As the use of sensors iPhone changed approach to weather forecasting
Makradar Technologies / / December 19, 2019
meteorological application Dark Sky not a novelty, and the fifth is undergoing a major upgrade. He is not in Russia's App Store, and it is unlikely you have heard about it, but it is for the future of these programs. Revision "MakRadara" to find out why an updated Dark Sky 5 and iPhone 6/6 Plus output dramatically changes the approach to weather forecasting.
Adam Grossman, founder of Dark SkyFor a long time we have had to learn the prognosis of the state of weather stations. We trusted their data, consult with them about the weather. Nevertheless, relatively few such stations throughout the world, and they do not provide the proper refresh rate information.
The relevance of the data will be discussed. Applications for smartphones already passed the stage of passive consumption of information. A further aim - to turn them into devices that are actively generating the information. To do this, there are plenty of preconditions, chief among them - the fact that modern smartphones are filled sensors.
The idea of crowdsourcing weather was not invented in the Dark Sky. Back in 2013 Weather Signal for iOS and Android to update the information depending on the user-specific data about current weather conditions. Similarly "Yandex. Maps ", where traffic participants indicate the accident scene of the accident.
Dark Sky is now collecting data from the barometer iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.
Why is it important? The sensor 6 installed iPhone Bosch BMP280 to within +/- 1 hPa (compared to normal atmospheric pressure is 1013 hPa). Add to smartphones Apple news line Galaxy and Nokia 1020 and get even now impressive ratio of smartphones with built-in barometer to the total amount - 1/100. This trend combined with the transition of major weather stations with long-term forecasts on Nowcasting - study the weather situation for the next few hours - motivates the use of smart phones capabilities maximum. Already, private US company specializing in the study of short-term weather data, create iOS-app to get information from the built-in barometer.
Pressure - the best material for the study of weather. It reflects the structure of the atmosphere and is more reliable source of information than the wind speed or temperature. The pressure is measured inside and outside the building, even in the pocket of your pants. Numerous studies have confirmed that its indicators provide an accurate spatial characteristics of the atmosphere.
Simply put, there was a kind of revolution. With proper popularity of the service applications will be able to accurately predict the weather up to a minute for the next hour. Imagine the quality of predictions, when every city, hundreds of thousands of miniature weather stations regularly send the required data. The relevance of information in conjunction with notifications just save you from having to open the application: if the next few hours will rain - you'll learn it from the lock screen of the smartphone, or better still, by vibration hours. Something similar can currently offer service automation IF. If it will rain tomorrow, I get a notification and can plan the day ahead. The Dark Sky this function goes to a new level.
Now everything depends on the major market players. Google has not yet interested in aggregating information about pressure from Android-smartphone, despite the enthusiasm on the part of its engineers. Whatever it was, there was a change in weather forecasting. The technical part is made, it remains only to figure out how massively and correctly use it. Who knows, maybe, Apple's, is actively promoting the introduction of sensors and specialized co-processors in their smartphones, and will give impetus to further development of this technology.