SpeedAlert: a tool with an overlay that alerts you when overspeeding.

surfer63

Active V2.1 Download and install speed limit and camera databases from the app

Download from my github. Readme is here. Full Changelog
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Hi,

I decided to write another Android App named "SpeedAlert".
This was triggered by this discussion here "Speed Limit Warning", and then especially this post by @Mikescotland about this Speed warning only available in China as it is based on Amap SDK, which is only available in China.
After some hints from @Mikescotland, I decided to write an app based on OpenStreetmap and the OverPass API.

Note: You use this app entirely at your own risk. I am not responsible for incorrect functioning or incorrect use of the app. All responsibility for use, or incorrect use, lies entirely with you! Always follow the specified (temporary) speed limits and drive responsibly. Only use speed camera databases in countries where it is allowed.

All screenshots are in the below animated gif (resized to 50%).
Off course yo do not hear the "beep-beep-beep" in the "overspeeding" screenshot 😉

Find here a video of the Settings screen as of V2.1.

Mikescotland

surfer63 Very nice, I will test it. Maybe the overlay with speed could have a road sign (red border circle) appearance? I'll wait for mph as I drive in the UK. Thanks!

Bladesore

I too am excited to use this when MPH becomes available. Could you please update this post when that happens?

surfer63

V1.1: Big performance improvements and added functionality

Animated gif, resized to 50%. The screen automatically follows the system day-night mode.

Download from my github. Readme is here.

Changelog:

Add kmh (default) to mph switch.
Add overspeed tolerance slider with percentage and real speed (kmh or mph) switch. The overlay will still turn red when overspeeding, but the alarm "beep-beep-beep" will only trigger on overspeed setting (percentage or kmh/mph).
Overlay can now be dragged anywhere on screen and it remembers its position.
Change Kalman filter: This is used to smoothen "spikes" in the GPS chip measurements.
- The GPS chips in Chinese head units are not that good, but the chip in the Dudu7 is very good. So the accuracy tolerance in the code has been decreased (less miss-matches on parallel roads, viaducts/crossovers, etcetera)
- The Kalman filter has been set from "conservative" to "aggressive" (Google Maps settings). Speed changes will be reflected immediately and no longer be "smoothened" out.
GPS-location and "get_speed_limit" ran sequentially in one loop. GPS location is immediate (200ms), but internet speed limit call can take up to max. 10 seconds, which suspends also speed updates in the overlay. They now run in their own parallel co-routines/threads.
Move Debug scrollview (debug log) and the copy/share/empty buttons to a separate Debug screen via the new "Debug Screen" button.

Divakar

surfer63 Thanks a lot.

Bladesore

Thank you!!

Mikescotland

Divakar nice. Mph doesn't work, limit is 20 mph and shows 12 mph, it's like it's taking already mph from the API and treats it like kph. Maybe for UK API already gives you mph?
Edit yes, for UK API gives mph already. I switched to kmph and limit shows 20 kmph. Which should be mph.

surfer63

Mikescotland
Ah, thanks for the feedback. I could use the country identifier from Nominatim for getting the correct speed. This would not need a kmh/mph switch.
I just checked with overpass and the raods in England simply come in mph. No conversion necessary.

It sounded so logical to do a conversion calculation, but that's not necessary in a "mph country".

Bladesore

The beep sound scared the crap out of me this morning haha. Yes seemed to show limits lower than actual speed limit. Was going 19 in a 25 the and alarm went off.
Would it be possible to implement resizing the overlay? I would like to make it bigger on the 13" screen. And mute the alarm lol. I do enjoy it and plan to keep using it regardless. I'm thinking I can turn the volume off in the sound mixing on dudu but still have to test this.

surfer63

Bladesore

These 2 functionalities have been added (partial screenshot from emulator), but not released yet. That will be in the 1.2 version. Proabaly this weekend.

I added the volume slider and I changed the beep. Upon overspeeding it will immediately beep and then every 10 seconds when you continue overspeeding. But yes, I am thinking about an option to mute the beep.

I have not thought about resizing the overlay. The overlay texts/characters (and all texts/characters in the app) are sized in "dp" which should adapt to any DPI.
Are the textss/characters in the app itself also too small?

With regard to the "going 19 in a 25 area". Did you do anything with the mph/kmh switch?

