Mapping using the Openmoko FreeRunner headset

Sun, 07 Jun 2009 21:51:37 -0000
eng, openmoko, osm, pdo, sw, tips

The FreeRunner has a headset which includes a microphone and a button. When doing OpenStreetMap mapping, it would be very useful to be able to keep tangogps on the display and be able to mark waypoints using the headset button, and to record an audio track using the headset microphone.

In this way, I can use tangogps to see where I need to go, where it's already mapped and where it isn't, and then I can use the headset to mark waypoints corresponding to the audio track, so that later I can take advantage of JOSM's audio mapping features.

Enter audiomap:

$ audiomap --help
Usage: audiomap [options]

Create a GPX and audio trackFind the times in the wav file when there is clear
voice among the noise

Options:
  --version      show program's version number and exit
  -h, --help     show this help message and exit
  -v, --verbose  verbose mode
  -m, --monitor  only keep the GPS on and monitor satellite status
  -l, --levels   only show input levels

If called without parameters, or with -v which is suggested, it will:

1. Fix the mixer settings so that it can record from the headset and detect headset button presses.

2. Show a monitor of GPS satellite information until it gets a fix.

3. Synchronize the system time with the GPS time so that the timestamps of the files that are created afterwards are accurate.

4. Start recording a GPX track.

5. Start recording audio.

6. Record a GPX waypoint for every headset button press.

When you are done, you stop audiomap with ^C and it will properly close the .wav file, close the tags in the GPX waypoint and track files and restore the mixer settings.

You can plug the headset out and record using the handset microphone, but then you will not be able to set waypoints until you plug the headset back in.

After you stop audiomap, you will have a track, waypoints and .wav file ready to be loaded in JOSM.

Big thanks go to Luca Capello for finding out how to detect headset button presses.