How to emulate step counter sensor in the Android devices? - android

I want to emulate user's walking and count their steps for auto testing.
I tried to search for the solution, but only found simulate the location.

It's pretty easy since in reality this sensor returns a float number describing the number of steps taken by the user since the last reboot while activated.
So that the easiest implementation will include a method which generates just a random float within some realistic constraints (between 1 and 9999 steps):
public float generateStepsCount(){
float minVal = 1.0f;
float maxVal = 9999.0f;
Random rand = new Random();
return rand.nextFloat() * (maxVal - minVal) + minVal;
}
PS: TYPE_STEP_COUNTER has been there since API 19.

Related

Manipulating Android Sensors [duplicate]

I want to emulate user's walking and count their steps for auto testing.
I tried to search for the solution, but only found simulate the location.
It's pretty easy since in reality this sensor returns a float number describing the number of steps taken by the user since the last reboot while activated.
So that the easiest implementation will include a method which generates just a random float within some realistic constraints (between 1 and 9999 steps):
public float generateStepsCount(){
float minVal = 1.0f;
float maxVal = 9999.0f;
Random rand = new Random();
return rand.nextFloat() * (maxVal - minVal) + minVal;
}
PS: TYPE_STEP_COUNTER has been there since API 19.

Unity Normal Maps don't work on Android device

I'm an experienced native iOS developer making my first foray into Android through Unity. I'm trying to set up a custom shader, but I'm having some trouble with the Normal maps. I've got them working perfectly in the Unity simulator on my computer, but when I build to an actual device (Samsung Galaxy S8+), the Normal maps don't work at all.
I'm using Mars as my test case. Here's the model running in the simulator on my computer:
And here's a screenshot from my device, running exactly the same code.
I've done a LOT of research, and apparently using Normal maps on Android with Unity is not an easy thing. There are a lot of people asking about it, but almost every answer I've found has said the trick is to override the texture import settings, and force it to be "Truecolor" which seems to be "RGBA 32 Bit" according to Unity's documentation. This hasn't helped me, though.
Another thread suggested reducing the Asino Level to zero, and another suggested turning off Mip Maps. I don't know what either of those are, but neither helped.
Here's my shader code, simplified but containing all references to Normal mapping:
void surf (Input IN, inout SurfaceOutputStandard o) {
half4 d = tex2D (_MainTex , IN.uv_MainTex);
half4 n = tex2D (_BumpMap , IN.uv_BumpMap);
o.Albedo = d.rgb;
o.Normal = UnpackNormal(n);
o.Metallic = 0.0;
o.Smoothness = 0.0;
}
I've seen some threads suggesting replacements for the "UnpackNormal()" function in the shader code, indicating that it might not be the thing to do on Android or mobile in general, but none of the suggested replacements have changed anything for better or worse: the normal maps continue to work in the simulator, but not on the device.
I've even tried making my own normal maps programmatically from a grayscale heightmap, to try to circumvent any import settings I may have done wrong. Here's the code I used, and again it works in the simulator but not on the device.
public Texture2D NormalMap(Texture2D source, float strength = 10.0f) {
Texture2D normalTexture;
float xLeft;
float xRight;
float yUp;
float yDown;
float yDelta;
float xDelta;
normalTexture = new Texture2D (source.width, source.height, TextureFormat.RGBA32, false, true);
for (int y=0; y<source.height; y++) {
for (int x=0; x<source.width; x++) {
xLeft = source.GetPixel (x - 1, y).grayscale * strength;
xRight = source.GetPixel (x + 1, y).grayscale * strength;
yUp = source.GetPixel (x, y - 1).grayscale * strength;
yDown = source.GetPixel (x, y + 1).grayscale * strength;
xDelta = ((xLeft - xRight) + 1) * 0.5f;
yDelta = ((yUp - yDown) + 1) * 0.5f;
normalTexture.SetPixel(x,y,new Color(xDelta,yDelta,1.0f,yDelta));
}
}
normalTexture.Apply();
return normalTexture;
}
Lastly, in the Build Settings, I've got the Platform set to Android and I've tried it using Texture Compression set to both "Don't Override" and "ETC (default)". The former was the original setting and the latter seemed to be Unity's suggestion both by the name and in the documentation.
I'm sure there's just some flag I haven't checked or some switch I haven't flipped, but I can't for the life of me figure out what I'm doing wrong here, or why there would be such a stubborn difference between the simulator and the device.
Can anyone help a Unity newbie out, and show me how these damn Normal maps are supposed to work on Android?
Check under:
Edit -> Project Settings -> Quality
Android is usually set to Fastest.

