Native route tracking

[pmostoff]

I just updated to iOS 10 Beta 2 and the map in the Activity app is now expandable!

There's some interesting detail on it now too. There seems to be certain places in between lines where there are little grey dots. Not sure exactly what this is but I'm assuming that it's a ping on the map of the estimated location at that moment. Super interested to see what digging this thread can do along with the new update.

Also, when viewing the map you can hit a share button in the top right that invokes the system share sheet. Hitting messages presented me with a picture of the map in a message. Interestingly, the picture was only of the part of the map I was currently looking at. So zooming in made it only show that zoomed in portion.

Anyway, been enjoying following this thread. Look forward to seeing any more tests you all come up with.

 

[profets]

Just checked mine too on beta 2 - cool seeing the full map now. It's made up of a lot of gray dots. I wonder what they are related to.

When zooming in they definitely aren't super accurate, but does a good job considering there was no phone connected to it at all.

Here's an example:

 

[Julien]

Is there anything in the release notes?

 

[gwhizkids]

Just checked mine too on beta 2 - cool seeing the full map now. It's made up of a lot of gray dots. I wonder what they are related to.

When zooming in they definitely aren't super accurate, but does a good job considering there was no phone connected to it at all.

Here's an example:

I would guess that the dots are sample points. Maybe they are gray denoting something less than a certain degree of accuracy? Are the yellow lines also part of your run?

 

[profets]

Is there anything in the release notes?

Haven't had a chance to check just yet.

I would guess that the dots are sample points. Maybe they are gray denoting something less than a certain degree of accuracy? Are the yellow lines also part of your run?

No, they don't look like it.

The gray dots do go quite off the road I was on there (Roberts, travelling mainly north). I wonder what they correspond to. In some areas of the map, they're quite far off the route. I guess when it draws the final route it knows to draw it along the road.
[doublepost=1467752543][/doublepost]Some samples of a route zoomed in from a bike ride (I had the phone with me on this one, which I'm quite sure uses GPS for most data) but it still has the grey dots, which aren't always accurate.

It's funny in this first shot how there's several lines shooting off of the actual course that I was on. I never went off those roads like the lines show (they always seem to be yellow lines connecting grey dots).

 

[batting1000]

Haven't had a chance to check just yet.



No, they don't look like it.

The gray dots do go quite off the road I was on there (Roberts, travelling mainly north). I wonder what they correspond to. In some areas of the map, they're quite far off the route. I guess when it draws the final route it knows to draw it along the road.
[doublepost=1467752543][/doublepost]Some samples of a route zoomed in from a bike ride (I had the phone with me on this one, which I'm quite sure uses GPS for most data) but it still has the grey dots, which aren't always accurate.

It's funny in this first shot how there's several lines shooting off of the actual course that I was on. I never went off those roads like the lines show (they always seem to be yellow lines connecting grey dots).

Mine are the same way even though I carried my phone with me. All of mine are close to where I was running but the dots are noticeably off from the actual route I took.

 

[profets]

Mine are the same way even though I carried my phone with me. All of mine are close to where I was running but the dots are noticeably off from the actual route I took.

Hmm, maybe the grey dots are corresponding to logged visibility of nearby wifi networks? But even then, that would be insane if they had that much detail about wifi networks.

 

[TxWatch]

@BlueMoon63,

Sorry for the late question, but did you run with your phone a couple of times to "calibrate" your stride length with the new WatchOS 3 beta? I ask because I have tried to calibrate my stride length more than 10 times with various WatchOS 1 /2 versions and I have not been able to get anywhere close to an accurate distance.

As expected, the GPS verified distance works perfectly when I carry my iPhone 6P, but it is off by a factor of 1.25 or more when I run without my phone. (7 miles consistently shows as 8.75-9 miles) I know this sounds strange, but the total distance seems to be temperature dependent. The colder it is when I start running, the less miles it records.

If the distance is calculated using known WiFi signals, the WatchOS 3 distance will be much more accurate than what I see today without the need for "calibration" runs. I typically run in well-populated areas, so there are plenty of signals for it to grab along the way.

I am not too concerned about the mapping capabilities, but more about the distance accuracy of my runs with just my Watch.

TxWatch

 

[alecc131]

Is anyone having an issue with Workouts missing in the Activity app on iPhone?

I upgraded from beta 1 - to beta 2 (iOS and watchOS); and now Workout tab is blank in the Activity app. All Workouts still appear in the Health app.

 

[goodyear77]

Edit: deleted post since answer was already available.

 

[profets]

Did a quick brick this morning (bike + run). Noticed that elevation is now showing up as well (I saw it in the summary on the watch itself when saving a workout, but wasn't showing in the Activity app until I updated to beta 2).

The workout summary is really becoming nice with all this information and a route/map as well.

