How to create a plant identification app for ubuntu touch?

Emphrath

@quilty-weavy I would love a Plant.net equivalent for UT. But having it on waydroid is pretty hassle-free so I postponed the idea of actually petitioning the devs; on another hand not everyone can enjoy waydroid and I still believe it would be a great idea. I'll send them a mail.

Moem

@emphrath said in How to create a plant identification app for ubuntu touch?:

not everyone can enjoy waydroid

Or wants to.
Thank you for writing the devs. I was looking for such an app just yesterday!

Emphrath

@moem yeah me too ! Just yesterday - funny ^^ I just wrote them a long piece which I hope is convincing. By the way @Quilty-weavy I don't know if it helps, but here are the API rules when it comes to plantNET: https://my.plantnet.org/

Moem

@quilty-weavy said in How to create a plant identification app for ubuntu touch?:

I always expect a peaceful and abuse-free reply to my questions.

Don't we all? And most of the time, we get it.
And if we don't, we can alert a moderator. There are rules here after all. So don't worry too much, and you can probably do without the disclaimer.

s710

@moem If using the API provided by plantnet.org, such an app would be trivial to make.

Moem

@s710 said in How to create a plant identification app for ubuntu touch?:

@moem If using the API provided by plantnet.org, such an app would be trivial to make.

That is good news. I hope it's possible, I would be happy to use it. Personally I can't make apps, no matter how trivial.

arubislander

@s710 The API is free to use for up to 500 identifications a day. Assuming the app becomes massively popular, in order to guarantee continued and consistent operation of the app, that would mean that every user would have to register for an API key at the website. Not an unreasonable requirement (I see this a lot in other areas of software usage), but an extra step nonetheless, that for some users might seem like an undesirable registration requirement.
The alternative would be for this to be a paid app in some shape or form.

Emphrath

Hello all. Got a reply from plantnet:

"Thank you for contacting us. This is interesting. I doubt we'll have the resources to make a native Ubuntu Touch app (though it seems we could just do a JS/PWA app), the team is very small.
We have a meeting to talk about open source in two weeks, can you contact us after?
We also have an API for only identifying plants (my.plantnet.org) which could be use by the open source community to build an app on top of it, though it will lack a lot of community related functions from Pl@ntnet."

Pretty straightforward, right ? I'll try and get to them in two weeks then, but it seems they're not hostile to the idea !
Btw what they call "community functions" are pretty useful - it allows rating, reviewing of your observations by peers and botanists

s710

@arubislander said in How to create a plant identification app for ubuntu touch?:

@s710 The API is free to use for up to 500 identifications a day. Assuming the app becomes massively popular, in order to guarantee continued and consistent operation of the app, that would mean that every user would have to register for an API key at the website. Not an unreasonable requirement (I see this a lot in other areas of software usage), but an extra step nonetheless, that for some users might seem like an undesirable registration requirement.
The alternative would be for this to be a paid app in some shape or form.

Sure. There is so many platform services out there which use exactly this pattern, so this is to be expected.
But while your point is valid, it does not help much, since the alternative - implementing custom algorithms/train custom NN for image recognition - is just plain not feasible And this is true for almost any other service like this (e.g. Yelp, Outdoor active, …), otherwise there would be no reason to pay for their product.

s710

@moem said in How to create a plant identification app for ubuntu touch?:

@s710 said in How to create a plant identification app for ubuntu touch?:

@moem If using the API provided by plantnet.org, such an app would be trivial to make.

That is good news. I hope it's possible, I would be happy to use it. Personally I can't make apps, no matter how trivial.

I can do it, if you want.

arubislander

@s710 said in How to create a plant identification app for ubuntu touch?:

But while your point is valid, it does not help much, since the alternative - implementing custom algorithms/train custom NN for image recognition - is just plain not feasible

Implementing the necessary algorithms oneself was never on the cards. I was simply pointing out that the free use was subject to restrictions. Developers know about these things, users might not. And it is not just developers that would be reading your post.

arubislander

@s710 said in How to create a plant identification app for ubuntu touch?:

I can do it, if you want.

I would be willing to help with the development if you would embark on such a venture.

Moem

@arubislander said in How to create a plant identification app for ubuntu touch?:

if you would embark on such a venture.

Hah! Good one. I'll just leaf you to it, and hope your endeavour will bloom and be fruitful.

s710

@arubislander said in How to create a plant identification app for ubuntu touch?:

@s710 said in How to create a plant identification app for ubuntu touch?:

But while your point is valid, it does not help much, since the alternative - implementing custom algorithms/train custom NN for image recognition - is just plain not feasible

Implementing the necessary algorithms oneself was never on the cards. I was simply pointing out that the free use was subject to restrictions. Developers know about these things, users might not. And it is not just developers that would be reading your post.

Fair enough

cliffcoggin

@moem said in How to create a plant identification app for ubuntu touch?:

I'll just leaf you to it, and hope your endeavour will bloom and be fruitful.

Take that woman outside and shoot her for crimes against humour.

Emphrath

I thought that was hilarious. Got another answer I wanted to share since it s outta my field of competence:

"1. Don't you think supporting Ubuntu Touch using the website is enough : https://docs.ubports.com/en/latest/appdev/webapp/index.html

the mobile app is made using React Native, unfortunately, https://github.com/status-im/react-native-desktop-qt is no longer supported but maybe there is an alternative?"

What do you think ? What should I answer ?

s710

@emphrath said in How to create a plant identification app for ubuntu touch?:

I thought that was hilarious. Got another answer I wanted to share since it s outta my field of competence:

"1. Don't you think supporting Ubuntu Touch using the website is enough : https://docs.ubports.com/en/latest/appdev/webapp/index.html

the mobile app is made using React Native, unfortunately, https://github.com/status-im/react-native-desktop-qt is no longer supported but maybe there is an alternative?"

What do you think ? What should I answer ?

Didn't get to this until now. Give me a day or two, and I will see what kind of app I can come up with. Will be a native UT app.
In case it's enough, it would be maybe worthwile offering it to them and/or asking for improved API usage agreements.

Emphrath

@s710 Wow, awesome. I guess it won't be using ReactJS then ? Do you think I should let them know sth is being worked on native-wise and pass along your suggestion of extended API rights ?

s710

@emphrath said in How to create a plant identification app for ubuntu touch?:

@s710 Wow, awesome. I guess it won't be using ReactJS then ? Do you think I should let them know sth is being worked on native-wise and pass along your suggestion of extended API rights ?

Correct. I have a working prototype, which is able to pick images from your camera or gallery, and then use their API to identify it. Currently I am working on displaying the results / designing the UI for the results.
As I don't have time to work on it today, I would say by the end of tomorrow I will be able to provide screenshots of the app, which you could then send them if you want.

Basically, there are no technical issues or blockers here, its just a matter of time to get the UI nice and polished now.

s710

Teaser: