[Feature request] Geolocation/GPS

[vorpalvorpal]

Are there any plans to include GPS/geolocation services to shinysense?

[nstrayer]

Nothing as of now but there does appear to be a javascript API for it so I don't see why it couldn't be added.

What type of usecases are you envisioning? It looks like the API would be good for single location pulls but not good for something like a gps trace or something along those lines.

[vorpalvorpal]

I'm writing a little app to do ecological photo monitoring (repeat photography). Basically the user selects a photo point (a pre-defined location) and takes a photo with their phone. It would cut down on input errors, (as well as speeding up data collection) if the app automatically selected from the list of available photo points based on the current location of the user.

Thanks for pointing me towards that API, I'll have a look.

[nstrayer]

Oh that's a great application and the exact type of project I envisioned for this package. I got my start in research in an aquatic ecology lab so I have a great appreciation for the desire for input-error-free data.

This is definitely now on my to-do list for the package. I am a bit busy with dissertation writing and COVID projects right now so I don't have a ton of immediate bandwidth to get to it.

Do you have any familiarity with javascript? I could help out with a PR if you wanted to make one for the package. (But don't worry if you don't! I wrote this package because people shouldnt have to have familiarity with JS.)

[vorpalvorpal]

Great! Well I'm not up to the point where I need it just yet, so I'll check back in a month or two when I'm up to that, and hopefully we might be able to work together.