Details

Server demo (no installation required)

You can play with our demonstration instance of the POSITweb server here. Most of the fun stuff happens on the Android device, though, so you might want to do the full demo below.

Full demo (installation required)

To test out POSIT, you'll need an Android device (or an emulator—mostly untested).

  1. Make sure your device has internet access.
  2. Download and install the latest POSIT build on your device.
  3. If you want to install your own instance of the POSIT web server, follow the server installation instructions. Otherwise, get the address of the server instance you want to use. You can use our demo server.
  4. Browse to your selected server in your web browser of choice. Register an account or log in, if you haven't yet.
  5. Launch POSIT on your Android device.
  6. In your web browser, click on Settings > Register a device, and follow the instructions.

 

Walk Through

 

POSIT is a free and open source search tool designed for use by rescue workers, environmental scientists, and other field workers. It consists of two software components: a web server and a mobile app. Users can tag GPS-marked finds with text, pictures, and other data on their mobile devices, then synchronize them over WiFi or the Cellular Data Network with a central server and with other POSIT devices.

POSIT Home screen.

POSIT for Disaster Management

 The current prototype is configured for a mock disaster management scenario. Imagine a team being sent out to search for unexploded ordinance in the vicinity of an ammunition depot following a massive flood.

Registering With the Server

Each phone must be registered with the server. To register the device, the user would select the Settings:Server Registration option from the main menu. Unique QR Codes are used to identify the individual projects stored on the server.

To register with the server, the user simply scans the QR code with the phone's bar code reader. Once registered, the user can select the appropriate search mission.

Scanning Barcode to register with the server

 

Adding a find in POSIT

Recording a FindAdding Find with picture in POSIT

When a find is located, the user can use a simple, customizable form to record relevant information. The phone will automatically timestamp the find and record its GPS coordinates.

The user can also input text, audio, camera, and video data to document the find. The input form can also accept barcode input for cases where the searcher needs to tag the find with a unique, pre-coded identification tag. The data associated with the find can be saved to the phone's database for later transmission to the server.

Displaying Finds

Finds stored in the phone's database can be displayed as a list or as a mashup on a Google map.

List of finds in POSIT List of finds displayed in a map in POSIT

Synchronization with the server

Synchronizing with the Server

Finds stored on a searcher's phone can be periodically synchronized with the server. The synchronization works in both directions, uploading finds from the phone to the server and downloading finds from the server to the phone. In this way, an individual searcher can see finds located by other members of the search team. The user can display the finds in either a list or on a map.

The current prototype uses the HTTP protocol over WiFi or the telephone network to transmit data to and from the server. We are currently experimenting with an ad-hoc routing protocol that would allow limited amounts of data to be transmitted among the phones in cases where communication infrastructure is not available.

Coverage tracking

During the search, POSIT uses the phone's GPS sensor to keep track of the searcher's exact path. It also plots a line-of-sight around each path, representing the area that the individual searcher can see. The width of the search path can be configured by the user based on conditions in the field---i.e., wider for open spaces and narrower for heavily wooded or confined areas. These data can be uploaded to the server where they can be merged with tracking data from other searchers, thereby providing a clear visual representation of the team's progress.

Coverage Tracking in POSIT