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Car Black Box/Fight Recorder - Printable Version

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Car Black Box/Fight Recorder - me87 - 03-30-2025

Here’s the idea:
I want to make a phyphox experiment that tracks how a car moves, not too different from a plane’s black box or flight recorder. The data can then be exported as a .csv file, and then converted to a .gpx file to view the path the vehicle took. It won’t be too different from the Location experiment, but it will omit and format the data so it can be easily converted. I might also add a button so that a user can mark certain events and they will show up on the map.

I want to collect:
System time (hh:mm:ss)
Location (°)
Elevation (m or ft)
Velocity (km/h or MPH)
User input


The file would look something like:
time,latitude,longitude,elevation,speed,distance
19:02:34,29.85826475,-34.95838485,3,0.0001


Questions for the forum:
Would anyone find this experiment useful, or at least fun to use?
How can I default the experiment to system time?
What safety considerations should I include?
At what rate should I collect data?
Should/could I include a way to change the units within the app, or should I just have separate experiments?
Is there any feedback you have?


RE: Car Black Box/Fight Recorder - Jens Noriʇzsɔɥ - 03-30-2025

Some answers from “us” Smile
  • the system (start) time is stored in a separate .csv file (metadata) and I see no way with our file format to put it inside the first column
  • gps is (typically) at one date per second, that is likely both, fast enough and not too fast to get out of hand
  • you could also have exports in separate files in one experiment

What do you mean by “safety considerations”…?


RE: Car Black Box/Fight Recorder - Jens Noriʇzsɔɥ - 03-30-2025

FWIW, I remembered https://www.leafwindow.com/en/get-gps-log-with-phyphox-and-plot-it-with-wp-gpx-maps-en/


RE: Car Black Box/Fight Recorder - me87 - 04-01-2025

(03-30-2025, 10:42 PM)Jens Noriʇzsɔɥ Wrote: Some answers from “us” Smile
  • the system (start) time is stored in a separate .csv file (metadata) and I see no way with our file format to put it inside the first column
  • gps is (typically) at one date per second, that is likely both, fast enough and not too fast to get out of hand
  • you could also have exports in separate files in one experiment

What do you mean by “safety considerations”…?

  • Alright, I might just have to add the system time manually then if I wish to know the exact time I was somewhere.
  • I was planning on one reading per second, but I can't see in the editor how to change that rate anyways, since I'm using the "Location" block.
  • The separate exports is a good idea, I'll probably do it.

As for safety considerations, I was just thinking about ensuring a driver wouldn't be distracted (or I at least wouldn't be liable for it).


RE: Car Black Box/Fight Recorder - Jens Noriʇzsɔɥ - 04-01-2025

Manually in the sense that you need to “add” the start time, stored in a separate file, to the time stamp. Smile

I have not yet thought about changing that rate: TIL, rates can only be set for audio, bluetooth, and “sensors”, so it is not possible for location (or camera or depth). No surprise here, that you see no way in the editor.

You could add a warning with a confirmation button that needs to pressed otherwise the data is zeroed while processing – or not… Wink