Yes! You can use Ubidots to display real-time location of devices. To do so, you need to specify the latitude ("lat") and longitude ("lng") in the "context" of your request. So instead of sending this:
{"value":20}The payload should look like this:
{"value":20,"context":{"lat":40.782864,"lng":-73.965355}}
Examples
Requests Without Location Data
Typically, this is the payload you send to Ubidots to record sensor data:
Using API Labels
curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"temperature": 20}' https://industrial.api.ubidots.com/api/v1.6/devices/weather-station?token={YOUR-TOKEN}Using Variable IDs
curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"value": "20"}' https://industrial.api.ubidots.com/api/v1.6/variables/58f43a9e76254254ab679476/values?token={YOUR-TOKEN}These requests will create a single data point in the "Temperature" variable:
Requests With Location Data
If you want to add location data, then you should add a "context" property with these keys:
"lat"
"lng"
These are case-sensitive! If written differently, the Map widget won't recognize them as location points! Here the above examples but with location data:
Using API Labels
Body of the request:
{"temperature": {"value":20,"context":{"lat":40.782864,"lng":-73.965355}}}HTTP Request:
curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"temperature": {"value":20,"context":{"lat":40.782864,"lng":-73.965355}}}' https://industrial.api.ubidots.com/api/v1.6/devices/weather-station?token={YOUR-TOKEN}Using Variable IDs
Body of the request:
{"value":20,"context":{"lat":40.782864,"lng":-73.965355}}HTTP Request:
curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"value":20,"context":{"lat":40.782864,"lng":-73.965355}}' https://industrial.api.ubidots.com/api/v1.6/variables/58f43a9e76254254ab679476/values?token={YOUR-TOKEN}
Any of these requests will create a data-point with a lat and lng context properties:
Which can be then read by a Map widget. This can be created in your dashboard --> Add new widget --> Map Widget --> Select the device that contains Position (Lat & Long) Properties.
Expectations for Visualization
It is important to note that the Ubidots real-time map display is a live interface. When you select to view a historical range of data in the Map, your historical data will appear as a "trace." Any incoming real-time data will appear as a smooth "line".