The project in five facts.
Challenge, approach and results.
The diploma thesis addresses a comparative study of two open-source mobile applications for situational awareness: Android Team Awareness Kit – Civil (ATAK-CIV) and Open Source Map Automated Navigation Directions (OsmAnd). The aim of the thesis is to determine which of these two platforms is more suitable for use in a security or tactical environment, where reliability, scalability and information protection are key factors. To this end, the thesis is based on four research hypotheses relating to: ease and modularity of plug-in development, suitability of the system for movement and coordination of units in the field, level of trust between users, and level of cyber protection and security of applications.
Solution and Method
The diploma thesis addresses a comparative study of two open-source mobile applications for situational awareness: Android Team Awareness Kit – Civil (ATAK-CIV) and Open Source Map Automated Navigation Directions (OsmAnd). These are applications that serve terrain orientation, display of spatial information and decision support, each originating from a different development environment and target user group. ATAK-CIV was originally developed for military needs and tactical use, whilst OsmAnd is designed as a civilian navigation application based on the open-source cartographic project OpenStreetMap.
Results
The aim of the thesis is to determine which of these two platforms is more suitable for use in a security or tactical environment, where reliability, scalability and information protection are key factors. To this end, the thesis is based on four research hypotheses relating to: ease and modularity of plug-in development, suitability of the system for movement and coordination of units in the field, level of trust between users, and level of cyber protection and security of applications. Within the research, basic plug-ins were developed for both platforms – Time-in-Zone Monitor – which measure time spent within a defined area.
This enabled an empirical comparison of the development process, user interface, access to system components and complexity of integration. Combined research methods were used – qualitative analysis of documentation, the author's own user experience (within six months of using ATAK-CIV on an international mission), and quantitative assessment of functionality and security elements. The research results show that ATAK-CIV offers a more robust and modular infrastructure that enables the development of advanced and security-reliable plug-ins, whilst OsmAnd is more suitable for basic civilian use.
ATAK-CIV proves to be more suitable for operation in a tactical environment, as it supports military marking standards, encrypted communication, and operation in isolated networks without internet access. OsmAnd, however, stands out with usability, ease of distribution and offline operation, but does not provide a sufficient level of integration and control for operational use in crisis situations.
Module, programme and stories.
Your diploma project for a real company.
A diploma thesis at Academia solves a challenge from a company – often the one where you do your 800 hours of placement. Read about the Kibernetska varnost module or book a consultation.