Bladesore

surfer63 Yes I switched it to mph. I am in the US so I think it's the same as you just said to Mike. Mph country and all that. I'll try switching it back. I have not had much time to play with it yet. I pulled off a main road where the speed limit dropped to 25 mph and coming out of a turn, was going 19 and the beep went off. I then turned off the app. I try not to mess around with dudu to much while I am driving. Safety and what not.

surfer63

Bladesore

Well, I completely removed the kmh / mph switch and the code behind it. (removing is easier than adding it).
Like said: it was used for speed conversions, but that is nonsence. "mph countries" ("US" (United States), "GB" (United Kingdom), "LR" (Liberia), "MM" (Myanmar), "BS" (Bahamas), "BZ" (Belize), "KY" (Cayman Islands)) have road speeds already in mph. No conversion necessary. Only use the nominatim country identifier and when driving inside an mph country only change the extension: 50 kmh or 50 mph.
That is now how it works. I will test tomorrow (or so) and probably release in the weekend.

Bladesore

Also no the font is not too small. The first thing I tried to do is resize it tho lol so i thought I'd ask. No worries!

surfer63

V1.2: More functionalities

Download from my github. Readme is here.

Changelog

Add volume slider to decrease "beep" volume.
Play beep immediately and then only every 10 seconds on continuous overspeeding.
Make "Day" background from pure white to light grey.
Move speed lookup test to Debug screen
Move check overlay permission to debug screen
Overlay text:
- Make white "normal" text follow day-night mode as well (day-> white; night -> grey)
- Make a slider to reduce text brightness in the overlay from pure white to very dim.
- Make a slider to change overlay text in 5 steps: smallest, smaller, default, bigger, biggest.
Completely remove kmh / mph switch. It was used for speed conversions, but that is nonsence. "mph countries" (United States, United Kingdom, Liberia, Myanmar, Bahamas, Belize, Cayman Islands) have road speeds already in mph. No conversion necessary. Only use the nominatim country identifier and inside an mph country only change the extension: 50 kmh or 50 mph.
Switch to dynamic speedlimit radius depending on GPS accuracy to increase "get_speed_limit". The higher the GPS accuracy, the smaller the search circle to prevent mismatches (GPS accuracy <= 2.5m -> gps acc r=10m; <= 5m -> r=15m; gps acc <=10m -> r=20m; else r=25m)

For more info and screenshots, see the Readme.

Bladesore

I cannot figure out how to switch from km/h to mph. Is this something that is supposed to happen automatically or is there a setting I am missing? Excellent work so far tho, I do appreciate your effort.

surfer63

Bladesore
I now realize my second error.
Like mentioned above: "Completely remove kmh / mph switch".
Navigation apps like Google Maps, Waze, Magic Earth, OsmAnd, Here WeGo simply take the speed limit from the road and didplay that. So that does not require any conversion.
I now removed the conversion completely, but I forgot that the "current speed" should still be converted. It is converted from the GPS meters/second to Kmh, but in case of mph, it should also be converted from meters/second to mph.
I will try to release a "bug fix" "some time" tomorrow.

Bladesore

surfer63 Thank you so much!

surfer63

V1.3: Fix mph/kmh and settings to settings screen

Download from my github. Readme is here.

Changelog V1.3

Fix: Bring back mph/kmh switch with "Read this!" button. What does it do:
- SpeedAlert can convert both GPS speed and road speed limits.
- If you drive in a km/h country but prefer mph, both values are converted.
- If you drive in an mph country but prefer km/h, both values are converted.
- If your preference matches the country, no conversion is done.
- This ensures the display always matches your chosen unit.
Bring all the settings to a separate Settings screen.
Add an About button with alertdialog.
Button colors did not switch to night mode. Now they do.
Do some further AI translations of strings added after V1.0

Full Changelog

Gsibaja

Hello, first I want to thank you for this great work. I would like to ask two things:
1) when the audio notification (BEEP) is received; The music stops and doesn't play again. (via Bluetooth).
2) When the car is turned off, the app stops, and you have to reopen the app and start the service.

Divakar

Gsibaja @surfer63 Hi I'm sure the development is still in its infancy and most of these issues would be ironed out in the upcoming versions. I must say that it's a great initiative and looking forward to using it in the near future.

surfer63

Gsibaja
1) That is because I use the media player. I never listen to BT music and had not realized this at all. It must be possible as navigation apps do the same, but currently I have not looked into it.
2) I will build a switch in Settings "Start service on opening the app". I can't start it from boot as that would require my app to be a system app, which is not possible. I did not check if it can be automatically opened by one of DUDU's methods to start an app on boot.