DIY GPS Tracker With ESP32 - Python Application

In this project, we will make a DIY GPS Tracker With ESP32, we will use the MakePython ESP32 and A9G expansion board, it is a Python application.

I participated in a cycling event two weeks ago. After finished, I wanted to check the route and the speed I rode at that time. Unfortunately, it was not achieved. Now I use ESP32 to make a GPS tracker, and I will take it to record my cycling route next time. The GPS tracker can save the location and time information to the SD card, and this information can be processed and draw a chart of distance and speed with the PC software.

1. Materials for DIY GPS tracker

1.1 Hardware:

• MakePython ESP32 (WROVER Version)
• MakePython A9G, MakePython A9G expansion board is a GPS/GPRS dev board for MakePython.
• Battery
• Micro USB cable

1.2 Software:

• Python 3
• uPyCraft_v1.1

2. Hardware Connection

3. Software Programming on PC

3.1 Python 3:

• You can download it from here: Python3. Choose the 3.8.5 version, download and install it.
• "Add Python 3.8 to PATH" selection must be checked during the installation process, as Figure 1.
• If the library used by the program is not installed, the program will prompt when it is running. You can run the following command in cmd.exe to install libraries, as Figure 2.

pip install xxx   // xxx is library name
pip uninstall xxx   // xxx is library name
pip list    //   print installed libraries<br>

3.2 Code:

• You can get the python file from here: Code. The python file is “/Project_Gps-Trace-Analysis-master/Google_trace.py”.
• Draw a route on the map.

def create_html_map():
   gmap = gmplot.GoogleMapPlotter(lat_list[0], lon_list[0], 16) 
   gmap.plot(lat_list, lon_list)
   gmap.marker(lat_list[0], lon_list[0], color='blue')
   gmap.marker(lat_list[width - 1], lon_list[width - 1], color='red')
   gmap.draw("./map-trace.html")<br>

• Draw graphs of speed vs. time, distance vs. time.

 plt.subplot(2, 1, 1)
    plt.plot(time_list[0:-1], speed)
    plt.title("Average Speed:" + str(avg_speed))
    # plt.xlabel("Time")
    plt.ylabel("Speed(m/s)")
    plt.subplot(2, 1, 2)
    plt.plot(time_list[0:-1], total_distance)
    plt.title("Total Distance:" + str(round(total_distance[- 1],2)))
    plt.xlabel("Time")
    plt.ylabel("Distance(m)")
    plt.draw()
    plt.pause(0)
    pass