9 ms·

Show HN: Pathfinder – Routing as a service

52 points by ajmichael 10y ago

eric-hanson 10y ago
Hey, I noticed that I need to sign into google to make an account. Does this require a google account?
- ajmichael 10y ago
  Hi Eric, At the moment, we only support Google SignIn for creating accounts. We will certainly support more options in the future, but up until now we've been spending most of our time building our routing and api servers.
pbreit 10y ago
LOL, I thought this was going to be some sort Angular/React/Etc routing as a service thing!!
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
- jlas 10y ago
  Ha, I thought it was packet switched network routing as a service.
CameronBanga 10y ago
I understand it's a beta, but no pages on pricing? This would be an API I would build my business around. No way I would touch it without an idea of how much it will cost me once it exits beta.
- ajmichael 10y ago
  Hey Cameron, I understand your concern. At this point, we have no plans to charge for Pathfinder. Furthermore, if you're concerned about future viability of the API, all of our code is MIT-licensed at https://github.com/csse497 https://github.com/csse497 so it can be self hosted.
  - wc- 10y ago
    What is your plan for long term profitability if you have no plans to charge for this? I am nervous building tech around a free service that may either transition to a deal-breaking price (google app engine) or may disappear entirely due to the business going under.
    - jeffasinger 10y ago
      It looks like it's open source with an MIT License, so at least you should have the option to self host. https://github.com/CSSE497 https://github.com/CSSE497
- Smushman 10y ago
  Likely they are working out the bugs before discussing pricing. Routinely in my job I will produce a free of charge beta for testing purposes before we have price discussions.
akeruu 10y ago
Genuine candid question : why use this when we have more established solutions like Graphhopper[0], the OSRM Project[1] or Open Trip Planner[2] among others ? [0] https://graphhopper.com/ https://graphhopper.com/ [1] http://project-osrm.org/ http://project-osrm.org/ [2] http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OpenTripPlanner http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OpenTripPlanner
- drewda 10y ago
  Another option to consider: Valhalla, the only open-source routing engine that can plan multimodal journeys (car, transit, walk, cycle) around the world. It can, for example, plan a journey on foot, rail, and bus that crosses multiple metro regions. - all code at https://github.com/valhalla https://github.com/valhalla - also available as a hosted service for free at https://mapzen.com/projects/turn-by-turn/ https://mapzen.com/projects/turn-by-turn/ (N.B. I'm employed by Mapzen.) You can also try out Mapzen's routing service along with many others, like OSRM and GraphHopper, on the OpenStreetMap site. For example: http://www.openstreetmap.org/directions?engine=mapzen_bicycle&route=37.3767%2C-122.0581%3B37.2456%2C-122.4076#map=11/37.3082/-122.2325 http://www.openstreetmap.org/directions?engine=mapzen_bicycl... Each routing engine has its strengths and weaknesses. Great that all share their code as open-source.
- ajmichael 10y ago
  Thanks for the question! I'll admit I have limited knowledge about those services, but I believe they solve a slightly different problem. Pathfinder's primary use is services that have N drivers that can service any of M transportation requests. The GraphHopper and OSRM Matrix APIs are closer to what Pathfinder does, however they do not assign route segments to vehicles. Pathfinder is perhaps one abstraction layer over them.
  - karussell 10y ago
    What are you using for calculating the time or distances between the services? (Edit: okay, saw another comment stating you are using Google Matrix API) Basically you need a distance matrix for your vehicle routing problem. BTW: the GraphHopper Directions API uses jsprit to solve VRP etc problems: https://graphhopper.com/#os-comparison https://graphhopper.com/#os-comparison
spatialfiend 10y ago
I haven't dug around the code much but I assume this is using "As the Crow Flies" distances between points? I don't see any references to OSM or street network data.
- ajmichael 10y ago
  We tried out "as the crow flies", OSM with the OSRM Distance Matrix API, and the Google Maps Distance Matrix API. We're currently using Google API although we may switch back to OSRM for scaling purposes.
  - karussell 10y ago
    For an open source project using OSM services might be wise not only scaling-wise :) See 10.4 c) iv) "No asset-tracking unless you have purchased the applicable Maps for Work license." https://developers.google.com/maps/terms#10-license-restrictions https://developers.google.com/maps/terms#10-license-restrict...
philip1209 10y ago
TSPaaS?
- ajmichael 10y ago
  As catchy as that is, KVRPaaS would be more appropriate. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_routing_problem https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_routing_problem
karussell 10y ago
A bit unfair ... they stole our phrase "routing as a service" !1! ;) https://twitter.com/graphhopper https://twitter.com/graphhopper

