I never used WinPilot, so I cannot comment. But we should definitely
learn from it (what works, what doesn’t, is it useful, etc).
However, I would like to start with the assumption that information
contained in many IGC files has all the necessary information to build a
useful thermal DB. And during the flight XCSoar has all information to
access the right data from the thermal DB and display it on the map.
What can be extracted from a single IGC file:
1. Position and strength of thermals (vertical speed)
2. Position of the sun when the thermal was experienced (geographic
position and time)
3. How good was the day (sort of Auto MC algorithm)
4. Wind (displacement while circling)
What statistical evaluation of many IGC files can show:
1. Position of thermals
2. Probability of the thermal (how many IGC files contain the thermal)
3. Relative strength of each thermal (strength of the thermal vs. how
good was the day)
4. What conditions must be met so that the thermal exists (correlate
with wind, sun position, quality of the day, etc), can be represented as
the probability as a function of the above.
What information does XCS have readily available
1. Glider position
2. Sun position
3. Wind
4. Quality of the day (Auto MC value)
So the process I’m envisioning:
1. All participating pilots submit all their IGC files to a Web Site
(Regardless of when the flight was, or if that was considered a good
day, etc)
2. The server receives the IGC files and
a. Eliminates duplicates via file name and/or checksum
b. Calculates characteristics (what can be extracted from a single IGC
file)
c. Inserts characteristics into a DB
d. Deletes the IGC file unless the pilot agrees that we can keep it
3. Every so often the server will run the statistics on all available
flights (or includes the newly submitted flight characteristics into the DB)
4. Every so many weeks, the pilot goes to the Web Site and
a. Selects a geographical region
b. Submits the query to the server
c. Receives the newly calculated thermal DB for the region (very
similar to generating regular maps)
d. Copy the thermal DB onto the PDA to be used in later flights
5. While flying XCS will use the available data (position, sun, wind,
MC) to access the thermal DB and derive the thermal map which shows the
probability and strength of thermals nearby.
How does that sound?
Ronald
Am 30.08.2011 20:44, schrieb Max Kellermann:
> On 2011/08/30 20:14, Ronald Niederhagen<ronald_niederha...@freenet.de> wrote:
>> Ideally we would like to get access to all IGC files that were uploaded
>> to OLC over the years.
>
> Very unlikely, considering the stories I read about other scientific
> projects that have requested the same.
>
>> If we can't get that, we can always decide to
>> setup our own Web based facility where pilots can upload IGC files and
>> also download the result of the statistical analysis of all flight logs
>> for a certain region.
>
> Eventually, the XCSoar project will produce the required software to
> set up a public database of IGC files, with free access for everybody.
>
> We already have most that is needed: we can render a map, a barogram,
> and we can calculate scores and statistics. The rest is just some
> glue to put it on a web site.
>
> Max
>
>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Special Offer -- Download ArcSight Logger for FREE!
Finally, a world-class log management solution at an even better
price-free! And you'll get a free "Love Thy Logs" t-shirt when you
download Logger. Secure your free ArcSight Logger TODAY!
http://p.sf.net/sfu/arcsisghtdev2dev
_______________________________________________
Xcsoar-user mailing list
Xcsoar-user@lists.sourceforge.net
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/xcsoar-user
