Haptic Compass App
@McSTUFF came up with the concept of using a phone as a haptic compass in another thread, so I figured I'd attempt to write such an app for apple device, specifically iPhones. I'd welcome any input on features, quirks, and other such things. My Thoughts so far:
- Vibration/Audio based Navigation
- Compass Mode: Using GPS or built-in compass sensor. The closer you get to north, the less it vibrates/the quieter the tone
- GPS target Mode: Using GPS. Like Compass mode, but with navigation points/destination acting as "north"
- Direction Mode: Acquires a set of points to navigate the user to either from the web, or from user-input instructions.
Questions:
Should it be a continuous vibration, becoming more/less intense? Or pulses, which in increase in frequency up to continuous vibration?
- Vibration/Audio based Navigation
- Compass Mode: Using GPS or built-in compass sensor. The closer you get to north, the less it vibrates/the quieter the tone
- GPS target Mode: Using GPS. Like Compass mode, but with navigation points/destination acting as "north"
- Direction Mode: Acquires a set of points to navigate the user to either from the web, or from user-input instructions.
Questions:
Should it be a continuous vibration, becoming more/less intense? Or pulses, which in increase in frequency up to continuous vibration?
Comments
The second mode would be a square wave below 100Hz. The idea is this could be externally amplified and felt with a magnetic implant similar to the Bottlenose. The "invisible headphones" would have enough power to be felt. With no special build you would have a cyborg peripheral.
To answer your question I think it would be easier to program the vibrator to go in timed pulses rather than trying to change intensity. From what little I know of mobile programming the software development kits don't like to use analog values on the vibrator. You could program a PWM but that's your call.