As Australia's second oldest city, Newcastle has gone through a raft of transformations over the years. The 'steel city' may now have a blossoming reputation as an arts and culture hub, but in days gone by it has served as a penal outpost for the most dangerous of convicts and an industrial centre facing the ravages of WWII.
Today, Newcastle is better known for its relaxed locals and pristine beaches, a city where the working wharves are becoming places of play and the emerging food and coffee scene is enough to make any out-of-towner green with envy. Though the city has changed constantly over its 200-year existence, you're always guaranteed your visit will be something special when you make the trip to 'Newy'.
BY PLANE: Newcastle Airport is your gateway to TiNA with direct flights from Brisbane, Gold Coast, Ballina/Byron Bay, Sydney, Canberra, and Melbourne. Located approximately a 25-minute drive north of Newcastle, you can get to the city by car, shuttle bus, public bus, taxi, rental car, and hire car/limousine. For more info on transport between Newcastle Airport and the CBD, head to www.newcastleairport.com.au.
BY TRAIN: If you're coming from Sydney, jump on one of the regular Newcastle and Central Coast services, which will get you here from Central Station in a matter of hours. Plan your trip at www.transportinfo.com. If you're visiting us from up north, Trainlink services run from Brisbane and the Northwest stopping at Broadmeadow. Don't forget, trains terminate at Hamilton, so you'll need to grab a bus to get to the city from there.
BY BUS: Hitch a ride on a Greyhound and make the trek to Newcastle by bus from Sydney's Central Station, Brisbane's Coach Terminal and Melbourne's Travel Centre (www.greyhound.com.au). Once in Newy, buses are a breeze, with free travel across the CBD (www.newcastlebuses.info).
TWO WHEELS: Newcastle is mostly flat and the venues are pretty close together so you'll have no problem moving around the festival precinct.
BY TRAIN: If using rail note that trains terminate at Hamilton and no longer run to Wickham, Civic or Newcastle Stations. For timetable information visit sydneytrains.info/timetables and then search Central Coast and Newcastle line. From Hamilton you will need to catch a bus into town.
LOCAL BUS SERVICES: For full timetable of local bus services beyond the free CBD zone, call 131 500 or go to the State Transit website.
FREE CBD BUSES: Jump on Newcastle buses between 7.30am and 6pm and travel free in the CBD. The Fare Zone is indicated by signs on the bus stops, but extends from Newcastle Station to just on the edge of Hamilton. Travel is covered from the beaches, up Darby Street, right along Hunter Street to the backpackers both in Hamilton and Newcastle East.
What else to do?
The Artists' City Walking Tour: If you're keen to get out and explore Newcastle for yourself while at TiNA, what better way to do it then a free self-guided walking tour which celebrates the artistic side of the harbour city. Starting at one of the favourite drawing spots of much loved Australian artist Margaret Olley, the tour meanders across the city streets past a number of breathtaking outdoor art installations, before winding up at the Newcastle Art Gallery in Cooks Hill. Go here to find out more about the tour and download a free map.
Beaches: Novocastrians pride themselves on the abundance of amazing beaches that surround our city, with many of them just a stone's throw away from the CBD. The festival is located within Newcastle East, meaning both Newcastle and Nobbys Beaches are just minutes away on foot.
Newcastle Memorial Walk: Newcastle is a town known for its breathtaking scenery, and what better way to soak it all in then a stroll along the brand new Memorial Walk. Built to commemorate the ANZAC centenary, the walk is part of the Bathers Way, which connects Nobbys Beach in the CBD to Merewether. Providing a 360-degree view of the coast and city, this is one pathway you don't want to miss.
Looking for more arts and cultural things to do whilst in Newcastle? Check out Culture Hunter, the online arts directory and information hub for the Newcastle and Lower Hunter region.


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Essays on Impact of Technology
An impact of technology on society essay is popular nowadays because it reflects a great concern people have about the direction and speed with which society adopts new technologies and is fundamentally transformed by them. Whereas in ancient times, life has been the same for hundreds of generations, nowadays, every ... generation lives in a significantly transformed world and has to embrace continuous change as the only constant – learning how to adapt to these changes is highly important, which justifies the relevance of the topic. The current impact of technology on society is viewed nowadays especially through the prism of computers and Internet technologies. Explore the essays below for a selection of topics related to the impact of technology on society.
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Patent application title: UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE, COMMUNICATION METHOD, AND PROGRAM
The present disclosure relates to an unmanned aerial vehicle, a communication method, and a program capable of more accurately identifying an identification target. A communication unit receives identifier information regarding an identifier corresponding to context information of flight, and a control unit extracts feature information by using the identifier information from sensor data acquired by a sensor mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle. Further, the communication unit transmits the extracted feature information to a server. The technology according to the present disclosure is applicable to a drone.
1. An unmanned aerial vehicle serving as an unmanned aircraft, comprising: a control unit that extracts feature information from sensor data acquired by a sensor mounted on the unmanned aircraft; and a communication unit that transmits the extracted feature information to a server, wherein: the communication unit receives identifier information regarding an identifier corresponding to context information of flight; and the control unit extracts the feature information from the sensor data by using the identifier information.
2. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit transmits the context information to the server, and receives the identifier information of the identifier selected by the server on a basis of the context information.
3. The unmanned aircraft according to claim 2, wherein the context information includes at least information indicating a flight plan regarding flight performed by the unmanned aircraft and information indicating a flight environment of the unmanned aircraft.
4. The unmanned aircraft according to claim 3, wherein the communication unit receives flight plan information indicating the flight plan and the identifier information corresponding to the flight plan.
5. The unmanned aircraft according to claim 4, wherein the control unit performs sensing using the identifier corresponding to the flight plan by controlling the sensor during flight according to the flight plan.
6. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the information indicating a flight environment includes at least one of position information, time information, or weather information of the unmanned aircraft.
7. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the position information indicates a latitude and a longitude.
8. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the weather information includes wind speed information and wind direction information.
9. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the information indicating a flight plan includes at least one of a flight path, a flight purpose, a sensing target, or time information regarding sensing flight.
10. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the flight path is indicated by a waypoint.
11. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the flight purpose includes at least one of a topographic survey or inspection of a structure.
12. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the sensing target includes at least one of a ground control point, a damaged part of a solar panel, or a cracked part or a tile peeling part of an outer wall of a building.
13. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: the sensor serves as a camera that captures an image during flight; and the control unit extracts the feature information from a captured image acquired by image capturing using the camera.
14. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the control unit extracts, as the feature information, information regarding a sensing target identified in the captured image.
15. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the feature information includes at least one of position information of the sensing target or information specifying the sensing target.
16. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit receives, as the identifier information, at least one of information forming the identifier or information specifying the identifier from the server.
17. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 16, wherein the communication unit transmits, to the server, the extracted feature information and information regarding the identifier used for extracting the feature information.
18. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the information regarding the identifier includes at least one of the information forming the identifier or the information specifying the identifier.
