Software

For the first time, in 2021 competitors in Tracks 3 and 4 obtain sensor readings and submit position estimates through the EvaalAPI web service. The purpose is to emulate a causal process similar to the data flow of an on-site Track: input data can be read only once and only in sequence, and the timestamp of each submitted position estimate must be the same as the latest sensor reading.

Competitors find documentation and source code at the EvaalAPI starting page, so they can start implementing the EvaalAPI interface in their system and report request or problems on the contest(at)evaal.aaloa.org mailing list.

Subscribing to the mailing list is strongly recommended to all prospective competitors. The list is used by organisers for latest news and by prospective competitors and anyone interested for discussions and for asking clarifications. Private inquiries can be directed to info(at)evaal.aaloa.org or to the relevant Track chair.

Competitors can run the EvaalAPI code on their own systems for quick turnaround. Data files for Track 3 and Track 4, together with the test evaalapi configuration file, can be used as input for the test (reloadable) trials of Tracks 3 and 4, so prospective competitors are able to run the test trials locally.

Prospective competitors can write to info(at)evaal.aaloa.org and obtain test (reloadable) trial names for the above mentioned data files. This is useful for checking one's system on the official server and are able to evaluate delays and possible network problems. In order to maintain the interface as simple as possible and avoid using cookies, EvaalAPI maintains no notion of a web session, so no public test (reloadable) trial names will be available, and each prospective competitor needs unique ones. This may change in 2022 depending on this year's experience.

Competitors are expected to try out the EvaalAPI interface and report any problems or observations.  Suggestions for urgent changes (to be made immediately) or improvements (to be made for the next edition) are welcome.  Registered competitors can ask for scoring (non-reloadable) trial names, to be run one right after the other by the deadline indicated on the Call for Competitions.

Updated 2021-10-08 14:21 CEST

Scoring trials must be run with an interval between them of at most one hour, in any order. In other words, once a scoring test is finished, competitors can wait at most one hour before starting the next one, order does not matter. Timing will be checked on the log files.