Pilot Project Platform

Brief Description

The application is designed to display, in a dynamic way, points of interest and services existing within specific distance range from important locations such as harbors, airports etc.

Information is displayed live (thru a specially designed API), and is extracted from one or more databases were relevant data is stored and also from independent databases via WEBSERVICES¹ (Ferries, Buses, Hotels etc).

The target of the application is to provide users information for points of interest and services. Users can navigate on an interactive map and have access to valuable information such as:

• Distances from a basic destination,
• Service or point of interest description,
• Photographs,
• Street View
• Navigation to/from a basic destination etc

Live itineraries for ferries and other transportation means Furthermore users are able to filter points of interest based on their category and to locate a specific point from a presented list.

Finally a list of offers/ discounts which are valid for the running period is supplied.

Basic technical characteristics:

• The application is developed by using Javascript, HTML5 & CSS • It can be displayed on all devices thru web app and on android as ab application [hybrid apk]
• ¹ The application includes two API Integrations [Marinetraffic & FORTHCRS]

Administration Module

 Main Screen (Map)

 Tracking of User Location

During application startup, user is prompted to accept tracking of his current location from his device or his browser. In case user accepts his current position appears on the map with different color (with a different marker). This information is vital to the applications because based on current user location all beyond distance calculations to points of interest are made.

 Search Options

On the left application panel user can select:

Basic location / destination.

With every location choice the application “loads” the corresponding Service Types, so as for the user to select them provided that they constitute part of his selection criteria.
The location that is declared as default, in the administration platform appears as selected.
Location choice is enough for the user to search points of interest on the map.
By pressing the “SEARCH” button, the application performs the relevant search and the map will be populated with all the points of interest and services for further use.

Furthermore the user can set a series of additional criteria in order to limit down the number of the projected results such as:

• Service category (e.g. Hotels, restaurants etc)
• Select out of more criteria, as distance or price of offered services etc
• Finally can alter the type of the map appearance

Search Criteria

 

 

The search results and the marker of the basic destination appear immediately on the central container of the application.

Points of interest appear as a total thru a clustering model so as the to limit the required time of presenting all markers of interest at the initial stage of search.
On every cluster image the total number of
“points of interest” located underneath it is written.
Depending on the device used the user can enlarge or shrink the displayed map (using the focus tools +/- or the mouse).

By selecting an image cluster the application enlarges (zooms in) even more on the map until all underlining points of interest appear in order to be eligible for selection (called markers from here after).

The application depending on the used device, screen analysis and the number of, Configures correspondingly the way that the results appear on the screen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Point of interest Information

Points of interest (markers) appear on the map when the user has arrived at the desired level of focus. Every category has its own icon (marker image) which declares approximately the type of service it offers. User can select one marker and consequently see all the associated information.

More specifically for every point of interest the following features are supplied:

• Distance and duration (using vehicle) from departure point.
• Distance and duration (using vehicle) from current user position.
• Projection of point of interest/service elements (description, photo gallery, basic distances per various transportation means, address and contact information).
• Street View
• Instructions of how to arrive at the destination point
• Select offers or/and discounts(in case they exist)

 

 

 

POI Information

 

 

Distance calculation
Application can perform distance calculation from departure point or/and users current location (provided that access has been granted). Switch is performed by a simple click on the corresponding markers.

Offers / Discounts

The user with one glance has the ability to track all offers at his destination, which appear on the right side of the menu.

By pressing on the menu (Offers), appears a separate page with a list of all supplied offers.

By pressing on the menu (Offers), appears a separate page with a list of all supplied offers.

Itinerary List [Time Table]

User can select to display itineraries (departures/arrivals) that refer to a specific selected location, just by pressing on the location marker. For the time being itineraries only refer to ferry departures/arrivals ^*.

The list refers to itineraries which are going on a selected date and within a specific day range, users have the ability to select starting date via a relevant date picker.

^* Projected itineraries are available thru an existing Web service for ferries)

Result Filters

After every search request for points of interest, the user by pressing the right button menu can see the panel with the filter choices of the displayed results.

There are two tabs on the panel. On the first tab [TYPES] appear for selection the categories of interest of the current search, and on the second tab [LIST], an analytic list of points of interest that can be selected.

Consequently the user can from the first tab, limit down the projected points of interest by selecting one or more service categories and from the second tab select and focus on the map a specific service.

In parallel the user knows per case the total number of the displayed services (right badge).

These choices are adjusted per search request.

With every user choice the map is reconfigured based on his last request.

Toolbar

On the tool bar there are four choices (starting from the left):

1. A brief description of the project EA SeaWay
2. Live presentation of current ferries locations that depart or arrive at the selected port [as basic location]
3. Refocus on the basic location
4. Refocus on last selected service.

Presentation of ferries current location
The user by pressing the corresponding button is able to see the current ferries location that are departing or arriving at the chosen harbor ( WEBSERVICES connecting to marinetraffic service).

Ferry icons declare their heading, whilst by selecting them information pops up : Ferry operator name, ferry name, dates and times of departure and arrival.