19. A communication method comprising causing an unmanned aerial vehicle to receive identifier information regarding an identifier corresponding to context information of flight, extract feature information by using the identifier information from sensor data acquired by a sensor mounted on the unmanned aircraft, and transmit the extracted feature information to a server.
20. A program for causing a computer to execute the processing of receiving identifier information regarding an identifier corresponding to context information of flight, extracting feature information by using the identifier information from sensor data acquired by a sensor mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle, and transmitting the extracted feature information to a server.
[0001] The present disclosure relates to an unmanned aerial vehicle, a communication method, and a program, and more particularly relates to an unmanned aerial vehicle, a communication method, and a program capable of more accurately identifying an identification target.
[0002] In recent years, a captured image obtained by capturing an image of a ground control point with a camera mounted on a drone is used to conduct topographic surveys, inspection of structures, and the like.
[0003] In order to accurately detect a ground control point from a captured image, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology of extracting a feature value of a candidate area including a ground control point from a captured image in which the ground control point appears and identifying the ground control point on the basis of the extracted feature value.
Patent Document
[0004] Patent Document 1: WO 2018/123607 A
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0005] Because drones are used as general-purpose robots in recent years, there are various contexts (flight purpose, flight environment, and the like) for sensing a target by their flight. Therefore, a target to be sensed may not be accurately identified depending on a context.
[0006] The present disclosure has been made in view of such a situation, and an object thereof is to more accurately identify an identification target.
Solutions to Problems
[0007] An unmanned aerial vehicle according to the present disclosure serving as an unmanned aircraft includes: a control unit that extracts feature information from sensor data acquired by a sensor mounted on the unmanned aircraft; and a communication unit that transmits the extracted feature information to a server, in which: the communication unit receives identifier information regarding an identifier corresponding to context information of flight; and the control unit extracts the feature information from the sensor data by using the identifier information.
[0008] A communication method according to the present disclosure includes: causing an unmanned aerial vehicle to receive identifier information regarding an identifier corresponding to context information of flight, extract feature information from sensor data acquired by a sensor mounted on the unmanned aircraft by using the identifier information, and transmit the extracted feature information to a server.
[0009] A program according to the present disclosure is a program for causing a computer to execute the processing of receiving identifier information regarding an identifier corresponding to context information of flight, extracting feature information from sensor data acquired by a sensor mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle by using the identifier information, and transmitting the extracted feature information to a server.
[0010] In the present disclosure, identifier information regarding an identifier corresponding to context information of flight is received, feature information is extracted from sensor data acquired by a sensor mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle by using the identifier information, and the extracted feature information is transmitted to a server.
[0011] FIG. 1 illustrates an overview of a survey and inspection system to which a technology according to the present disclosure is applied.
[0012] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a drone.
[0013] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of hardware of a cloud server.
[0014] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration example of a cloud server.
[0015] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a flow of downloading identifier information.
[0016] FIG. 6 illustrates acquisition of context information.
[0017] FIG. 7 illustrates transmission of flight plan information and an identifier.
[0018] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a flow of extracting and transmitting feature information.
[0019] FIG. 9 illustrates image capturing of a ground control point.
[0020] FIG. 10 illustrates transmission of feature information.
[0021] FIG. 11 illustrates an amount of information to be transmitted to a cloud server.
[0022] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an operation of a cloud server.
MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0023] Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the present disclosure (hereinafter, referred to as "embodiments") will be described. Note that description will be provided in the following order.
[0024] 1. Overview of Survey and Inspection System
[0025] 2. Configurations of Drone and Cloud Server
[0026] 3. Download of Identifier Information
[0027] 4. Extraction and Transmission of Feature Information
[0028] 5. Operation of Cloud Server
[0029] 6. Others
[0030] <1. Overview of Survey and Inspection System>
[0031] FIG. 1 illustrates an overview of a survey and inspection system to which a technology according to the present disclosure (the present technology) is applied.
[0032] In the survey and inspection system of FIG. 1, topographic surveys, inspection of structures, and the like are conducted by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
[0033] As illustrated in FIG. 1, a ground control point 10 is placed on the ground. The ground control point 10 is manually placed or is placed by, for example, being scattered from an unmanned aerial vehicle such as a drone or a flying vehicle such as an aircraft operated by a person. Further, the ground control point 10 may be placed on a top surface of a drone so that the ground control point 10 itself moves.
[0034] Note that, although not illustrated, a plurality of ground control points 10 is placed on the ground in a case where a topographic survey is conducted.
[0035] The ground control point 10 may be made from paper, plastic, or the like on which a predetermined pattern is printed, or may be made by overlapping a flat material such as plastic or rubber having a predetermined shape. Further, the ground control point 10 may include a display panel such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic electro luminescence (EL) display that displays a predetermined pattern, or may have a structure to be unfolded like a reflector, for example.
[0036] An image of the ground control point 10 is aerially captured. In the survey and inspection system of FIG. 1, a sensor 21 serving as, for example, a camera is mounted on a drone 20, and the drone 20 is flown to capture an image of the ground control point 10 (aerially capture an image of the ground control point 10) by using the sensor 21 mounted on the drone 20. The sensor 21 may be an RGB camera, an infrared camera, a multispectral camera, a stereo camera for distance measurement, or other sensors. Further, the sensor 21 may be mounted on the drone 20, may be detachable from the drone 20, or may be included in the drone 20.
[0037] A method of aerially capturing an image of the ground control point 10 is not limited to a method using the drone 20. That is, an image of the ground control point 10 may be aerially captured by using, for example, a flying vehicle on which a person boards and operates, an artificial satellite, or the like, instead of the unmanned aerial vehicle such as the drone 20.
[0038] A captured image (e.g., a still image) acquired by the sensor 21 capturing an image of the ground control point 10 is transmitted to, for example, a cloud server 30 via wireless communication or wired communication.
[0039] The cloud server 30 performs image processing on the captured image transmitted from the sensor 21 to extract feature information of the ground control point 10 appearing in the captured image, thereby identifying the ground control point 10. Further, the cloud server 30 creates a three-dimensional model of topography of the ground by using the captured image transmitted from the sensor 21 and a result of identification (feature information) of the ground control point 10. Then, the cloud server 30 conducts a topographic survey of the ground on the basis of the created three-dimensional model and outputs a result of the survey.
[0040] The processing performed by the cloud server 30 may be performed by the drone 20 instead of the cloud server 30, or may be shared between the drone 20 and the cloud server 30.
[0041] By the way, in a case where the drone 20 flies to sense a target and the cloud server 30 identifies the sensed target on the basis of a captured image transmitted from the drone 20 as described above, time taken to transmit the captured image and time taken to perform identification processing delay output of a final result.
[0042] Therefore, for example, in creation of a three-dimensional model of topography, it is possible to reduce throughput in the cloud server 30 if the drone 20 extracts feature information of the ground control point 10 appearing in a captured image acquired by the sensor 21 mounted on the drone 20.
[0043] Further, in recent years, performance of an identifier used for identifying the ground control point 10 has been improved by deep learning or the like.