float number corrupted in selected device

Recently, I encountered float number corrupted problem in selected Android device. I was wondering, anyone of you had encountered the similar problem as mine, yet have a way to reproduce it with a simplified code block?
I encountered similar problem in Nexus 5 devices. The problem doesn't happen in Genymotion Emulator.
It only happen in selected for loop code block, and it is extremely difficult to re-produce in other code block.
My situation is as follow :-
float rectangleWidth2 = 0.0f;
float startX = (float) (left + xPixelsPerUnit * (xValue - minX));
float stopX = startX;
float _left = startX - rectangleWidth2;
float _right = stopX + rectangleWidth2;
// I expect "_left" and "_right" will have same value. However, at this point,
// "_right" will become an arbitary large value, something like 5.3482353354E20
// However, I expect the value range for "_left" and "_right" within [-1000,1000]
If I change the code to
float _left = startX - rectangleWidth2;
float _right = startX + rectangleWidth2;
// "_left" and "_right" will then having same value.
A "realiable" workaround for my case, is to avoid using float as suggested by reporter. I use double whenever possible, and only perform necessary float casting, when there is a need.
Same problem occur, regardless I'm using Eclipse or Android Studio. I'm going to get Nexus 4 this week, to see whether same problem occur still...
Referenced Links
https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=58698
http://www.gamedev.net/topic/660746-problem-with-random-float-value-on-android/

Approximate indoor positioning using the integration of the linear acceleration

I am trying to calculate the approximate position of an Android phone in a room. I tried with different methods such as location (wich is terrible in indoors) and gyroscope+compass. I only need to know the approximate position after walking during 5-10seconds so I think the integration of linear acceleration could be enough. I know the error is terrible because of the propagation of the error but maybe it will work in my setup. I only need the approximate position to point a camera to the Android phone.
I coded the double integration but I am doing sth wrong. IF the phone is static on a table the position (x,y,z) always keep increasing. What is the problem?
static final float NS2S = 1.0f / 1000000000.0f;
float[] last_values = null;
float[] velocity = null;
float[] position = null;
float[] acceleration = null;
long last_timestamp = 0;
SensorManager mSensorManager;
Sensor mAccelerometer;
public void onSensorChanged(SensorEvent event) {
if (event.sensor.getType() != Sensor.TYPE_LINEAR_ACCELERATION)
return;
if(last_values != null){
float dt = (event.timestamp - last_timestamp) * NS2S;
acceleration[0]=(float) event.values[0] - (float) 0.0188;
acceleration[1]=(float) event.values[1] - (float) 0.00217;
acceleration[2]=(float) event.values[2] + (float) 0.01857;
for(int index = 0; index < 3;++index){
velocity[index] += (acceleration[index] + last_values[index])/2 * dt;
position[index] += velocity[index] * dt;
}
}
else{
last_values = new float[3];
acceleration = new float[3];
velocity = new float[3];
position = new float[3];
velocity[0] = velocity[1] = velocity[2] = 0f;
position[0] = position[1] = position[2] = 0f;
}
System.arraycopy(acceleration, 0, last_values, 0, 3);
last_timestamp = event.timestamp;
}
These are the positions I get when the phone is on the table (no motion). The (x,y,z) values are increasing but the phone is still.
And these are the positions after calculate the moving average for each axis and substract from each measurement. The phone is also still.
How to improve the code or another method to get the approximate position inside a room?
There are unavoidable measurement errors in the accelerometer. These are caused by tiny vibrations in the table, imperfections in the manufacturing, etc. etc. Accumulating these errors over time results in a Random Walk. This is why positioning systems can only use accelerometers as a positioning aid through some filter. They still require some form of dead reckoning such as GPS (which doesn't work well in doors).
There is a great deal of current research for indoor positioning systems. Some areas of research into systems that can take advantage of existing infrastructure are WiFi and LED lighting positioning. There is no obvious solution yet, but I'm sure we'll need a dedicated solution for accurate, reliable indoor positioning.
You said the position always keeps increasing. Do you mean the x, y, and z components only ever become positive, even after resetting several times? Or do you mean the position keeps drifting from zero?
If you output the raw acceleration measurements when the phone is still you should see the measurement errors. Put a bunch of these measurements in an Excel spreadsheet. Calculate the mean and the standard deviation. The mean should be zero for all axes. If not there is a bias that you can remove in your code with a simple averaging filter (calculate a running average and subtract that from each result). The standard deviation will show you how far you can expect to drift in each axis after N time steps as standard_deviation * sqrt(N). This should help you mathematically determine the expected accuracy as a function of time (or N time steps).
Brian is right, there are already deployed indoor positioning systems that work with infrastructure that you can easily find in (almost) any room.
One of the solutions that has proven to be most reliable is WiFi fingerprinting. I recommend you take a look at indoo.rs - www.indoo.rs - they are pioneers in the industry and have a pretty developed system already.
This may not be the most elegant or reliable solution, but in my case it serves the purpose.
Note In my case, I am grabbing a location before the user can even enter the activity that needs indoor positioning.. and I am only concerned with a rough estimate of how much they have moved around.
I have a sensor manager that is creating a rotation matrix based on the device orientation. (using Sensor.TYPE_ROTATION_VECTOR) That obviously doesn't give me movement forward, backward, or side to side, but instead only the device orientation. With that device orientation i have a good idea of the user's bearing in degrees (which way they are facing) and using the Sensor_Step_Detector available in KitKat 4.4, I make the assumption that a step is 1 meter in the direction the user is facing..
Again, I know this is not full proof or very accurate, but depending on your purpose this too might be a simple solution..
everytime a step is detected i basically call this function:
public void computeNewLocationByStep() {
Location newLocal = new Location("");
double vAngle = getBearingInDegrees(); // returns my users bearing
double vDistance = 1 / g.kEarthRadiusInMeters; //kEarthRadiusInMeters = 6353000;
vAngle = Math.toRadians(vAngle);
double vLat1 = Math.toRadians(_location.getLatitude());
double vLng1 = Math.toRadians(_location.getLongitude());
double vNewLat = Math.asin(Math.sin(vLat1) * Math.cos(vDistance) +
Math.cos(vLat1) * Math.sin(vDistance) * Math.cos(vAngle));
double vNewLng = vLng1 + Math.atan2(Math.sin(vAngle) * Math.sin(vDistance) * Math.cos(vLat1),
Math.cos(vDistance) - Math.sin(vLat1) * Math.sin(vNewLat));
newLocal.setLatitude(Math.toDegrees(vNewLat));
newLocal.setLongitude(Math.toDegrees(vNewLng));
stepCount =0;
_location = newLocal;
}

