Eric Robbins
Derrick Steen
Group 4B
30 October 2016
X1: Final Project Proposal
App Title
Nix Pro Soil Analyzer
Project Description
Target Audience
Soil scientists, both in the field and in academic settings. Researchers and students both should be able to use the app.
Target Device
The primary device will be the iPhone, because the primary use case in the app is in field locations where portability is a primary concern. iPad compatibility is also important. iPod Touch compatibility will not be a priority, because the combination of a weaker processor and inability to access cellular data networks limits the app’s functionality.
Description of Functionality
The app’s main function is to provide an interface to interact with the Nix Pro portable colorimeter. It scans for nearby Nix Pro colorimeters, then connects to a selected device using the Bluetooth Low Energy protocol and the Nix iOS API. The user then activates the color scan which is relayed to the colorimeter, and the colorimeter returns the detected color in CIEXYZ format. This is converted to sRGB format for display. The device’s GPS location is determined and stored in a local database along with the color results. The user also has the option to take a photo of the sample to be stored.
The user is then presented with data from web soil databases and a soil type match is suggested. If desired, the current data can be uploaded to an external database immediately, or when the user has a data connection or Wi-Fi. All external database uploads are done associated with a specific username. The user must log in in order to upload to this external database (although previous logins can be stored and auto-filled if desired), but there is no requirement to log in before simply using the app.
Benefits
This app will provide a more convenient and accurate way of determining soil characteristics by their color. The current method, a printed color chart, is expensive and bulky, and the user must use their judgement to identify a color match based on the printed sample colors. This is very subjective and different users may come to different conclusions, reducing the data’s scientific validity. The user also must record their results using a separate method, which is inconvenient. The app will let the user use the colorimeter to obtain an objective reading of the soil color, and easily record their results and location in a database. At a later stage of development, the app may also assist in coordination among soil scientists by allowing easy crowd-sourcing of soil analyses world-wide and collecting them all in a database.
Local artifacts
Numerical color data, numerical location data, and small square sample color images (for display purposes) will be stored on the device. Photos of samples, if desired by the user, will also be stored.
Additional devices needed
The Nix Pro portable colorimeter is required for data collection.
Internal Database Description
The Bluetooth ID of the last used Nix Pro device is stored for convenient reconnection. A local database of color scans is stored (probably limited to the last 100 scans, or a similar limit to be determined in consultation with the clients). This includes sRGB color reading with the R, G, and B values, the date, the time, and the GPS location (latitude and longitude).
External Database Description
The external database is roughly the same as the internal database, with the addition of a separate table of users so that color scan readings can be associated with the individual user that performed them. There is no limit on the number of scans or users that can be stored in the external database, subject to disk space constraints.
Storyboard/mock-up on next page