[0044] Thus, in the survey and inspection system of the present technology, the drone 20 extracts feature information of the ground control point 10 from a captured image by edge computing in the drone 20 and transmits the feature information to the cloud server 30, thereby reducing throughput in the cloud server 30. This makes it possible to output a result of a topographic survey with less delay.
[0045] At this time, the drone 20 receives, from the cloud server 30, an identifier (learned model) suitable for a context such as a flight purpose or a flight environment of the drone, and extracts feature information of the ground control point 10 from a captured image. Therefore, the ground control point 10 serving as an identification target is more accurately identified.
[0046] <2. Configurations of Drone and Cloud Server>
[0047] Hereinafter, configurations of the drone 20 and the cloud server 30 included in the survey and inspection system of the present technology will be described.
[0048] (Configuration of Drone)
[0049] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the drone 20 of FIG. 1.
[0050] The drone 20 includes a communication unit 51, a control unit 52, a drive control unit 53, a flight mechanism 54, and a storage unit 55.
[0051] The communication unit 51 includes a network interface and the like, and performs wireless or wired communication with the cloud server 30, a controller for operating the drone 20, or any other device. The controller for operating the drone 20 includes a transmitter, a personal computer (PC), and the like. For example, the communication unit 51 may directly communicate with a communication partner device, or may perform network communication therewith via a base station and a relay, such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), 4G, or 5G.
[0052] The control unit 52 includes a central processing unit (CPU), a memory, and the like, and controls the communication unit 51, the drive control unit 53, and the sensor 21 by executing a predetermined program.
[0053] The drive control unit 53 includes a circuit such as a dedicated IC or a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), and controls drive of the flight mechanism 54 under the control of the control unit 52.
[0054] The flight mechanism 54 is a mechanism for flying the drone 20, and includes, for example, a motor, a propeller, and the like. The flight mechanism 54 is driven under the control of the drive control unit 53 to fly the drone 20.
[0055] In the drone 20, the control unit 52 controls the drive control unit 53 according to, for example, a signal transmitted from the controller and received by the communication unit 51, thereby driving the flight mechanism 54. Thus, the drone 20 flies according to operation of the controller.
[0056] Further, the control unit 52 controls the sensor 21 according to a signal transmitted from the controller to cause the sensor 21 to perform sensing, thereby acquiring sensor data.
[0057] The storage unit 55 includes, for example, a nonvolatile memory such as a flash memory, and stores various types of information. For example, the storage unit 55 stores flight plan information 61 indicating a flight plan regarding flight performed by the drone 20 and identifier information 62 regarding an identifier corresponding to context information of the flight, both of which are downloaded from the cloud server 30. Details of the context information of the flight will be described later.
[0058] On the basis of the flight plan information 61 stored in the storage unit 55, the control unit 52 controls the drive control unit 53 so that the drone 20 flies according to a flight plan indicated by the flight plan information 61. Further, the control unit 52 extracts feature information from the sensor data acquired by the drone 20 by using, among pieces of the identifier information 62 stored in the storage unit 55, the identifier information 62 corresponding to the flight plan indicated by the flight plan information 61. Specifically, the control unit 52 extracts feature information by using the identifier information 62 from a captured image acquired by image capturing using the sensor 21 serving as a camera. The extracted feature information is transmitted from the communication unit 51 to the cloud server 30. Note that the feature information may be extracted from sensor data acquired by an infrared camera, a stereo camera for distance measurement, a distance sensor, or the like in the drone 20.
[0059] (Configuration of Cloud Server)
[0060] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of hardware serving as an information processing device of the cloud server 30 of FIG. 1.
[0061] The cloud server 30 includes a CPU 72, and the CPU 72 is connected to an input/output interface 80 via a bus 71.
[0062] In a case where, for example, a user (operator) operates an input unit 77 to input a command to the CPU 72 via the input/output interface 80, the CPU 72 executes a program stored in a read only memory (ROM) 73 according to the command. Further, the CPU 72 loads a program stored in a hard disk 75 into a random access memory (RAM) 34 and executes the program.
[0063] The CPU 72 performs various types of processing to cause the cloud server 30 to function as a device having a predetermined function. The CPU 72 causes an output unit 76 to output results of the various types of processing, causes a communication unit 78 to transmit the processing results, or causes the hard disk 75 to record the processing results via, for example, the input/output interface 80, as necessary.
[0064] The input unit 77 includes a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, and the like. The output unit 76 includes an LCD, a speaker, and the like.
[0065] The programs executed by the CPU 72 can be recorded in advance on the hard disk 75 or the ROM 73 serving as a built-in recording medium of the cloud server 30 or on a removable recording medium 81.
[0066] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration example of the cloud server 30.
[0067] As illustrated in FIG. 4, the cloud server 30 includes a communication unit 91, a selection unit 92, a storage unit 93, and a processing unit 94.
[0068] The communication unit 91 corresponds to the communication unit 78 in FIG. 3, and performs wireless or wired communication with the drone 20.
[0069] The selection unit 92 is realized by the CPU 72 executing a program, and selects an identifier corresponding to context information of flight performed by the drone 20 from a plurality of identifiers stored in the storage unit 93. The context information is transmitted from the drone 20 to be received by the communication unit 91 or is directly acquired by the cloud server 30.
[0070] The storage unit 93 corresponds to, for example, the hard disk 75 in FIG. 3 or the like, and stores various types of data and information such as a plurality of pieces of flight plan information, identifiers and pieces of identifier information corresponding thereto, and feature information extracted from a captured image and transmitted from the drone 20. The data and information stored in the storage unit 93 are appropriately used for processing performed by the processing unit 94.
[0071] The processing unit 94 is realized by the CPU 72 executing a program, and performs processing by using the data and information stored in the storage unit 93.
[0072] <3. Download of Identifier Information>
[0073] Here, a flow of downloading identifier information in the survey and inspection system of FIG. 1 will be described with reference to a flowchart of FIG. 5. Processing in FIG. 5 is executed, for example, before the drone 20 starts flying.
[0074] When the drone 20 acquires context information of flight in step S21, the communication unit 51 of the drone 20 transmits the acquired context information to the cloud server 30 in step S22.
[0075] The drone 20 may acquire information input by the user as the context information or may acquire the context information from an external device.
[0076] The context information includes at least information indicating a flight environment of the drone 20 and information indicating a flight plan regarding flight performed by the drone 20. The information indicating a flight environment of the drone 20 includes position information, time information, weather information, and the like of the drone 20. Further, the information indicating a flight plan of the drone 20 includes a flight path, a flight purpose, a sensing target, time information regarding sensing flight of the drone 20, and the like.
[0077] As illustrated in FIG. 6, for example, the communication unit 51 receives a global positioning system (GPS) signal transmitted from a GPS satellite 111, and thus the drone 20 acquires, as the information indicating a flight environment, position information indicating a latitude and a longitude of the drone.
[0078] Further, the drone 20 acquires time information and weather information as the information indicating a flight environment from a controller 112 including a PC.
