Smart Altimeter

yuri_base

It can't just mirror phone's display, can it?

(if not, it's a major turn off - adds more friction to development, need to deal with yet another SDK)

No phone mirroring on google glass. It runs a weird variant of android 4.4 that google forked just for glass. I was able to make BASEline run on it, but it was definitely annoying.

I have been thinking about buying the Garmin Varia and having it display my watch information. I recognize that my watch doesn't have the same refresh rate as my skydive altimeter, but it would at least give me the rough number.

https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/530536

SMBowen

I have been thinking about buying the Garmin Varia and having it display my watch information. I recognize that my watch doesn't have the same refresh rate as my skydive altimeter, but it would at least give me the rough number.

https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/530536

Buyer beware: Garmin Fenix 3 does not update altitude in freefall fast enough, some skydivers reported that it stops updating after exiting the aircraft and resumes only after opening, some see 1000ft delay:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KacXA8OJ4fo

This is a perfect illustration of my point that hardware is "game over", meaning that it doesn't make sense anymore to make specialized hardware to measure altitude - "generic", affordable hardware (like Moto 360 Sport, $50) already exists (and will only get better with time) with excellent barometric sensors, the game is software. It's software that can make an expensive hardware a piece of junk; or can make an inexpensive hardware shine. And with Android/Wear, anyone can start writing their own altimeter app.

Let's Make Altimeters Great Again!

I'm thinking that the next generation altimeter should be a small bar graph that sticks to the inside of a full face visor out of the main viewing area, but visible if you look off to the side. It would be green above 3,500', yellow until 1,500, and flashing red below that. Of course the altitudes would be user configurable. We could do a digital display too, but I think the bar would be more intuitive. A true heads up display would be nice, but is overly complex and not needed. With the display and electronics so small today the whole thing could mount on the helmet with a small display in view.

Something like this:
https://www.adafruit.com/product/459

That's far too big, but it's the right idea. I think the LED bar should be about 1.5" long and 1/8" wide, with a wire running off to your audible where the electronics are. I'm glad to see someone is moving towards a display that gives you real-time altitude info without looking away.

wmw999

I saw something like that at the Moab boogie. Helmet visor-mounted with user-configurable lights to show altitude ranges. Company is Freefall Data Systems. I have nothing to do with them, but it looks like a cool idea.
http://freefalldatasystems.com/coloralti

Wendy P.

Talked with the guy some at Summerfest.

It's somewhat similar to a Hype-Eye, in that you have a point with a colored light on it. It can be set to change colors abruptly, or to 'gradient' through the spectrum.

Sounds like a nifty idea, but I have no first hand experience (or affiliation).

rscott

A true heads up display would be nice, but is overly complex and not needed. With the display and electronics so small today the whole thing could mount on the helmet with a small display in view.

HUD does not need to be complex, it can be just a semitransparent mirror or two mirrors reflecting the smartwatch's screen which is mounted on the helmet out of the way. There are cheap products ($3-10) for smartphones that do the same:

[inline HUD1.jpg]

[inline HUD2.jpg]

For a smartwatch with 1.4" screen, the whole thing can be quite compact.

yuri_base

***A true heads up display would be nice, but is overly complex and not needed. With the display and electronics so small today the whole thing could mount on the helmet with a small display in view.

HUD does not need to be complex, it can be just a semitransparent mirror or two mirrors reflecting the smartwatch's screen which is mounted on the helmet out of the way. There are cheap products ($3-10) for smartphones that do the same:





For a smartwatch with 1.4" screen, the whole thing can be quite compact.

You should definitely go skydiving with the device on that dude's head. Make sure it looks exactly like what's shown in the pic.

Agreed, not trying to replace my real altimeter with a Garmin...just wanted to see if it links and if it could be remapped to something else. Basically using the hardware they have built.