Android application

[ivconic]

I was thinking to design and develop application for Android devices (have a friend who is expert in programming, WM6 met him once! ) which will use all the possible sensors available in such devices (smart phones, tablets etc..)

Usually sensors covers:
Accelerometer,
Light,
Magnetic field,
Orientation,
Orientation raw,
Proximity,
Temperature,
Tricorder...
etc..etc..

Some of those can be used in our hobby.
First that came to my mind was magnetometer/gradiometer/logger application.

I was thinking to develop not only one app that covers one subject - but app which will cover several aspects of ground/magnetic/orientation survey techniques.
Such app may turn pretty handy for our hobby.
There are already numerous apps similar to this, but not done seriously enough.
Better ones are expensive and yet not offering exactly what we need here.
App i am talking about would be cheap enough, available to everyone and with several very nice and usable modules and features.
So i would like to see your opinion on this?
Are there some interests?
That will not be free project - i plan it as commercial.
In time i can inform here about progress and results.. if i decide to start it.
Right now i only want to hear your opinions on this?
Many thanks in advance!

[ivconic]

Funny... how about "XP Deuce" detector installed on tablet?
All you need is to buy Deuce coil and nothing else!
Because essence (engine) of Deuce is already present in coil electronics, all we have to do is to establish BT connection and develop software to process data.

And how about "travesty" like this: Explorer, Spectra, E-Trac look like software which is using Deuce coil with Deuce engine?


Or how about OKM "stick" (can't recall exact name) installed on tablet?
Many ideas...!
It will be looooooong winter!

[GOLDENSKULL]

Hi dear ivconic,

yes, it can be a good project...

i have samsung galaxy SII now, and already installed on it some android applications such metal detector or EMF detector,
i check these, these application only can detect ferrous metals from 5-10 cm
as we now these application use magnet sensor on smartphone... and can not detect none ferrous metals such as gold or brass...

i think we can use a smartphone as a magnetometer and write a program to detect magnetic field of earth and save it such as a data logger...

OKM, developed a new device named Rover uc, that worked like this...
what did you think ? please see Rover uc:

http://www.okmmetaldetectors.com/products/rover-uc.php

OKM Rover C series must be just only a magnetometer? ok ?
if we can do this, then we have a device such Rover uc...

with best wishes...

[ivconic]

Hi dear ivconic,

yes, it can be a good project...

i have samsung galaxy SII now, and already installed on it some android applications such metal detector or EMF detector,
i check these, these application only can detect ferrous metals from 5-10 cm
as we now these application use magnet sensor on smartphone... and can not detect none ferrous metals such as gold or brass...

i think we can use a smartphone as a magnetometer and write a program to detect magnetic field of earth and save it such as a data logger...

OKM, developed a new device named Rover uc, that worked like this...
what did you think ? please see Rover uc:

http://www.okmmetaldetectors.com/products/rover-uc.php

OKM Rover C series must be just only a magnetometer? ok ?
if we can do this, then we have a device such Rover uc...

with best wishes...

Yes, that's the "stick" i mentioned earlier!
Yes, with implemented magnetic sensor, so far, we can only develop much better software for magnetometer logger. Good enough!
Seems OKM did just like that and nothing more.
But if we consider Deuce coil (with detector inside) - i think we can achieve much more.
It is to early to claim anything, will see, winter is coming.
...
Yesterday i had Archos 70 on testing, pretty nice tablet, but only have G sensor, not others...
I installed bunch of such applications and tested those, most are not so seriously developed.
Could be much better.
Will search for something better equipped soon.

[ivconic]

More i think on this - more am tempted to do something about it!
Inside Deuce coil there is smt pcb with complete detector (without controlling unit).
Just all what we exactly need. "Barebone"!
So, coil (detector) is communicating with "outer" world via BT.
Controlling unit is, other hand, refined piece of electronics, consisted of BT, USB, uPC and memory, LCD driver etc...etc..
Overall; Deuce is splendid high tech detector.
State of the art.
I had luck to see it in vivo and was delighted with it's performances.
As i've been also delighted previously with Gold Max Power; now must say that am twice as much delighted with Deuce.
Real piece!
Only drawback is.... hot price!
Not to hot to be impossible to buy it... yet hot enough "cool" for majority of us.
So, since everything what we really need is already present in it's coil and fact that Android platforms are indeed getting more and more almighty as time goes by - i was thinking that maybe is not so lunatic idea to try to establish some communication only between coil and Android!
If that turns possible without much of a problems - than developing the proper software for it wouldn't be much of a problem also?!
Why?
Why all that fuss?
Simply because of a fun, enthusiasm, hobby... why not?
Better GUI - one of the possible reason too.
Android displays are usually much better, higher resolutions, colorful.
Who wouldn't want to see Deuce interface in full color, with many more options etc..etc..
Sound... also!
Price.... of course, another reason.
Possibility to make various emulators based on "barebone" Deuce engine? Why not?
Deuce already can emulate Gold Max Power and Gmaxx, so...?
...
Whether this idea will evolve to something practical or stay as dead letter on paper - fact is that Deuce is revolutionary step forward in metal detecting evolution.
Actually, Deuce idea is not something new, but was implemented with new "angle" of looking at things.
Also proper moment came for such implementation, technology finally reached the level when such things are easy possible and feasible.
So what we have here (again)?
We have "barebone" metal detector on one side and controlling and processing unit on other side. Completely separated.
My presumptions can be wrong; but i really think that new era in MD world is started with this approach.
So... time will really come when controlling units (user interfaces) will be easy switchable and changeable ... same as numerous skins at software (Winamp for example).
Or numerous game scenarios based on one and only game engine (Counter Strike, Half Life...etc..) .
Funny, but true ... and certainly.
Android platforms could be the missing clip in chain!
All the tasks that Deuce controlling unit can do - Android platform can do much better!
Think on this for a moment!