[0079] The time information indicates a current time clocked by a clocking unit in the controller 112. The time information does not need to indicate time in minutes, and may indicate, for example, a period of time such as time in hours or may include date information indicating a year, month, and day. Further, the time information may be acquired from a clocking unit in the drone 20.
[0080] The weather information indicates, for example, weather at a flight site input by the user to the controller 112. The weather information may include wind speed information indicating a wind speed at the flight site and wind direction information indicating a wind direction. Further, the weather information may be acquired from an external device 113 that provides weather information directly or via the controller 112.
[0081] The flight purpose included in the flight plan includes details of a mission such as a topographic survey of the ground or inspection of a structure. Inspection of a structure includes, for example, detecting damage to a solar panel installed on the ground, detecting a crack or tile peeling of an outer wall of, for example, an architectural structure such as a building, and the like. Further, the flight purpose may include investigation for a growth state of crops, presence or absence of diseases, harmful insects, and the like, transportation of articles, and the like. Furthermore, the sensing target included in the flight plan is the ground control point 10 corresponding to the flight purpose, an inspection point of a structure, a point where a crop grows or has a disease, an article to be transported, or the like.
[0082] The flight path included in the flight plan is indicated by a flight altitude, a flight path (waypoint), or the like at/through which the drone 20 flies to achieve the flight purpose described above. Further, the time information regarding sensing flight indicates a scheduled start time, a scheduled end time, or the like of the sensing flight.
[0083] The information indicating a flight plan described above is input to the controller 112 by, for example, the user and is transmitted to the cloud server 30 as the context information via a base station 114 installed on the ground or directly from another device. Further, the information indicating a flight plan serving as the context information may be set in the drone 20 in advance and be transmitted from the drone 20 to the cloud server 30 via the base station 114.
[0084] Meanwhile, the information indicating a flight environment acquired by the drone 20, such as the time information and the weather information, is transmitted as the context information to the cloud server 30 via the base station 114 installed on the ground.
[0085] Returning to the flowchart of FIG. 5, the communication unit 91 of the cloud server 30 directly acquires the context information in step S31, and receives the context information from the drone 20 in step S32.
[0086] Thereafter, in step S33, the selection unit 92 of the cloud server 30 selects, from a plurality of identifiers stored in the storage unit 93, an identifier corresponding to the context information (flight plan) acquired by the cloud server 30 and the context information (flight environment) transmitted from the drone 20.
[0087] In step S34, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the communication unit 91 of the cloud server 30 transmits flight plan information indicating the flight plan included in the context information and identifier information of the identifier selected corresponding to the flight plan to the drone 20 via the base station 114. The flight plan information includes a flight path, a flight purpose, a sensing target, time information regarding sensing flight, and the like. Note that the identifier information may be included in the flight plan information.
[0088] In step S23, the communication unit 51 of the drone 20 receives the flight plan information and the identifier information from the cloud server 30.
[0089] Thereafter, in step S24, the control unit 52 of the drone 20 stores the flight plan information and the identifier information transmitted from the cloud server 30 in the storage unit 55.
[0090] The identifier includes a module and a parameter. The module is the identifier itself, and is defined for, for example, each type such as a flight purpose (a mission such as a topographic survey or inspection of a structure). The parameter is optimized by being adjusted for each piece of the context information to correspond to each type of identifier.
[0091] For example, for a module for a topographic survey, parameters optimized for position information, time information, and weather information at the time are used. Further, for example, for a module for detecting damage to a solar panel, not only parameters optimized for position information, time information, and weather information at the time but also parameters optimized for a manufacturer of the solar panel and the like are used.
[0092] For example, the module is an object in which a source code is built, and the parameter is information read into the object at or during activation of the object. Further, the module may include default values of the parameters.
[0093] The identifier information may be information forming the identifier itself (module and parameter) or may be information specifying the identifier. The information specifying the identifier may include an ID and version information of the identifier. Further, the information specifying the identifier may include information indicating the type of identifier according to the flight purpose (a mission such as a topographic survey or inspection of a structure).
[0094] Therefore, in the processing described above, either one or both of the parameter and the module of the identifier may be transmitted to the drone 20 as the identifier information. Further, only the information specifying the identifier may be transmitted to the drone 20 as the identifier information.
[0095] For example, in a case where the drone 20 holds a module of a specific type in advance, only a parameter corresponding to the module is transmitted to the drone 20. Further, in a case where the drone 20 holds a plurality of types of modules in advance, type information indicating the type of module and a parameter corresponding to the module of the type may be transmitted to the drone 20. Furthermore, in a case where the drone 20 holds modules and parameters corresponding to the modules in advance, only information specifying a required module and parameter is transmitted to the drone 20.
[0096] <4. Extraction and Transmission of Feature Information>
[0097] Next, a flow of extracting and transmitting feature information in the flying drone 20 will be described with reference to a flowchart of FIG. 8.
[0098] In step S51, the control unit 52 reads flight plan information stored in the storage unit 55.
[0099] In step S52, the control unit 52 reads identifier information corresponding to the read flight plan information from the storage unit 55, thereby setting an identifier used for extracting feature information.
[0100] When the identifier is set, in step S53, the control unit 52 controls the drive control unit 53 on the basis of the flight plan information, thereby causing the drone 20 to start flying according to a flight plan indicated by the flight plan information.
[0101] In step S54, the sensor 21 mounted on the flying drone 20 captures (aerially captures) an image of the ground as illustrated in FIG. 9. The captured image acquired by image capturing using the sensor 21 is supplied to the control unit 52.
[0102] In step S55, the control unit 52 identifies a subject (sensing target) appearing in the captured image by using the set identifier and thus extracts feature information from the captured image. As described above, the control unit 52 performs sensing using the identifier corresponding to the flight plan by controlling the sensor 21 while the drone 20 is flying.
[0103] In step S56, the control unit 52 determines whether or not significant feature information has been extracted on the basis of the identifier.
[0104] For example, in a case where the ground control point 10 is identified as a sensing target appearing in the captured image and feature information regarding the ground control point 10 is extracted, it is determined that significant feature information has been extracted. For example, position information of the ground control point 10 is extracted as the feature information regarding the ground control point 10.
[0105] Further, in a case where damage to a solar panel is identified as a sensing target appearing in the captured image and feature information regarding the damage to the solar panel is extracted, it may be determined that significant feature information has been extracted.
[0106] In a case where it is determined in step S56 that significant feature information has been extracted, the process proceeds to step S57.
[0107] In step S57, under the control of the control unit 52, the communication unit 51 transmits the extracted feature information together with information regarding the identifier used for the extraction to the cloud server 30. The information regarding the identifier may be information forming the identifier (module and parameter) or may be information specifying the identifier. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 10, a parameter of the identifier used for extracting the feature information and type information indicating the type of module of the identifier (type for each flight purpose) are added to the feature information as, for example, header information and are transmitted to the cloud server 30. Further, as the information regarding the identifier used for extracting the feature information, the module itself may be transmitted to the cloud server 30 separately from the feature information, instead of the type information of the module, or all identification results may be transmitted to the cloud server 30. Furthermore, as the information regarding the identifier used for extracting the feature information, an ID and version information of the identifier and information indicating the type of identifier corresponding to the sensing target serving as an identification target may be transmitted to the cloud server 30.
