I built dayTrace to automatically track my commuting patterns during a lengthy commute. Rather than manually logging activities, the app uses smartphone motion sensors to recognize vehicle rides — no GPS required.
Activity recognition
The app leverages built-in motion sensors to detect specific activities, with three key advantages:
- Fully automatic operation
- No GPS required (privacy-focused)
- Minimal battery consumption
Initially, the app only tracked “IN VEHICLE” activities for car rides.
From prototype to journal
The basic prototype displayed rides and durations. As my needs evolved — wanting to track workplace hours — the concept expanded. The app generates “stays” by capturing time between rides, showing duration at locations without revealing addresses.
The redesigned version introduced an activity timeline and added “BIKING” detection, broadening appeal beyond just vehicle commuters.
Why not geo-fencing?
Geo-fencing requires setup (declaring specific zones), uses GPS (battery drain), and only works for pre-defined locations. Activity recognition works everywhere, automatically.
What’s next
Planned features include activity tagging for comparative analysis and goal-setting with progress tracking.