[Aziz]

Hi ivconic,

if the smartphone (or whatever smart touchpad) has an audio input jack (mono or stereo), you can put the analog signal from the front-end amplifier of the MD and feed it into the smart device.
A very smart application should be able to process the MD's signal. Provided that you want to start with DSP coding.

But I think, it is better to develop a control box rather than using an existing MD.

Cheers,
Aziz

[ivconic]

Hi ivconic,

if the smartphone (or whatever smart touchpad) has an audio input jack (mono or stereo), you can put the analog signal from the front-end amplifier of the MD and feed it into the smart device.
A very smart application should be able to process the MD's signal. Provided that you want to start with DSP coding.

But I think, it is better to develop a control box rather than using an existing MD.

Cheers,
Aziz

I agree.
I proposed same idea pretty long ago, right on this forum!
I can't recall the topic... but my English was worse than and all that was God knows how understandable!
But than i proposed laptop because smart phones were "far future"!
Yes, development of quite new device is much smarter move - than to use already existing device.
Simply because guys from XP can "roll paper" and write few words to nearest court!
But i didn't intended to steal nor to offend XP by proposing this idea, simply i took Deuce as perfect example and indeed powerful design.
Besides, at Deuce coil we already have everything well "chewed" and prepared, no need to torture yourself by making another coil
and tamping it with additional electronics...
at least by now when we are talking only about experimenting... (DIY'ers mind!)
Otherwise you are right and i tend to completely agree with you.

[Aziz]

Hi ivconic,

2012 is the year. We will have a lots of smart Tablet PC's. You can code whatever you want (Android Apps, Windows Apps, Linux Apps, ...).

I'll publish a simple control box hardware and everybody can start coding then.

Aziz

[ivconic]

Hi ivconic,

2012 is the year. We will have a lots of smart Tablet PC's. You can code whatever you want (Android Apps, Windows Apps, Linux Apps, ...).

I'll publish a simple control box hardware and everybody can start coding then.

Aziz

That's exactly what i had on my mind - sort of "open source" metal detector!
We must admit that conventional VLF's already reached the limits of such approach.
Maybe even long time ago!
What is next?
Right this what we are talking about now!
Major manufacturers will MUST "bend" or they will lose the race - simply as that...
Or... they will have to leave conventional VLF I/B approach and switch to something else...
Time will tell.

[mario]

Not really necessary to include features like accelerometer,
Magnetic field,
Orientation,
Orientation raw,
Proximity,
Temperature,
Tricorder...
etc..etc..
All these features will cheapened your application if used incorrectly. As far as I'm concerned, the only useful usage of the interface will be the TFT touch screen, GPS, and speedy ARM. People will not pay for something that has very little value.

Also, not to be pessimistic, but, to which detector will you interface? So many models using different technologies from different manufacturers will limit your application's compatibility to a select few. Simply put, even targeting the most popular models will restrict your income source to only those interested in your application.

A better approach would be to create a reference detector design, then customize the software around it. However, so many existing patents covering the most trivial aspects of PI/VLF technology will limit the commercial viability of this approach.

It's tough, but nothing exists forever. Some important patents will expire within the next 5 years, and the industry will be forever changed. I'm afraid competition will be culling some of the established names -which is sad. On the other hand, will be seeing more capable detectors. Or at least, they will be cheaper.

[WM6]

Already developed and sold by OKM:

http://www.okmmetaldetectors.com/pro...FYK-zAod8kKhsQ

[mario]

Great find. Too bad I couldn't find a price.

I'm wondering about the 3D plotter. How accurate might it be?

[ivconic]

Great find. Too bad I couldn't find a price.

I'm wondering about the 3D plotter. How accurate might it be?

Yes, that's the "stick"...again!

You don't want to see the price, trust me!
I don't know it, but i bet it is to HOT!

[Qiaozhi]

And ... with the gee-whizz blockbuster marketing style, plus the prospect of being able to go metal detecting where no-one has gone before, you totally forget to ask the more important questions. i.e. such things as depth, discrimination accuracy, and (of course) price.

It's a good gimmick though.

[Aziz]

We have to wait more probably.

It seems, all the new developments on the smart/Tablet/anything else platform is designed to rip-off the customers with services, closed platforms & apps, to bomb them with advertising, to spy them, ... and so on. (Looks like all want to make it Apple like. )

Even the newest Android 3.2 is not a real open platform (only a small portion of the source code will be published). You never know, what data is Google sucking from your device or your user profile.

Best option would be to switch-off all the network capability (except the bluetooth & USB) and use it in the off-line mode (if ever possible).

It seems, Android is (almost) ripe for MD applications. But you probably have to code in native mode (NDK) to achieve the performance requirements with DSP coding.

For more info, visit the following site:
http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html

We will see a lot of new products soon but I suppose, most of them won't be a good platform for our purpose. Maybe in 2 or 3 years, when the hype is over and all the bad cookers are died and gone to hell, could be interesting then.

The Netbook is still the cheapest platform for me (now 200 EUR). Let's hope, that the Tablet PC's become as cheap and as universal as the Netbooks soon. But I don't want to be spied by the ba$tart f$cking companies.

Aziz