[0108] In addition, as the feature information, not only position information of the sensing target but also information specifying the sensing target may be extracted from the captured image and be transmitted to the cloud server 30. For example, as the information specifying the sensing target, an ID of the sensing target given by the identifier and the type of the sensing target, such as the ground control point 10, an inspection point of a structure, a point where a crop grows or has a disease, an article to be transported, or the like, may be extracted. Further, as the information specifying the sensing target, a state of the sensing target may be extracted, such as presence or absence of abnormality of the ground control point 10, the type of damage to a structure, and presence or absence of diseases and harmful insects of crops. Furthermore, as the information specifying the sensing target, a partial image in which the sensing target appears may be extracted, such as an image of a part of the captured image in which only the sensing target appears or an image of a predetermined range including the sensing target.
[0109] Still further, not only the feature information and the information regarding the identifier used for the extraction but also sensing data (e.g., the captured image) itself obtained by sensing may be transmitted to the cloud server 30 depending on the flight purpose such as, for example, a topographic survey using a three-dimensional model. The sensing data to be transmitted to the cloud server 30 may include, for example, not only the captured image obtained by capturing an image of the sensing target but also a captured image obtained by capturing an image of another range. The sensing data may be an image of a specific wavelength acquired by an RGB camera or an infrared camera, or may be data obtained by indexing an image by predetermined calculation, such as the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Further, in a case where the flight purpose is to detect a structure such as a topographic survey, the sensing data may include depth information like three-dimensional data such as point cloud data.
[0110] After the feature information and the like are transmitted to the cloud server 30, in step S58, the control unit 52 determines whether or not the flight according to the flight plan indicated by the flight plan information ends.
[0111] In a case where it is determined in step S58 that the flight according to the flight plan does not end yet, or in a case where it is determined in step S56 that significant feature information has not been extracted, the process returns to step S54, and similar processing is repeated at regular time intervals.
[0112] Meanwhile, in a case where it is determined in step S58 that the flight according to the flight plan ends, the control unit 52 causes the drive control unit 53 to terminate the flight of the drone 20.
[0113] In this way, the drone 20 aerially captures an image of the ground, extracts feature information from the acquired captured image, and transmits the feature information to the cloud server 30 at intervals of, for example, several minutes or the like during flight according to a flight plan after starting the flight.
[0114] According to the above processing, sensing using an identifier corresponding to a flight plan is performed during flight according to a flight plan. That is, the drone 20 can more accurately identify the ground control point 10 serving as an identification target because the drone 20 extracts feature information of the ground control point 10 from a captured image by using the identifier suitable for the flight plan.
[0115] For example, even in a case where the drone 20 is flown for a topographic survey of the ground as a flight purpose and is then flown for detecting damage to a solar panel as another flight purpose, it is possible to accurately identify an identification target for each flight purpose by using an identifier suitable for each flight purpose.
[0116] Further, the drone 20 can more accurately identify the ground control point 10 serving as an identification target because the drone 20 extracts feature information of the ground control point 10 from a captured image by using an identifier suitable for a flight environment of the drone.
[0117] For example, in some cases, the ground control point 10 cannot be accurately identified depending on a degree of sunlight falling on the ground control point 10. The degree of sunlight varies depending on a place, time, and weather in which the drone 20 flies.
[0118] Therefore, by using an identifier corresponding to context information indicating a place, time, and weather in which the drone 20 flies, it is possible to accurately identify the ground control point 10 without being affected by the degree of sunlight.
[0119] FIG. 11 illustrates an amount of information to be transmitted to the cloud server 30.
[0120] For example, in a case where the information to be transmitted to the cloud server 30 is a captured image of 5456.times.3632 pixels in which the ground control point 10 appears, an amount of the information is 7,300,000 bytes (7.3 MB). However, in the captured image, a part (area) in which the ground control point 10 appears is about 20.times.20 pixels.
[0121] Meanwhile, in a case where the information to be transmitted to the cloud server 30 is position information of the ground control point 10 (a coordinate position of the ground control point 10 on an xy plane, width and height of the ground control point 10) extracted as feature information from a captured image in which the ground control point 10 appears, an amount of the information is 32 bytes.
[0122] For example, in a case where the flight purpose does not require that the captured image itself be transmitted to the cloud server 30, it is possible to reduce an amount of the information to be transmitted to the cloud server 30 by extracting feature information from the aerially captured image as described above.
[0123] Note that the context information may include information regarding a version of the identifier. For example, the drone 20 transmits, as the context information, information requesting the latest version of a parameter of an identifier corresponding to a topographic survey to the cloud server 30, with the result that identification accuracy of the ground control point 10 can be improved.
[0124] Further, the feature information extracted from the captured image is transmitted to the cloud server 30 during flight, and, in addition, the captured image in which the ground control point 10 appears may be transmitted to the cloud server 30 via, for example, wired communication while the drone 20 is on the ground after the flight ends.
[0125] <5. Operation of Cloud Server>
[0126] Next, an operation of the cloud server 30 after the feature information is transmitted from the drone 20 will be described with reference to a flowchart of FIG. 12.
[0127] In step S71, the communication unit 91 receives the feature information from the drone 20 and stores the feature information in the storage unit 93.
[0128] In step S72, the processing unit 94 performs processing by using the feature information stored in the storage unit 93.
[0129] For example, the processing unit 94 creates a three-dimensional model of topography of the ground by using the feature information (position information) of the ground control point 10 transmitted from the drone 20. Then, the processing unit 94 conducts a topographic survey of the ground on the basis of the created three-dimensional model, and outputs a result of the survey via the communication unit 91.
[0130] Note that information that is added as header information of the feature information and forms an identifier, such as a parameter of the identifier used for extracting the feature information, and information regarding the identifier used for extracting the feature information, such as type information of a module (identifier) and an ID and version information of the identifier, can be used to verify the identifier.
[0131] Specifically, for example, whether or not the parameter used for extracting the feature information is an optimal parameter and whether or not the module used for extracting the feature information is a module of a correct type are verified. Further, in a case where some parameters have not been transmitted due to interruption of communication or the like during transmission of an identifier to the drone 20, it is possible to verify which parameters have not been transmitted.
[0132] Those verifications may be executed by the processing unit 94, and results of the verifications may be output to the outside as an alert. Further, in a case where the context information is transmitted from the drone 20, an identifier corresponding to the context information may be selected on the basis of the results of the verifications.
[0133] Furthermore, the processing unit 94 may perform not only the verification processing described above but also comparison processing as to whether or not the identifier information corresponding to the flight plan information transmitted from the cloud server 30 to the drone 20 matches the information regarding the identifier used for extracting the feature information.
[0134] <6. Others>
Modification Examples
[0135] In the above description, the identifier is downloaded before the drone 20 starts flying, but may be downloaded during flight. Therefore, the drone 20 can perform different missions in one flight.