Here's one from the weekend, wasn't previously showing elevation but I guess it was recording it:

 

[Julien]

Did a quick brick this morning (bike + run). Noticed that elevation is now showing up as well (I saw it in the summary on the watch itself when saving a workout, but wasn't showing in the Activity app until I updated to beta 2).

The workout summary is really becoming nice with all this information and a route/map as well....

How about a full size map too?

 

[profets]

How about a full size map too?

You mean right within the main summary view? That would be nice actually.

 

[Bob190]

Has anyone that has updated their phone to iOS10 B2, but is still on WatchOS 2.2.1 noticed any difference in the iOS Activity app. Are you seeing the map and weather info in the Workout detail? Curious if the changes are mainly in iOS 10, or if it is a combination of iOS 10 and WatchOS 3.

 

[Julien]

Has anyone that has updated their phone to iOS10 B2, but is still on WatchOS 2.2.1 noticed any difference in the iOS Activity app. Are you seeing the map and weather info in the Workout detail? Curious if the changes are mainly in iOS 10, or if it is a combination of iOS 10 and WatchOS 3.

No map or weather data in iOS 10/B2. Also only I see other differences too. There seems to be an added 4th icon at the bottom of the screen named Sharing. Seem redundant since I still see the Share tab in the top right. Not sure why this would only show if you have wOS 3 installed????? What does this tab do wOS 3 testers?

EDIT: I bet it is for connecting and dynamically sharing/connecting Workouts and other fitness data with other wOS 3 users.

[doublepost=1467815476][/doublepost]

You mean right within the main summary view? That would be nice actually.

I mean like the full screen maps you posted in #105. Do you just click on the small map and it enlarges?

 

[pmostoff]

No map or weather data in iOS 10/B2. Also only I see other differences too. There seems to be an added 4th icon at the bottom of the screen named Sharing. Seem redundant since I still see the Share tab in the top right. Not sure why this would only show if you have wOS 3 installed????? What does this tab do wOS 3 testers?

EDIT: I bet it is for connecting and dynamically sharing/connecting Workouts and other fitness data with other wOS 3 users.

That sharing tab is indeed for sharing fitness data with other users. I believe they're calling it Activity Sharing or something like that. I haven't been able to test it out yet but they did demo it at some point in the keynote (I think during the watchOS portion) if you want to try to look that up for reference. Nice feature and something I had kind of missed from when I used to have a FitBit.

Edit: Also, yes, you just tap that little thumbnail on the activity page to get the expanded map.

 

[profets]

No map or weather data in iOS 10/B2. Also only I see other differences too. There seems to be an added 4th icon at the bottom of the screen named Sharing. Seem redundant since I still see the Share tab in the top right. Not sure why this would only show if you have wOS 3 installed????? What does this tab do wOS 3 testers?

EDIT: I bet it is for connecting and dynamically sharing/connecting Workouts and other fitness data with other wOS 3 users.

[doublepost=1467815476][/doublepost]
I mean like the full screen maps you posted in #105. Do you just click on the small map and it enlarges?

Ahh - yes, touching the small map slides over to a new screen where you can zoom and pan around.

They mentioned the sharing thing in the keynote - looks like you'll be able to see other's activity stats and sort it by any of the metrics (move, exercise, steps, etc).

From the keynote:

Screenshot from the actual Sharing tab:

[doublepost=1467821357][/doublepost]Neat little tidbit I noticed in Workout with beta 2, when you slide over to pause or end the workout, there's also a lock option. Also more colourful this screen instead of everything being white.

To unlock, you have to press the crown, and then it tells you to scroll the crown and shows an animation.

 

[Haxley]

My theory on how it works:

-Distance, calculated by your calibrated pace

-Direction, calculated by the accelerometer and the relative swing of your arm.

If you start a workout without the watch being calibrated (aka your first workout) then the app will not display a route on a map. Even though you have your phone on you for calibration, the app does not appear to generate the mapped route from the phone's GPS, whatsoever.

After the watch is calibrated and knows your pace (knows how far you travel with each step thanks to the phone's GPS), and knows your relative direction thanks to the accelerometer (swing of your arm), then your location should be easy to track/map.

You definitely don't need wifi access points or a hidden GPS chip to calculate relative motion.

 

[Julien]

My theory on how it works:

-Distance, calculated by your calibrated pace

-Direction, calculated by the accelerometer and the relative swing of your arm.

.....After the watch is calibrated and knows your pace (knows how far you travel with each step thanks to the phone's GPS), and knows your relative direction thanks to the accelerometer (swing of your arm), then your location should be easy to track/map.

You definitely don't need wifi access points or a hidden GPS chip to calculate relative motion.

