Sportsim Weblog

New live tracking system for yacht races

Frydenbo Doublehanded is a 4-day regatta that starts today.

50 sailing boats are lived tracked with a new developed system at the west coast of Norway. This is a new way for spectators to follow the yachts live. Go to the live link, but also view how they split up on the left screen shot as a result of different sailing strategies.

Guard Systems ASA has brought in Sportsim consultants and together developed a new and cool live tracking system targeted at regattas. The race can be followed through a simple web interface that applies Google Maps API.

Spectators can also follow a link to Google Earth for the 3D fly-through experience.

Yes, we know there have been other Google Maps mashups for yacht races (e.g. Volvo Ocean Race), but never this organized for a local regatta!

As an extra value for the racers can .gpx track files be downloaded from the web and imported in Sportsim for post-race analysis.

Guard Systems ASA has developed their own GPS enabled trackers that apply the local wireless network for server communication. The company is a leading Norwegian company on asset tracking.

Good luck with the launch guys!

cheers,
Team Sportsim

Update on Friday, June 2nd:
This race is now finished, but there will be an even larger live yacht tracking (approx. 200 boats, The Watski Skagerrak TwoStar 2006) in a couple of weeks.

Google-O is Google Earth Virtual Orienteering

Baard Smestad is an avid Sportsim user that has released his first beta on a virtual orienteering concept with Google Earth. Check out this first Google-O example near Oslo, Norway. Open the file in Google Earth and complete the course by visiting the Check Points.  The Check Point locations can be identified from a given browser map. All Check Points have to be visited before you can finish the course on best possible time. You need to combine your orienteering skills with Google Earth “Game Controls”

So what’s the use?

It’s fun! and this could be a really cool mash-up for online competitions.  In real orienteering is the map handed to the athlete at the starting line and Check Points are logged with an electronic chip that is controlled at the finish line. In Google-O could all this work from a web site?

How about this:

• At a given time is a Google-O file and a course map published on a web site.
• When the virtual athlete has finished is the result verified for time and Check Points on the web.
• The standings are then published at the web site.

In Sportsim there is a blue link to view: Map, Track, and Photos in Google Earth, but Baard has visualized a new way of applying Google Earth.

What’s up with Google Maps?

Google Maps was too good to be left alone.  With our new beta release of a Google Maps Replay version you can replay 1 or up to 4 activities simultaneously.  This is similar to what we have been doing in larger sport-events where users can replay their race based on chip timing technology in a Java Applet.  The Java Applet is better than Google Maps on the replay functionality, but Google Maps solves a seamless global plug and play map coverage problem.

But, the coolest thing with Google Maps is that activities can easily be shared on the Internet with no web browser limitations and requirement for additional software plug-ins.  We have also evaluated to use Yahoo Maps or Microsoft’s Virtual Earth, but they fell short because of less global map coverage.  Google Maps is today a better choice on coverage, but still very limited for street maps outside North-America/UK/Japan.  They have however a global satellite image coverage with 30-15m resolution and with greater detailed resolutions in several larger cities around the globe.

So, will you switch from desktop to web?

No, the combination of desktop and web application will be the best user solution and this is our second step towards an additional web application service for our users. What’s new for us is that Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft now makes this more feasible than ever before in their battle to attract content providers to their map services.

Will you include Google Maps in the desktop application?

No, our main map provider is ESRI ArcWeb Services and that adds increased global coverage compared to Google Maps. We would although consider Google Maps as an option, but that is against the Google Maps API Terms.

Will you also offer the Java Applet for my custom maps?

This is not our focus right now, but we still evaluate the Java Applet as an interesting option for users that will like to use their custom maps.  As an example are custom maps required in orienteering.

Search and check out current activities on Google Maps on the Sportsim On Web site. In addition we have added the possibility to view activities in 3D with Google Earth software.  Just make sure that you have installed Google Earth software for windows and click the google earth link on the lower right corner.

Cheers,

Gjermund

Team Sportsim