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Android App

This section will deep dive into the Android application of our project.

What you will need:​

We will not be going over installing any software as it is a straightforward process.

  • Android Studio
  • Android Emulator
  • Physical Android device (for Bluetooth testing - emulator does not support Bluetooth)
  • Java SDK
  • Python installed on your system

Setting up the Android App​

  1. Head to our GitHub repository and clone or download the project to your local machine.

    • Ensure you have the dev branch selected.
    • Head to the directory SafeStep/App_Prototype and open the project in Android Studio like so:
      1. Open Android Studio and click File -> Open ->
      2. Navigate to the SafeStep/App_Prototype directory and select the App folder.
      3. Click OK and your project should open in Android Studio.

  2. Set up chaquopy in the project:

    • Chaquopy is a plugin that allows you to run Python code in your Android application.
    • We've done all the setup prep, all you need to go is navigate to your Gradle Scripts and open the build.gradle (Module: app) file.
    • Look for buildPython under defaultConfig and change the path to the location of your Python executable.
      • This is important for the Python code to run on your Android device.
    • Now do a Gradle build by clicking the Sync button that appears at the top right corner of Android Studio.

  3. Upon a successful build, you should now be able to run the application on an emulator or physical device.

    • To run the application on an emulator, click the Run button in the top right corner of Android Studio.
    • To run the application on a physical device, turn your device on developer mode and connect it to your computer via USB. Then click the Run button in the top right corner of Android Studio.

Current Features​

  • Login and Registration
  • Bluetooth connectivity
  • Profile page
    • Users can view and edit their profile information
  • Pairing page
    • Users can pair their device with a device (the Pico)
  • Debugging page
    • This was really just for testing purposes and can be removed in the future
      • You can see current connected device
      • You can get the latest temperature and pressure readings at will
      • You can send MOCK GET requests to the server
      • You can send MOCK POST requests to the server

Important Classes​

  • ApiService

    • This class is responsible for making API calls to the server.

  • BluetoothService

    • This class is responsible for handling Bluetooth connectivity.

  • Helper

    • This class contains helper methods that are used throughout the application:
      • URL - the base URL for the web server in which the API calls are made.
      • getToken method which is used to get the token from the shared preferences.
      • Should be refactored in the future to include more helper methods. A lot of things could of been added here.