Shade Finder
Helps users find shaded spots based on building heights and sun position.
Focused on improving transit user comfort in Philadelphia.
Key Features
Real-time shade mapping using Philadelphia's LiDAR data
SEPTA integration to show nearby transit stops
Recommendations for shaded waiting spots
Time-based predictions of shaded areas throughout the day
Technical Components
LiDAR data processing for building heights and obstructions
Integration with SEPTA API to locate transit stops
Sun position algorithms for real-time shade estimation
Apply ray-tracing methods to estimate where shadows fall at different times of the day.
Google Maps API integration for user-friendly display
Data Sources
LiDAR Data (Building Heights & Urban Obstructions): PASDA (Pennsylvania Spatial Data Access)
Sun Position Calculations: NOAA Solar Position Calculator & SunCalc Algorithm
Why Philadelphia?
High urban heat index during summer
Strong public transit network with SEPTA
Available high-resolution LiDAR data
Who Benefits?
Commuters looking for shaded spots while waiting for transit
Pedestrians planning comfortable walking routes
Cyclists finding shaded rest points
Urban planners using shade data for better public space design
Progress so far
Successfully extracted Philadelphia's LiDAR elevation & building height data from PASDA.
Connected Google Maps API to display transit stop overlays.
TO DO
Implement NOAA Solar Position Calculator to compute sun angles & shadow movement.
Pulled real-time SEPTA data into our system to show live transit stops.
Developing an algorithm to rank shaded transit stops based on sun position.