Suggestions for Redneck Landwarrior System!

[PoeticInjustice]

Well, I know some of you know that my independent study is to design and write the code for the paintball gun from hell's controller board.

What very few of you know is that my senior project, that I'm working on with 4 other people, is a mobile telemetry application, what some of you may have heard me refer to as the redneck landwarrior system.

Each person that is equipped with it carries a small computer with a gps receiver and a radio modem, and they all broadcast their position to the others, so everyone who has one knows where everyone else is.

What I'm asking is, what else do you guys think the system should be able to do?

Text messaging is one thing that comes to mind, through a fast menu-driven system (think like the popup menu in NS or Empires).

Any other ideas?

Shane

[johnjacobjingleheimerschmidt]

a location based map of the area if possible(a small lcd is going to be expensive, but gps view of the area we're in would be invaluable.)

I would also like to suggest that, failing that, a sort of squad indicator be put into use, we're obviously going to have some kind of screen for the text messaging, perhaps something as simple as an arrow and a distance label describing position of other squad members and/or commanders/officers.

my summary: work team location into the mix. there'll obviously have to be an easy way of adjusting which particular unit is considered a "squadmate' etc. but you're the designer, I"m jsut an idea man *wink*

[PoeticInjustice]

Well, I figure that what's most likely is each squad leader gets one, but individual squad members don't. You as a squad leader should probably know where your mates are. And this allows the commander to instantly know where you as a squad leader are, and thus, knows where the rest of the squad is.

The final hardware is probably going to be, $200 or so at least, but I have several laptops available from the school to do prototyping on.

Each will have some sort of display for visual feedback, probably a small LCD.

An map overlaid with everyone's position is the basic interface.

They will also have to have some sort of keyboard-type interface, not sure on that one yet, but, I don't need to make any changes to the software for that.

[johnjacobjingleheimerschmidt]

that makes sense. I understnad the system now a bit better. thanks. can't really think of much else I'd need...maybe a coffee maker?

[PoeticInjustice]

though, come to think of it, I probably could hack together a *really* cheap version with no display, that each member carries and it would just allow the leader to know where squad members would be. and it'd be cheaper cause I could use a really low range radio, zigbee or something. ($20-40 a pop, instead of $100 or more)

But I'm not that worried about that. I figure if we can outfit a few squadleaders with it, its good enough

[johnjacobjingleheimerschmidt]

yessirreee bob. though I also think it'd be a most fun thing to add to the system later on. once money becomes less of an issue

[PoeticInjustice]

Okay, I'm going to have a sort of messaging system built in to the system. Here's a list of possible messages to send so far. I think they should be largely self-explanatory. Don't mind the "message," "locationmessage," etc stuff after the message names, that's to deal with programming them...

Anyway, can you guys think of anything useful that's missing?
Thanks!

Custom Messages:
	Send unit names (associates displayed name to MAC/ID)(could be a list?)
	Get unit names Message
	Need orders/Standing by Message
	Acknowledge orders Message
	Refuse orders Message
	Orders to send:
		Position based:
		Move to position LocationMessage
		Reinforce Unit (at position?) LocationMessage
		Attack target LocationMessage
		Defend targetLocationMessage
		Hold Position Message
		Unit strength query (how many members do you have left?) Message
		Unit status query (sit-rep) Message
		Return to base Message
	Need Backup Message
	Need Backup at specified position (select pos. on map) LocationMessage
	Send Current Unit strength (show popup to select number of squadmates left)
	Target in sight Message
	Possible Enemy spotted (popup for number?)
	Unit Status:
		Waiting/Idle
		Holding Position
		Under attack
		Attacking
		Moving to position
	Custom text(user entered per message[chat])

[PoeticInjustice]

Current version of the list:

Individual Coordinates – addressed to “master” LocationMessage
All Coordinates – broadcast – AllCoordinatesMessage 
Visibility Vector – broadcast – VisibilityVectorMessage 
ACK? Message?
NAK? Message?
Custom Messages:
	Send unit names (associates displayed name to MAC/ID)(could be a list?)
	Get unit names Message
	Need orders/Standing by Message
	Acknowledge orders Message
	Refuse orders (add popup of some sort for reasoning?) Message
		Enemy Strength stronger than first estimated 
		pinned down 
		in no position to complete order 
		unit under strength 
		unit under supplied
		unit dead
		unit engaged in other actions 
	Orders to send:
		Position based:
		Move to position LocationMessage
		Reinforce Unit (at position?) LocationMessage
		Attack target LocationMessage
		Defend targetLocationMessage
		Hold Position Message
		Unit strength query (how many members do you have left?) Message
		Unit status query (sit-rep) Message
		Return to base Message
	Need Backup Message
	Need Backup at specified position (select pos. on map) LocationMessage
	Send Current Unit strength (show popup to select number of squadmates left)
	Target in sight Message
	Possible Enemy spotted (popup for number?)
	Unit Status:
		Waiting/Idle
		Holding Position
		Under attack
		Attacking
		Moving to position
		Waiting for reinforcements
	Custom text(user entered per message[chat])

[johnjacobjingleheimerschmidt]

I think that about covers it, can't think of anything I'd really need to say beyond that...now make that quick and easily accessable and we'll be on a roll!

[PoeticInjustice]

Yea, ideally I want to figure out an interface where it shouldn't take more than 3-5 seconds to send any of those messages. Or, at least most of em.

Haven't figured that out yet exactly, but I have a few ideas.

Anyone like the idea of a gun-mounted trackball?