[0136] For example, when the drone 20 in which an identifier for a topographic survey has been set starts flying and finishes aerially capturing an image for the topographic survey, an identifier for inspecting a structure according to a flight environment at the time is downloaded to the drone 20 during flight. This makes it possible to continuously perform aerial image capturing for a topographic survey and aerial image capturing for inspecting a structure in one flight.
[0137] The present technology is also applicable to moving objects other than an unmanned aerial vehicle such as a drone.
[0138] For example, the present technology may be applied to automatic driving vehicles such as automobiles, trains, and new transportation systems. In this case, an identifier suitable for a running environment is downloaded to a vehicle, thereby improving recognition accuracy of other vehicles, people, signals, and the like in an image captured while running.
[0139] Further, the present technology may be applied to a robot vacuum cleaner. In this case, an identifier suitable for a cleaning environment is downloaded to the robot vacuum cleaner, thereby improving recognition accuracy of obstacles in an image captured while running.
[0140] The series of processing described above can be executed by hardware or can be executed by software. In a case where the series of processing is executed by software, a program forming the software is installed from a network or a program recording medium.
[0141] Embodiments of the technology according to the present disclosure are not limited to the above embodiments, and can be variously modified without departing from the gist of the technology according to the present disclosure.
[0142] Further, the effects described in this specification are merely examples, are not limited, and additional effects may be obtained.
[0143] Furthermore, the technology according to the present disclosure can have the following configurations.
[0145] An unmanned aerial vehicle serving as an unmanned aircraft, including:
[0146] a control unit that extracts feature information from sensor data acquired by a sensor mounted on the unmanned aircraft; and
[0147] a communication unit that transmits the extracted feature information to a server,
[0148] in which:
[0149] the communication unit receives identifier information regarding an identifier corresponding to context information of flight; and
[0150] the control unit extracts the feature information from the sensor data by using the identifier information.
[0152] The unmanned aerial vehicle according to (1), in which
[0153] the communication unit
[0154] transmits the context information to the server, and
[0155] receives the identifier information of the identifier selected by the server on the basis of the context information.
[0157] The unmanned aircraft according to (1) or (2), in which
[0158] the context information includes at least information indicating a flight plan regarding flight performed by the unmanned aircraft and information indicating a flight environment of the unmanned aircraft.
[0160] The unmanned aircraft according to (3), in which
[0161] the communication unit receives flight plan information indicating the flight plan and the identifier information corresponding to the flight plan.
[0164] the control unit performs sensing using the identifier corresponding to the flight plan by controlling the sensor during flight according to the flight plan.
[0166] The unmanned aerial vehicle according to any one of (3) to (5), in which
[0167] the information indicating a flight environment includes at least one of position information, time information, or weather information of the unmanned aircraft.
[0170] the position information indicates a latitude and a longitude.
[0173] the weather information includes wind speed information and wind direction information.
[0176] the information indicating a flight plan includes at least one of a flight path, a flight purpose, a sensing target, or time information regarding sensing flight.
[0177] (10)
[0179] the flight path is indicated by a waypoint.
[0182] the flight purpose includes at least one of a topographic survey or inspection of a structure.
[0185] the sensing target includes at least one of a ground control point, a damaged part of a solar panel, or a cracked part or a tile peeling part of an outer wall of a building.
[0187] The unmanned aerial vehicle according to any one of (1) to (12), in which:
[0188] the sensor serves as a camera that captures an image during flight; and
[0189] the control unit extracts the feature information from a captured image acquired by image capturing using the camera.
[0191] The unmanned aerial vehicle according to (13), in which
[0192] the control unit extracts, as the feature information, information regarding a sensing target identified in the captured image.
[0195] the feature information includes at least one of position information of the sensing target or information specifying the sensing target.
[0197] The unmanned aerial vehicle according to any one of (1) to (15), in which
[0198] the communication unit receives, as the identifier information, at least one of information forming the identifier or information specifying the identifier from the server.
[0201] the communication unit transmits, to the server, the extracted feature information and information regarding the identifier used for extracting the feature information.
[0204] the information regarding the identifier includes at least one of the information forming the identifier or the information specifying the identifier.
[0206] A communication method including
[0207] causing an unmanned aerial vehicle to
[0208] receive identifier information regarding an identifier corresponding to context information of flight,
[0209] extract feature information by using the identifier information from sensor data acquired by a sensor mounted on the unmanned aircraft, and
[0210] transmit the extracted feature information to a server.
[0212] A program for causing a computer to execute the processing of
[0213] receiving identifier information regarding an identifier corresponding to context information of flight,
[0214] extracting feature information by using the identifier information from sensor data acquired by a sensor mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle, and
[0215] transmitting the extracted feature information to a server.
[0217] An information processing device including:
[0218] a communication unit that receives context information of flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle;
[0219] and
[0220] a selection unit that selects an identifier corresponding to the context information on the basis of the context information,
[0221] in which
[0222] the communication unit transmits identifier information regarding the selected identifier to the unmanned aerial vehicle.
[0224] The information processing device according to (21), in which:
[0225] the communication unit receives feature information extracted by using the identifier information from sensor data acquired by a sensor mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle; and
[0226] the information processing device further includes a storage unit that stores the received feature information.
[0229] the communication unit receives, from the unmanned aerial vehicle, the extracted feature information and information regarding the identifier used for extracting the feature information; and
[0230] the storage unit stores the received feature information and the information regarding the identifier.
[0232] The information processing device according to (23), in which
[0233] the information regarding the identifier includes at least one of information forming the identifier or information specifying the identifier.
[0235] The information processing device according to (23) or (24), further including
[0236] a processing unit that verifies the identifier by using the information regarding the identifier.
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST
[0237] 10 Ground control point
[0238] 20 Drone
[0239] 21 Camera
[0240] 30 Cloud server
[0241] 51 Communication unit
[0242] 52 Control unit
[0243] 53 Drive control unit
[0244] 54 Flight mechanism
[0245] 55 Storage unit
[0246] 61 Flight plan information
[0247] 62 Identifier information
[0249] 92 Selection unit
[0251] 94 Processing unit
2022-05-05 Stitched image


Brian Ames' Tribute to Elton John
To celebrate the release of the film chronicling the life of rock legend Sir Elton John, Brian Ames (composer and pianist) brings A Tribute To Elton John to Feinstein's/54 Below. Brian will perform some of the greatest hits, explain the stories behind the songs, and reflect on how the iconic piano player influenced his own career. It's sure to be a rockin' night that will launch you into the stratosphere!
Brian Ames (Carols and Keys)
Michael Brennan (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)
Samantha McHenry (Daddy Long Legs)
Caitlyn Renee
Lydia Warr (Dreamgirls National Tour)
Darnell White (Revelation The Musical)
Please note that all artists and acts are subject to change at any time.
