This class can be used to retrieve information from GPS receivers using the NMEA 0183 protocol to obtain GPS information. NMEAParser is written to allow the interaction between a laptop, a Bluetooth GPS Receiver and a Palm PDA. With this hardware configuration you can move along the streets of your city experiencing a DIY locative media platform (a very cheap one!).
NMEA Parser Class decodes the coordinates received through the GPS receiver, determines in real-time latitude and longitude and when enters an area of interest downloads and displays relevant contents: texts, images, videos and sounds. The system aims at augmenting the physical exploration of a certain area, by conveying the multiplicity of events, characters and features relating to it. The modularity of the system allows its use in different contexts such as city districts, archeological paths, ecologic museums or botanic gardens.
PS. It can connect to a GPS receiver via serial port under Windows or Mac OS X. It could be expanded for any kind of hardware supporting Apache WS.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
http://www.netzfunk.org/usr/d/portfolio.php?w=cultural_luggage
http://www.netzfunk.org/tmp/cultural_luggage/?t=mats&l=it&set=func_det#techexp
NMEA Parser has been developed for the locative media artistic performance "Memoria Historica de la Alameda" made in Santiago de Chile, july 2005
http://www.memorialameda.cl