Speaker
Mr
Luc Maisonobe
(CS SI)
Description
Software environments have changed a lot in the last few years, since the release of the first smartphones. From the typical Windows-Unix market, where languages like Java emerged as multi-platform solutions, new very different systems have appeared leaving the term multi-platform obsolete. To refer to an application that can run in different systems and platforms (Desktop, mobile, web…) we use the term Cross-platform.
CS Systèmes d’Information is the main developer of an open-source space dynamics library called Orekit. This library is coded in Java, to benefit of its multi-platform capabilities. Since this language is still largely used for space applications, the operational use of the library in a near future is not at risk. On the other hand, its utilization in new environments like mobile applications is restrained. Many different solutions have been tested to integrate the library in such environments. The main problems of these new platforms and devices are the heterogeneity of hardware and frameworks: very different screen sizes and resolutions, storage capacity, new GPU architectures with not fully implemented standards, battery consumption, multiple switching connections, variable signal, application and device life cycle…
The library is already able to run in Android, due to the fact that it embeds a Java virtual machine, similar to the one in Desktop environments. For the integration into other devices like Apple smartphones and tablets, mobile devices based on web browsers and others, two approaches were considered: convert the code or binary of the library to a language recognized by each device, or convert it to a Web language and use it everywhere.
Many source code and binary converters have been used without success due to the data interface of Orekit. Such a solution needs of many modifications in the library code to success the conversion. A solution that obliges to maintain different versions of the code and binaries was not desired, and the conversion to JavaScript requires the modification of all the data interface of Orekit, so this was saved as a possible solution in the future.
The last possible solution is to connect remotely Orekit, which demands a server and a fast internet connection, not very common in mobile devices.
To help with this study, the application STAVOR has been produced as an exemple. It uses Orekit as a space mission simulator, wrapping it in a touch-ready UI with some 3D and 2D visualization modules to represent the simulation results. This application has been implemented in an Android-native UI + embedded browser for the 3D and 2D models (based on WebGL and OpenLayers respectively), and in a pure embedded web solution, including all the UI.
The study concludes that Native solutions prevail over Cross-platform alternatives for the moment due to performances issues. In a near future, all mobile web technologies will be mature and stable enough to run heavy 3D and simulation software like any Desktop platform. At this point, cross-platform solutions will take the place to ease the development with adaptive interfaces and single code implementations.
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Primary author
Mr
Luc Maisonobe
(CS SI)