What if you scratch your but, wipe your forehead, look at the Watch, stop to tie your shoe, turn around to speak to someone, zigzag around a fallen tree, stop at a red light and walk perpendicular to press the button, run around a car or any of the 1,000,000 other unknowables that would totally negate any ability to determine direction with the accelerometer & gyro? If navigation by accelerometer & gyros were possible DARPA would be all over it. There is NO way Apple can do something with a $300 consumer device that DARPA can't do with a $100,000,000.

 

[profets]

What if you scratch your but, wipe your forehead, look at the Watch, stop to tie your shoe, turn around to speak to someone, zigzag around a fallen tree, stop at a red light and walk perpendicular to press the button, run around a car or any of the 1,000,000 other unknowables that would totally negate any ability to determine direction with the accelerometer & gyro? If navigation by accelerometer & gyros were posable DARPA would be all over it. There is NO way Apple can do something with a $300 consumer device that DARPA can't do with a $100,000,000.

Is that a challenge? LOL.

Good point, but I still feel as well that the accelerometer + gyro for direction and cadence + duration for distance is being used in some form to assist with creating the route on a map. Maybe that's why the map has so many grey dots - every one is when it senses some form of change in direction or orientation? Some are really off, could correspond to those times you scratch your head or tie your shoe, for example.

 

[Pepeapplefanboy]

Is that a challenge? LOL.

Good point, but I still feel as well that the accelerometer + gyro for direction and cadence + duration for distance is being used in some form to assist with creating the route on a map. Maybe that's why the map has so many grey dots - every one is when it senses some form of change in direction or orientation? Some are really off, could correspond to those times you scratch your head or tie your shoe, for example.

[doublepost=1467828188][/doublepost]This functionality is fascinating. Could it be a digital compass that provides heading?

 

[Julien]

Is that a challenge? LOL.....

In 'real life' it could be far more complicated than that. You just started a 10 mile run and are running East in perfect cadence and you pass a friend. You stop turn around and yell hey Mary. You walkup and you get into an animated conversation pointing to the trail on the West and then to the South, You point to the sky and arc your hand moving the direction of the clouds. Then arms by your side you turn off axes and then lean down and pet Mary's dog, scratching his neck and petting him on the hinds. Then you realize you need to remove your shoe and shake the pebble out and then bend over and retie. Now you start back running. Now the Watch would be 100% disoriented on directions. Does the Watch assume you are back to running East? What if you decided to reverse directions and are now going west? Since you just started the 10 mile run errors would build up exponentially even if picks the wrong direction by only a few degrees.

All real world possibilities can't be preloaded in the algorithms.
[doublepost=1467829138][/doublepost]

[doublepost=1467828188][/doublepost]This functionality is fascinating. Could it be a digital compass that provides heading?

The Watch doesn't contain a digital compass (Hall Sensor) chip.

 

[Bob190]

I would say the gray dots are most probably WiFi networks the watch encounters (again, it just has to see them, not connect to them). It then just draws a rough map using the coordinates of the networks, the time it saw them, and the distance data gathered from the accelerometer. It really wouldn't be that complicated if you had the data.

Apple likely has a vast database of wifi networks given that every time a iPhone connects to a WiFi router, the GPS coordinates would be known.

How many residential homes and businesses don't have a WiFi router at this point .. probably not many.

 

[pmostoff]

I find it hard to believe that the grey dots are WiFi networks. Looking at one of my maps that the activity app has produced, the way they're sometimes clumped up together, sometimes evenly spaced out in a straight line, it just doesn't seem right. Also, I would be really shocked if there were over 20 different wireless networks within a single (small) residential block. Also, in my case, some of the dots were bunched up, easily over 30 of them, right alongside a highway intersection where there weren't many buildings nearby.

When it comes down to it, I really have no idea but it just doesn't seem like at least all of the grey dots that I've been seeing could be WiFi networks.

Edit: Here's an example of one of the more chaotic sections of one of my maps. You can see what I mean by them being evenly spaced in a straight lines in some locations and then all jumbled up together in the top right at that highway. (This was one of the less accurate sections of the workout by the way, most of it was pretty good and followed my route like you can see the green line in the bottom right doing.)

 

[Julien]

I find it hard to believe that the grey dots are WiFi networks. Looking at one of my maps that the activity app has produced, the way they're sometimes clumped up together, sometimes evenly spaced out in a straight line, it just doesn't seem right. Also, I would be really shocked if there were over 20 different wireless networks within a single (small) residential block. Also, in my case, some of the dots were bunched up, easily over 30 of them, right alongside a highway intersection where there weren't many buildings nearby....

I'm perplexed too. Keep in mind a WiFi can be 'seen' and identified a lot farther away than it can be connected to. So you can 'see' WiFi's for a good distance. However this still doesn't seem to offer a full explanation.

Also to give an idea of the complexity here is DARPAS' synopsis page on non GPS tracking technologies under development.
http://www.darpa.mil/program/micro-technology-for-positioning-navigation-and-timing