New augmented reality app lets you discover the International Space Station

November 22, 2023 - Solway Consulting是一家总部位于奥斯汀的女性拥有的小型企业，专门从事数据、设计和软件解决方案，最近宣布参与 NASA Development of custom “Spot the Station” mobile application.

Solwey said the project is part of a collaboration with Ensemble Consultancy under a NASA Open Innovation Services contract, known as NOIS2. Ensemble, a NOIS2 vendor, hired Solwey to develop, test and maintain the application.

Solwey was selected from 12 software organizations to create a unique application that combines augmented reality (AR) and interactive map visualization. The "Spot the Station" app enables users to track the International Space Station (ISS)，并在其位于附近时通知他们。 该应用程序集成了 AR 技术，将国际空间站的轨迹与手机摄像头视图叠加，增强观星体验。

"We've learned a lot while working with a big brand like NASA on a cutting-edge project designed to inspire and educate so people around the world can experience the awe-inspiring sight of the space station passing overhead," commented Andrew Drach, Solwey co-founder and CEO. "This project is a testament to how customized software can help solve some of the biggest challenges facing society, and it exemplifies our commitment to providing cutting-edge solutions to address the unique challenges of different industries."

The "Spot the Station" app provides a user-friendly interface that provides a list of upcoming opportunities to see the International Space Station based on a selected location. It also features 2D and 3D interactive maps that track the International Space Station's current path around the world. You can access additional resources within the app, including news and details about the station.

Solwey's technical contributions to the project include developing open source React Native code for both the front-end and back-end, compatible with iOS and Android platforms. also, Solwy said the public can submit updates to the open source code repository, which is managed and maintained by Solwey engineers NASA's GitHub account.

"Helping create the Spot the Station app has been an exciting endeavor that pushes our creative boundaries. Every user experience unlocked by the app is enabled by efficient backend code developed by our team that The code receives data from the space station, calculates its real-time trajectory and current position in space relative to the location provided by the user, and generates future lists Monika Jociun, co-founder and creative director of Solwey

Solwey Consulting pointed out that since its founding in 2016, the company has developed more than 80 digital products, including a logistics platform for perishable items and an artificial intelligence machine learning platform for data scientists.

The "Spot the Station" app is now available for download iOS system and Android platform, whose launch coincides with the 23rd anniversary of the International Space Station.

For more information about Solwey Consulting and its custom augmented reality software solutions, visit the company’s website.

Image source: Solwey Consulting