Brian Ames
Samantha McHenry
Lydia Warr
Darnell White
Fri, Jun 21 :11:30 pm


Hawking My Projects II: 1 Million + installs with Freedoom for Android
Posted byMatthew Krupczak	 October 20, 2019 December 8, 2020
4 Comments on Hawking My Projects II: 1 Million + installs with Freedoom for Android
Why I made Freedoom for Android (open source):
Ever since getting a Playstation 2 for Christmas in the 2nd grade, I've been a fan of videogames as a way to keep mentally active. In my opinion, a great game generally incorporates some kind of core game system (e.g. an role-playing game with equipment and spells, or a first person game with gun-play) with some kind of open-ended exploration system that feeds into the main game and rewards creativity and risk-taking.
In Half-Life 2 for instance, you could play most of the main game completely oblivious to your surroundings, but if you were ever in a pinch you could scrounge around and find resources in unexpected areas (pull a cinder-block out of a basket to lower down a health-pack via pulleys? Genius.)
A different puzzle, but you get the idea…
Games for the small screen:
So, in college I found I was often too busy for games with lectures and homework and would often just read or play with my phone between classes. I've tried mobile games in the past, but I think my problems with mobile games can be summarized in two images:
Decent money, so you would expect decent games right?
Oh no. The %2-6 of "Whales" are critical to how mobile games are designed.
Unfortunately for most mobile games, they often operate on the freemium model instead of the paid model since users aren't as wiling to pay up front for mobile games, and they heavily court the top 2-6% of "whale" players who are willing to spend lots of money on in app purchases. This means the games are designed to be somewhat fun on the free tier, but not too fun, otherwise no one would pay. Also there's generally a core gameplay system, but instead of a "open-ended exploration" system designed to make gameplay more varied, there's generally a "add a small pain point to the gameplay that can be fixed with 💰💵 🤑 " system. Granted, many of these games are fun and have a lot of passion put into them, but I have a strict rule that:
If something in my wallet affects
How well I can do in the game
I probably won't have fun with the game
Alternatives?
So, my goals were to:
On a mobile phone or small, lightweight laptop
Find game(s) that can be played for 5-15 minutes at a time at a minimum
The games are deep enough to be fun to play for longer if time permits
So, I found that I ended up liking a lot of older games ranging from the early 90's to the early 2000's. 90's Games for the Super NES generally have beautiful pixel art with colors that pop on a smartphone's OLED screen, and the PC games of the 90's and early 2000's had excellent core gameplay and design creativity before advanced graphics made it too expensive for mid-sized studios to compete.
With platforms like retroarch nowadays, I could even play games on my phone with a Bluetooth controller and I could use scripts to have the save files sync across all of my devices.
Doom!
John Romero (game designer) plays Doom E1M1:
The original Doom from 1993 would fall under my definition of a "great game" because it has:
Great core gameplay system (fast and rewarding movement mechanics, varied and responsive enemies, etc.)
Interesting, expansive, and varied levels with hidden "secrets" that reward creativity, exploration, and risk-taking
Also, thanks to the technical genius John Carmack (+), the source code for the original Doom was released as "open source" to the public for anyone to tinker with and improve. As such, in the more than 25 years since the game's release the game has been a model example of an open source software community with loyal and active members, multiple new and updated versions, and countless add-on levels and mods.
What's great about open source software like Doom, or Firefox, Linux, and Apache is that anyone can use, improve, or redistribute modified versions of these programs and look at the source code that controls how the software runs. Open source can also work well for business, both for vendors and companies using software.
Freedoom:
While the Doom engine was released as open source, the game asset files (including monsters, music, and game levels) were kept under copyright by Id software and were not legal to redistribute. If the Doom engine is the "peanut butter", the Doom asset or WAD files could be considered the "jelly" of the game needed for the full, delicious PB&J. Without free and open source WAD files, it is impossible to distribute version of Doom that doesn't require a purchased copy of the original game.
A community rose to the task and created Freedoom, which is licensed under a BSD-like license and allows for modification and redistribution. It is also distinctly not Doom: the maps, music, levels, enemies, weapons are original works that are different than the original Doom, yet are still compatible with fan-made add-ons and mods. The terms of the license also means that it can be included or modified for free with Linux distributions, open source Doom engines, on app stores, etc. as long as the the license is included with the software.
Other common open source licenses, such as some versions of the GPL (i.e. the license with which Carmack released the doom engine) require that code is available to customers upon request
An example of a similar license, the "GPLv2" in the wild on Nintendo's NES Classic, which is based on Linux and other open source software
Publishing Freedoom for Android on the Play Store:
The Fork:
An open source developer had developed a fork of Doom designed to run on Android smartphones by using the native development kit (NDK) and published it as a paid app on the Play store, but it had been taken down due to a copyright strike at the time I was working. Another developer had taken the publicly published code of his open source components (as required by the GPL) and repackaged it as an open source GZDoom for android.
I decided to create something known in the software world as a fork of GZDoom for android and called it "Freedoom for Android" (forks can occur in software for any number of reasons, such as when MariaDB forked from MySQL or Amazon forked Elasticsearch). While I didn't strictly need to, I first got permission via email from both the GZDoom for Android developer and the Freedoom community to use their resources.
It was a bit tricky to get the project to build on my computer, and I ran into some frustrating build errors with the compilation of the C and C++ code that runs in a simulated execution environment with the NDK. By digging through "tombstone" stack dumps and working with the "GZDoom for Android" developer over email, I was able to debug the error outputs of the low level code and fix a problem in the game engine.
Once I had it building, I then decided to modify the code further to fix various bugs such as a file permissions error, problems with the user interface, and music not working in game with the default settings.
Install rate over the life of the app
Once I had built my app, I was able to publish Freedoom for Android to the Play store. I very quickly started receiving a growing number of users and installations.
Then, my app was taken down from the Play store due to a copyright strike. I was able to appeal it by submitting the emails I had received from the Freedoom community, emails from the GZDoom Android developer, and the open source software license that came with the code and proved I had the right to modify and redistribute the code.
In addition, I removed any mention of the word "Doom" in the description and replaced it with "everyone's favorite 1993 game" as well as adding a legal disclaimer at the bottom indicating that this game was not affiliated with Id or Bethesda. This seemed to do the trick and my app was re-published after review. I still believe the app was somehow hidden from showing up in trending pages or other areas of the Play store however, and think this might explain the reduced install rate after the strike.
how Freedoom for Android appears on the Play store
After publishing Freedoom for Android on the Play store, the developer of my upstream Delta Touch decided to continue development of his app and was able to fight his copyright strike and republish on the Play store (though he hasn't yet published his updated code as required by the GPL, tsk, tsk).
[Edit: it may be that he's publishing only the required GPL components such as the GZDoom engine, but not his full app packages or other modules which he formerly had as open source, which is understandable].
Bethesda (the current owner of the Doom franchise) decided to join in on the fun and release their own mobile port, but their initial launch was marred by online-only DRM and a 300Mb install due to using the Unity game engine in order to avoid using any GPL licensed code (for whatever reason?).
Internationalization:
By writing some GitHub integrations with a cloud translation service called Transifex, I was able to add translations for my app into many different languages. Because my project was open source, Transifex allowed me to use their service for free. I translated the Play store listing pages, set up A/B testing for the translations, and then published an internationalized version on the Play store.
