A discussion among a group of colleagues here at Axeda led to an idea: let’s build an application based on the Axeda Platform that tracks Leslie as she makes the 192-mile trek across Massachusetts!
In just one day, this idea became a proof of concept as we scoped the project and gathered the requirements:
- Mapping for tracking Leslie along the route (featuring milestones, water stops/rest breaks, etc.)
- Local weather on the course
- Course elevation/topography
- Fund-raising total (chart that shows how Leslie is tracking toward her donation goal and a link to donate)
- Background on Leslie
- Twitter integration for sending tweets when Leslie enters a pre-defined milestone (or geofence)
Choosing the Solution Components
With enough feedback to guide my app development, I determined that I would need the following solution components:
- Enfora Mini MT edge device with a Wyless SIM card that Leslie carries with her during the ride
- Axeda Platform instance
- Adobe Flash client UI
- Set of Groovy scripts (or Axeda Custom Objects) using the Axeda SDK
- Set of Expression Rules on the Axeda Platform
- Axeda Location-Based Services for real-time asset tracking
- Axeda application hosting
Building the Application (How It Works)
In just a week, I developed the Where’s Leslie? track-and-trace application.The Enfora device was already integrated with the Axeda Platform, providing a reliable data source for latitude/longitude coordinates.
I chose Flash to build the UI, and then selected the sources to "mash up" into the final UI. Knowing that social media was a key aspect of any awareness effort, the Twitter integration was an absolute requirement. That plus a weather and elevation graph would provide a great overview of the ride. With a few quick Groovy scripts, I had set up the geofences and Twitter updates.
Leslie will carry an Enfora wireless tracking device during her ride that sends latitude/longitude data to the Axeda Platform every mile. The Flash UI gets Leslie’s current location using the Axeda Platform Web Services API.
A set of circular geofences on the map at the 20-mile points are represented as red dots on the route. Axeda Expression Rules enabled me to compare Leslie’s current location and to trigger an Axeda Custom Object (Groovy script) when Leslie enters a geofence. The Custom Object sends a Tweet using the Twitter REST API, which is updated on the Flash UI.
Is there a cause that could inspire you to develop a cool track-and-trace application on the Axeda Platform?
