Geofencing with Azure Maps

Join Jim Bennett, Azure Cloud Advocate, (aka.ms/iotshow/azuremapsgeofe...) to learn how to code geofencing applications with Visual Studio, Python, and Azure Maps. A geofence is a virtual boundary defining an area on a map. Using tools in Azure Maps, Jim demos how to test if a coordinate is inside or outside the Microsoft Redmond campus boundary. Jim explains why and how to manage a buffer around your geofence boundary. (Hint: GPS is not that accurate!) He also demos how to set a notification using a web hook and an Azure Logic App when a person or item enters or leaves a geofence area. Geofencing has many practical applications. It can be used to send an alert if an expensive piece of machinery leaves a construction site unexpectedly or to send a warning if a worker enters an unsafe location within a factory.
Next steps:
1. Set up a geofence with Azure Maps tutorial: aka.ms/iotshow/azuremapsgeofe...
2. Visit Jim’s blog on geofencing: are you where you should be? aka.ms/areyouwhereyoushouldbe
#iot #azureiot #azuremaps

[@hunterhenryk]

Seems like this could get expensive in your example use cases vs avoiding the API and using pure application code?

[@codefoster]

I think you mean moving the map and the logic offline to the device to avoid cloud compute costs. That could be. I think a hybrid solution would be best to capture the benefits of doing it in the cloud while maintaining the low cost of doing it on the device.

[@heiko3169]

While I understand the "inaccurate GPS" claim, i do NOT understand why I need a buffer when it comes to the result of being inside or outside the polygone. Its a mathematical function to calculate whether a coordinate is within a defined polygone , or not. Thats not something special for GPS! There is absolutely no reason for a "buffer". Do I miss something here? ..oh now i got that. The buffer is there because the longitude/latitude being send to the API (from the IoT device) could be affected by the GPS inaccurance. OK, makes sense then to have the buffer as a margin to be not too strict. On the other hand, one could setup the Azure fence polygone just a bit wider or narrower to cover that buffer. Or?!

[@codefoster]

Yeah, I think the buffer makes it easy to "debounce" the location. Without it, your location may appear to be sporadically jumping in and out of the fence. I believe you could accomplish the same thing with a bit of application logic, but I suspect it could get difficult in more complicated geofences, so it's nice that it's in the SDK.