After the update, I immediately started having more installs and more reviews in non-English languages. I got reviews ranging from a Hatian user with a phone with only ~250-300mb of usable storage who chastised me for the size of an app update (I deserved it) to reviews in Thai, Vietnamese, and a tribal dialect of Turkish.
Some of my translations weren't great; however, what was great about Transifex was I could invite reviewers and native speakers of each language to improve the translations (even if they had no coding experience).
Bundling
Around the same time, John Romero released for free a "megawad" map pack SI6IL for the 25th anniversary of Doom. I emailed him asking for permission to distribute SI6IL.wad with Freedoom for Android and I got a reply somewhere along the lines:
Sure thing! As long as it's the only wad of mine that you include 🙂
I also decided to include 10sectors.wad with the app. It was a community made map pack with small, action-packed levels that I figured would be fun to play in 5-15 minute settings on a mobile device.
"User Stories" of new features
I really liked playing through 10sectors.wad on the phone, and want to modify the app to make it easy to download and install new doom levels, or any of the plethora of existing wads on the idgames archive. The "killer app" for Freedoom for Android would likely be if you could download and play a small addon level on your lunch break. To plan for writing this feature, I wrote three user stories and drew a quick mock-up. This kind of thing is common in Agile software development.
If you're interested in contributing to this feature, this app, or anything else I'm interested in, feel free to check me out on GitHub.
Previous in this series:
Hawking my Projects I: Oscillating Avian (Game Boy Game in C)
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In pulling photo of Nikki Haley in front of Hindu swastika, Reuters failed as journalists
July 2, 2018 by Mat McDermott
In pulling photo of Nikki Haley in front of Hindu swastika, Reuters failed as journalists July 2, 2018 Mat McDermott
Over the past weekend Reuters India found itself at the center of no doubt unwanted attention.
During a recent trip to New Delhi, US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley was apparently photographed at a Hindu temple with a swastika in the background. I say 'apparently' because the photo with Haley in front of a swastika was pulled from the photo package Reuters was promoting.
Reuters has removed an earlier photo of U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley with a swastika seen behind her at a Hindu temple in Delhi. The swastika is an ancient religious symbol for Hindus and Buddhists. It was also used as a symbol by Nazi Germany https://t.co/rQa4VcIOdy pic.twitter.com/rJTUjd8C4f
— Reuters India Photos (@IndiaPhotos) June 28, 2018
It's unclear who instigated the deletion of the image: someone at Reuters or, equally as plausible, someone on Haley's team.
Criticism of Reuters on social media has been vocal. There's at least one petition circulating accusing Reuters of "trampling on the dignity of Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and other Indians" and calling on the Government of India "to act decisively to stop this scourge of global truth-piracy. The future of India will be secure only when its cultural borders are respected as clearly as its territorial borders."
I'm personally not sure that removal of a single photograph, whatever the motivation, is actually trampling on the dignity of Hindus. It's not as if all the images of Haley at Hindu sites in Delhi have been removed — she was photographed at Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, and Christian places, as well as with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
I do feel however that in acting as they did Reuters India rather cowardly missed an opportunity for education and failed as journalists.
Haley had a photo taken in front of a Hindu swastika. That is fact. Presenting that image to the public would've led to public questions, some of them perhaps uncomfortable, about what the image was about. Given the history of the swastika's use in the past hundred years by Nazis and Nazi-inspired groups, that's natural, if unfortunate. But shying away from the positive use of the swastika that continues enthusiastically to this day by Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains, is a failure of journalistic duty.
The job of journalists is not to shield the public from information that challenges their preconceptions. And with the swastika, in 2018, there are plenty of preconceptions.
This is something I've written about a number of times. Read more here, here, and here.
I won't rehash those pieces, but the short version is: The swastika is an symbol as old as humanity itself. It's been used, with stylistic variation, by many cultures in the world. It's been used similar to its use today in India and South Asia as a symbol of auspiciousness, blessing, and hope dating back to the earliest recorded settlements there. Until its adoption by the Nazis it was experiencing an upsurge in use in the West, in the exact same positive way as it is used in the dharmic traditions.
The only way we will be able to overcome misconceptions about the swastika as used by Hindus is by education. Make the general Western public so familiar with the image that they can easily separate our usage of the swastika from that of the Nazis.
On this International Day of Yoga, let's commit to mentioning yoga's Hindu roots
July 10, 2018 Interviews with non-Indian Hindus: Allegra Lovejoy
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Hillsong Worship Mi-kaisha Rose NEWS
Hillsong Worship Introduces New Leader Mi-kaisha Rose & New Single "Never Walk Alone"
Grammy® Award-winning and multi-platinum-selling Hillsong Worship releases their third single "Never Walk Alone" from their forthcoming new album These Same Skies.
"Never Walk Alone" follows on the heels of recently released singles "Fresh Wind" and "Hope of the Ages." This new song is written by Bethel Music's Jenn Johnson, Hannah Hobbs and Benjamin Fielding.
The team writes, "In every triumph and every failure" God is with us - guiding, comforting and protecting us. "Never Walk Alone" is a song of praise that expresses a heartfelt assurance anchored in the faithfulness of God.Our new single, "Never Walk Alone", is available everywhere. We pray that as you worship to this song, it would an anthem of remembrance, glorifying the God who goes before us and never leaves us. "Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, 'Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance.'" - Deuteronomy 31:7 (NIV)
Recorded live in California, "Never Walk Alone" features Hillsong's latest addition Mi-kaisha Rose on vocals. Mi-kaisha Masella is a proud Darumbal Murri and Tongan woman who is part of the inner city Aboriginal community of Sydney and the central Queensland Aboriginal community. Mi-kaisha is a social entrepreneur and political activist who has a national reach and is regularly featured on SBS, ABC and NITV. She frequently speaks about contemporary issues which impact young Aboriginal people.
Mi-kaisha is also a founding member of the Steering Committee for Kimberwalli at the Western Sydney Indigenous Centre of Excellence. She advocates approaches that allow young Aboriginal people to have a voice through creative expression; acknowledging that young people need different ways to express themselves, tell their stories and be heard. Mi-kaisha uses music to engage, inform and incite debate about issues affecting Indigenous people. She uses the medium of song to share strength and hope and celebrate the unbreakable, ancient connections we have with each other and with our culture.
Hillsong Worship has garnered 7 billion career streams and over 20 million career album sales to date. In 2018, the group earned its first-ever GRAMMY® for Best Contemporary Christian Music Song/Performance with "What A Beautiful Name" and has won nine GMA Dove Awards. While the GRAMMY® Award winning "What A Beautiful Name" topped the Christian Airplay charts for nine consecutive weeks and reached RIAA Platinum certification (900 million global streams), a host of others such as, "Shout to the Lord," "Who You Say I Am," "King of Kings," "Cornerstone," "Mighty To Save" and "This I Believe (The Creed)" continue to inspire, encourage and minister to millions of people around the globe.
Tags : Hillsong Worship Mi-kaisha Rose NEWS