Android - How to approach fall detection algorithm

I want to be able to feature a fairly simple fall detection algorithm in my application. At the moment in onSensorChanged(), I am getting the absolute value of the current x,x,z values and subtracting SensorManager.GRAVITY_EARTH (9.8 m/s) from this. The resulting value has to be bigger than a threshold value 10 times in a row to set a flag saying a fall has been detected by the accelerometer, the threshold value is about 8m/s.
Also I'm comparing the orientation of the phone as soon as the threshold has been passed and the orienation of it when the threshold is no longer being passed, this sets another flag saying the orientation sensor has detected a fall.
When both flags are set, an event occurs to check is user ok, etc etc. My problem is with the threshold, when the phone is held straight up the absolute value of accelerometer is about 9.8 m/s, but when i hold it still at an angle it can be over 15m/s. This is causing other events to trigger the fall detection, and if i increase the threshold to avoid that, it won't detect falls.
Can anyone give me some advice here with what possible values i should use or how to even improve my method? Many thanks.
First, I want to remind you that you cannot just add the x, y, z values together as they are, you have to use vector mathematics. This is why you get values of over 15 m/s. As long as the phone is not moving, the vector sum should always be about 9.8 m/s. You calculate it using SQRT(x*x + y*y + z*z). If you need more information, you can read about vector mathematics, maybe http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euclidean_vector#Length is a good start for it.
I also suggest another algorithm: In free fall, all three of the x,y,z values of the accelerometer should be near zero. (At least, that's what I learned in physics classes a long time ago in school.) So maybe you can use a formula like if the vector sum of x,y,z <= 3 m/s than you detect a free fall. And if the vector sum then raises to a value over 20 m/s, than you detect the landing.
Those thresholds are just a wild guess. Maybe you just record the x,y,z values in a test application, and then move around the phone, and then analyze offline how the values (and their normal and vector sum) behave to get a feeling for which thresholds are sensible.
I have acutally published a paper on this issue. Please feel free to check out "ifall" # ww2.cs.fsu.edu/~sposaro
We basically take the root sum of squares and look for 3 things
1. Lower threshold broke. Ie fallinging
2. Upper threshold broke. Ie hitting the ground
3. Flatline around 1g, ie longlie, laying on the ground for an extended period of time
I forgot to update this thread, but iFall is now available on the Android Market.
Also check out ww2.cs.fsu.edu/~sposaro/iFall for more information
Its possible using the Accelerometer sensor.
Write this in the sensor changed listener..
if (sensor == Sensor.TYPE_ACCELEROMETER) {
long curTime = System.currentTimeMillis();
// only allow one update every 100ms.
if ((curTime - lastUpdate) > 100) {
long diffTime = (curTime - lastUpdate);
lastUpdate = curTime;
x = values[SensorManager.DATA_X];
y = values[SensorManager.DATA_Y];
z = values[SensorManager.DATA_Z];
float speed = Math.abs(x + y + z - last_x - last_y - last_z) / diffTime * 10000;
Log.d("getShakeDetection", "speed: " + speed);
if (speed > DashplexManager.getInstance().SHAKE_THRESHOLD) {
result = true;
}
last_x = x;
last_y = y;
last_z = z;
}
}

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