Flare is a platform that allows mobile devices to discover and interact with things in their environment using location technologies and real-time communications. It can show users nearby things and allow them to get information from or control things' states. Potential use cases include retail, museums, advertising, and more. Technically, Flare uses a server, location technologies like beacons, and APIs to manage an environment divided into zones and things that can be interacted with via mobile apps, displays, or connected devices. Sample code and tutorials are provided to help developers build Flare-enabled applications.

2. Flare APIs Overview
Andrew Zamler-Carhart, Technical Leader

3. • What is Flare?
• Use cases
• Technical info
• Code example
• Resources
Agenda

4. What is Flare?

5. “Flare allows users with mobile devices to discover
and interact with things in an environment.
It combines multiple location technologies
with a realtime communications architecture,
to enable new kinds of user interactions.”

6. Interaction modes
• When the user enters an environment, their device can show the location of
nearby things
• When they come near to a thing, they can interact with it by:
• getting information about its current state
• changing its state
• performing actions

10. Use cases

11. Potential markets
• Retail
• Museums
• Advertising
• Industrial
• Public transport
• and more!

20. Technical Info

21. Flare server
• Open source
• Implemented in Node.js and MongoDB
• You can run it yourself

22. Location technologies
• Bluetooth beacons (iBeacon, AltBeacon, Eddystone)
• Wi-Fi + Cisco CMX (coming soon)
• technology agnostic, can work with other kinds of sensors

24. Flare model
• Environment: a geographic location with a grid
• Zone: a rectangular division of an environment
• Thing: something interesting to the user
• Device: a user’s tablet, phone or watch

25. Flare API
• REST: create, read, update, delete Flare objects
• Socket.IO: realtime commands and notifications

27. Socket.IO commands
• Subscribe
• Unsubscribe
• Get data value
• Set data value
• Get position
• Set position
• Perform action

28. Socket.IO notifications
• Data changed
• Position changed
• Device enters zone
• Device exits zone
• Device near to a thing
• Device far from a thing
• Handle action

29. Types of client
• User apps on tablet, phone and watch
• Interactive displays
• Connected things
• Admin tools
• Import scripts
• Logging scripts

30. Sample code
• JavaScript
• Swift (iOS and Mac)
• Java (Android)
• Python

35. Sample apps
• Trilateral: shows map of environment on phone (iOS, Android, Android Wear)
• Reflector: interactive digital signage (web)
• Explorer: create and modify Flare objects (web, Mac)
• Lights: control connected lights (Mac)

45. Tutorials
• Importing data (JavaScript, Swift, Python)
• Location (Swift, Java)
• Socket.IO (JavaScript, Swift, Java)

47. Code example

49. Just a little Swift + JavaScript

50. And the other way

51. Resources

52. Links
• Documentation on DevNet: https://developer.cisco.com/site/flare
• Source code on GitHub: https://github.com/CiscoDevNet/flare
• Video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/HKBnqo9QlEk
• Sandbox: http://flaresandbox.cisco.com:8181
• Hackathon: http://hackathon.cisco.com/event/PIRL-Hackathon-2015

56. Thank you