but without seeing the screen you don't know you messed up. I found myself wanting positive and negative feedback via audio. "Take the third exit at the round about." "Good job" or "Turned to soon. Recalculating"
Re: Designing Google Maps for Motorbikes
#95What 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.
Next Thing Co. (the guys who made C.H.I.P.) put this thing together[1], which I think could be adapted to a motorcycle or scooter.
[1]: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1598272670/dashbot-a-49...
Re: Designing Google Maps for Motorbikes
#96IMO, this is one of the applications where AR really shines. Having a HUD in your helmet to show this kind of information would be absolutely amazing. There have been attempts, I know, but it doesn't seem like there's anything really consumer-oriented at this point (Skully, for example, was ridiculously expensive - over $1k for a helmet, IIRC. That's plainly out of the realm of a normal helmet purchase).
I'm betting there's a fairly easy way to adapt full head helmets for AR.
Re: Designing Google Maps for Motorbikes
#97IMO, this is one of the applications where AR really shines. Having a HUD in your helmet to show this kind of information would be absolutely amazing. There have been attempts, I know, but it doesn't seem like there's anything really consumer-oriented at this point (Skully, for example, was ridiculously expensive - over $1k for a helmet, IIRC. That's plainly out of the realm of a normal helmet purchase).
I'm betting there's a fairly easy way to adapt full head helmets for AR.
I've looked into it a bit. I don't think "easy" is the right word here. :)
Re: Designing Google Maps for Motorbikes
#98Earlier quoted context omitted.
Experienced the heat issue when we did Vietnam South to North on a bike some months ago. Phone got so hot you couldn't touch it. Had to wing it in the end and stop every now and then to see how lost we were.
I thought that Vietnam, outside of the larger cities, was fairly easy to navigate. Conveniently for me it was raining the whole time, so overheating wasn't an issue. Rather, I had the opposite where I almost froze riding through the rain in Đà Lạt wearing only tshirt and shorts.
Haha yes I was quite happy to go down the mountain after Đà Lạt. I didn't expect it to be that cold. But yes, once out in the rural areas it becomes a lot easier to get around.