i am a building automation(meaning everything that needs computer control in a building. air handlers, computer room units, security, fire, etc) technician/programmer/developer and have been thinking about how to get android into building automation.
currently, the "in" thing is 'web-based' building control..meaning you can access it via your web browser, so no clumsy proprietary apps. however, the whole building automation game is being proprietary, so that manufacturers can charge ridiculous amounts of money to "license" their 'web-based controller' services to you. i think it would be good for the building automation industry and google if android was modified to perform the tasks that our current controllers(tridium jace) do. maybe an "open building automation alliance" or something similar. we currently use a setup that is ripe for android integration. we basically use a linux-based(qnx) embedded controller(ppc) that runs a java front end for configuration and administration. it runs a small webserver to host the graphics. the controller has several serial ports(bacnet, modbus, lon) and connects to just about any piece of equipment that manufacturers are willing to make a driver for. i have recently become acutely aware of how restrictive the manufacturers are with wanting to give up the stranglehold they have on this industry. it's a one horse town as far as tridium is concerned and they like it that way. i think that an open source building automation system/controller would bring greater stability and better ideas to an industry that was stuck in the 70s ten years ago...and is now stuck in the early 90s (ugghh). in addition to making the system easier to use, having android as the base will make touch input and multiple sizes of displays much easier to work with, since android is being built to support those features already. customers are asking for a variety of devices to interface with the system and unless you make a separate graphic for every device, the graphics end up looking like crap. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Android Discuss" group. To post to this group, send email to android-discuss@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-discuss+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-discuss?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
