Extract and analyze GPS data with Go

Programming Snapshot – GPS Analysis with Go

Article from Issue 256/2022
Author(s):

For running statistics on his recorded hiking trails, Mike Schilli turns to Go to extract the GPS data while relying on plotters and APIs for a bit of geoanalysis.

The GPX data of my hiking trails, which I recorded with the help of geotrackers and apps like Komoot [1], hold some potential for statistical analysis. On which days was I on the move, and when was I lazy? Which regions were my favorites for hiking, and in which regions on the world map did I cover the most miles?

No matter where the GPX files come from – whether recorded by a Garmin tracker or by an app like Komoot that lets you download the data from its website [2] – the recorded data just screams to be put through more or less intelligent analysis programs. For each hike or bike ride, the tours/ directory (Figure 1) contains one file in XML format (Figure 2). Each of these GPX files consists of a series of geodata recorded with timestamps. In each case, the data shows the longitude and latitude determined using GPS, from which, in turn, you can determine a point on the Earth's surface, visited at a given time.

[...]

Use Express-Checkout link below to read the full article (PDF).

Buy this article as PDF

Express-Checkout as PDF
Price $2.95
(incl. VAT)

Buy Linux Magazine

SINGLE ISSUES
 
SUBSCRIPTIONS
 
TABLET & SMARTPHONE APPS
Get it on Google Play

US / Canada

Get it on Google Play

UK / Australia

Related content

  • Cave Painter

    While searching for a method to draw geodata right into the terminal, Mike Schilli discovers the wondrous world of map projections.

  • Google Chart

    The Google Chart API lets you draw custom graphs, charts, maps, and barcodes through a simple web interface.

  • Programming Snapshot – Go

    Every photo you take with your mobile phone stores the GPS location in the Exif data. A Go program was let loose on Mike Schilli's photo collection to locate shots taken within an area around a reference image.

  • Treasure Hunt

    A geolocation guessing game based on the popular Wordle evaluates a player's guesses based on the distance from and direction to the target location. Mike Schilli turns this concept into a desktop game in Go using the photos from his private collection.

  • Pathfinder

    When Mike Schilli is faced with the task of choosing a hiking tour from his collection of city trails, he turns to a DIY program trained to make useful suggestions.

comments powered by Disqus