Discover the International Space Station with a brand new AR app
Solwey Consulting, a startup in Austin that provides data, design, and software solutions, recently revealed that they would be working with NASA to create the specialised ‘Spot the Station’ smartphone application.
Solwey claims that they worked on the project along with Ensemble Consultancy as part of NASA’s NOIS2 Open Innovation Services contract. Since Solwey is a NOIS2 partner, Ensemble hired them to create, test, and maintain the mobile application.
Out of a pool of twelve computer software companies, Solwey was selected to develop a one-of-a-kind application that makes use of AR and dynamic mapping visualisations. The ‘Spot the Station’ application provides users with a way to monitor the location of the ISS and get alerts whenever it is about to pass over. The software uses augmented reality innovation to superimpose the path of the ISS over a user’s camera feed, making astrophysics on a mobile device that much more immersive.
Andrew Drach, Solwey’s CEO and co-founder, said that with NASA’s help, the team has developed an innovative initiative that enables people all around the globe to see the inspirational view of the International Space Station flying by, and they’ve learned a great deal in the process. The developers remarked that, as an example of its dedication to providing cutting-edge solutions to difficulties in a variety of sectors, this initiative demonstrates how customised software is key to resolving some of humanity’s most pressing issues.
The ‘Spot the Station’ software has a simple UI and can predict when you’ll be able to see the International Space Station from a certain location. It also contains 2D and 3D interactive maps to follow the ISS’s present trajectory worldwide. The app also provides access to supplementary materials, such as news and contextual information about the station.
Solwey’s technical role consisted of writing cross-platform, open-source React Native code for the app’s front and back parts. The open-source code library is managed and updated by Solwey programmers under NASA’s GitHub account, and the company has indicated that anybody may contribute to it.
Monika Jociunaite, Solwey’s creative director and co-founder, said that an exciting adventure that pushed the team’s creative limits was developing the Spot the Station app. The team has created fast back-end programming that lets it collect information from the International Space Station, compute its live path, present geographical location pertinent to where the user is, and provide an overview of future viewing possibilities, all in a way that is virtually in-the-moment.
Since its inception in 2016, Solwey Consulting has built more than eighty digital solutions, such as an online logistics system for perishable goods and an AI-driven machine learning system for data researchers, according to the company.
In tandem with the 23rd birthday of the ISS, the debut of the ‘Spot the Station’ app for iOS and Android.
Visit Solwey Consulting’s website for more details about their AR software development services.
