The whole point is not using Google maps business. Rather, using the normal Google maps in Android somehow to run this for at least 450X which has Android. There definitely are a few things to figure out though.
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I used to sell Google Maps APIs. There are 3 options. Custom Maps with APIs (paid), android auto, and casting your phone. All three have legal, cost and functional implications. What Ather was doing in 2019 was a simple navigation, haven’t seen the latest yet. I think an asset tracking license could help them as that plan doesn’t limit the APIs called but that’s available for a very high number of assets which Ather might not have today. As a result they must be on pay as you go model and would use each API call judiciously which might be leading to some limitations.
Happy to get on a call with the team if anything is needed. https://www.linkedin.com/in/muditgandhi
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But does asset tracking support navigation and real-time traffic? Or are they just location pings? The main addition we are discussing being real-time traffic, tracking a shared (device) location on the map, etc. Any API level that supports this?
Yes agreed. And am also saying Google’s current business model may not allow Ather to just pick gmaps mobile because of how Ather plans to deploy it on a vehicle for reasons quoted.
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Asset tracking is just a different way of pricing the APIs, it gives all the same APIs.
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Thanks for starting this discussion @cyberboysumanjay, this is very well put in terms of how we build our maps. Since there is interest in how the maps on the dashboard are built and why we chose to do it a certain way, let me add a few points here.
First, some background about the dashboard itself:
We need our dashboard to integrate well with our vehicle, the UI provide to a complete riding experience, while meeting legal and regulatory requirements a two-wheeler is required to meet. For example, we cannot show full screen Google Maps - we need to overlay our speeds, range, tell-tales etc., on top of it. Lot of these apps come with additional restrictions when used for commercial applications like ours.
For this reason, we use a customised dashboard with AOSP as operating system, rather than an off-the-shelf Android tablet.
The other option is to go for “Android Automotive”… but currently, they are very much focused on cars, and we again end up facing issues as we are one of the first scooters with an Android-based touch-screen dashboard.
Having AOSP gives us freedom to do interesting things, but this also means that a lot of features which are available by default in your “certified” Android devices, are not available for us. This means we don’t have Play Store, Play Services, etc., due to which we cannot run a host of applications, including Google Maps.
So, we build our own maps application using the Google Maps API. However, the APIs don’t provide all the features the Google Maps app has. As you put it, they want you to “dine-in”.
These include offline maps, real-time traffic and “bike” navigation mode.
So, unfortunately, as much as we would like to, we are unable to currently provide these features. We are in constant talks with Google Maps to add newer features, so when any of these are available, we’ll pass it on as an OTA. Additionally, there will be non-API restricted/dependent features related to maps we will work on and make the experience better in the future.
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Thanks for the explanation. Two suggestions I would like in the current maps ui is
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Better visibility in dark mode. Dark Grey roads and dark blue route indication on a dark map does not help.
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Intelligent routing based on traffic condition. I believe maps API provides traffic data…
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Thank you for the info. I was thinking Ather is using the google maps app, and I didn’t know they’re using the API.
Even after the update 10.0.3, still the dashboard freezes when using navigation !
I wonder even the lower end mobiles handle google maps without any problem, why Ather’s system doesn’t!!!
Ather has to answer this !
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Loved the detailed yet simple explanation… Would love to see this implemented by ather
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@abhishek.balaji I wonder if we can get an API that gives out the data about our Ather like SoC and Range available. Using that API, we can make the Ather Smarter, like turning off the smart plug automatically when it reaches the desired percentage or showing the details on a smart mirror, etc… When the community starts developing, there are endless possibilities
A simple GET API with some level of authentication will do.
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@abhishek.balaji @ather Is this post actively ignored? At least you can reply with a simple yes or no.
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Absolutely! Ather can lead the way in getting their techie riders involved in so many ways.
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Lots of constructive posts are. Don’t waste your energy assuming that they’ll take feedback seriously.
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Wouldn’t that be nice to have an option to set navigation route on bike using your mobile ?
Coz it’s more easy and flexible to set navigation on mobile. Just choose navigation route on mobile and push it to navigation panel on bike.
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Ather’s maps are not even native it seems, i always had a doubt due to its sluggishness but yesterday it kinda revealed itself. It stopped working and there was an Javascript error, this only comes when you use Javascript Maps Sdk, not the android SDK… So yeah its not even native, its just a webview app at this point I think. Don’t know the reasons but it might be the cheaper API than android.
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definitely it is not a native app. There are only 8 apps installed in the vehicle and no maps.
for some i can’t include links here 
https://photos.app.goo.gl/vEAeZjSLjWi1kagy6
How did you reach this screen ?
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Go to settings > General > tap the VIN number multiple times. Then go to Android settings. Not sure it works on all vehicles.
It runs on Android 8.1, a 5 years old version, Android security patches were applied till Aug 2019, kernel 3.18, the support has ended for this version in 2015.
The vehicle is potentially vulnerable for hacks.
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Maybe, But what will hackers steal, there is only personal information available on the servers, and even those documents stored for displaying are not local copies. It’s true they should patch security bugs but they are soo lagging on development that even ola is beating them to a pulp in terms of OS and features.
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