52 points by ajmichael 10y ago

eric-hanson 10y ago

Hey, I noticed that I need to sign into google to make an account. Does this require a google account?

ajmichael 10y ago
Hi Eric, At the moment, we only support Google SignIn for creating accounts. We will certainly support more options in the future, but up until now we've been spending most of our time building our routing and api servers.

pbreit 10y ago

LOL, I thought this was going to be some sort Angular/React/Etc routing as a service thing!!

deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
jlas 10y ago
Ha, I thought it was packet switched network routing as a service.

CameronBanga 10y ago

I understand it's a beta, but no pages on pricing? This would be an API I would build my business around. No way I would touch it without an idea of how much it will cost me once it exits beta.

ajmichael 10y ago
Hey Cameron, I understand your concern. At this point, we have no plans to charge for Pathfinder. Furthermore, if you're concerned about future viability of the API, all of our code is MIT-licensed at https://github.com/csse497 https://github.com/csse497 so it can be self hosted.
- wc- 10y ago
  What is your plan for long term profitability if you have no plans to charge for this? I am nervous building tech around a free service that may either transition to a deal-breaking price (google app engine) or may disappear entirely due to the business going under.
  - jeffasinger 10y ago
    It looks like it's open source with an MIT License, so at least you should have the option to self host. https://github.com/CSSE497 https://github.com/CSSE497
Smushman 10y ago
Likely they are working out the bugs before discussing pricing. Routinely in my job I will produce a free of charge beta for testing purposes before we have price discussions.

akeruu 10y ago

Genuine candid question : why use this when we have more established solutions like Graphhopper[0], the OSRM Project[1] or Open Trip Planner[2] among others ? [0] https://graphhopper.com/ https://graphhopper.com/ [1] http://project-osrm.org/ http://project-osrm.org/ [2] http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OpenTripPlanner http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OpenTripPlanner

drewda 10y ago
Another option to consider: Valhalla, the only open-source routing engine that can plan multimodal journeys (car, transit, walk, cycle) around the world. It can, for example, plan a journey on foot, rail, and bus that crosses multiple metro regions. - all code at https://github.com/valhalla https://github.com/valhalla - also available as a hosted service for free at https://mapzen.com/projects/turn-by-turn/ https://mapzen.com/projects/turn-by-turn/ (N.B. I'm employed by Mapzen.) You can also try out Mapzen's routing service along with many others, like OSRM and GraphHopper, on the OpenStreetMap site. For example: http://www.openstreetmap.org/directions?engine=mapzen_bicycle&route=37.3767%2C-122.0581%3B37.2456%2C-122.4076#map=11/37.3082/-122.2325 http://www.openstreetmap.org/directions?engine=mapzen_bicycl... Each routing engine has its strengths and weaknesses. Great that all share their code as open-source.
ajmichael 10y ago
Thanks for the question! I'll admit I have limited knowledge about those services, but I believe they solve a slightly different problem. Pathfinder's primary use is services that have N drivers that can service any of M transportation requests. The GraphHopper and OSRM Matrix APIs are closer to what Pathfinder does, however they do not assign route segments to vehicles. Pathfinder is perhaps one abstraction layer over them.
- karussell 10y ago
  What are you using for calculating the time or distances between the services? (Edit: okay, saw another comment stating you are using Google Matrix API) Basically you need a distance matrix for your vehicle routing problem. BTW: the GraphHopper Directions API uses jsprit to solve VRP etc problems: https://graphhopper.com/#os-comparison https://graphhopper.com/#os-comparison

spatialfiend 10y ago

I haven't dug around the code much but I assume this is using "As the Crow Flies" distances between points? I don't see any references to OSM or street network data.

ajmichael 10y ago
We tried out "as the crow flies", OSM with the OSRM Distance Matrix API, and the Google Maps Distance Matrix API. We're currently using Google API although we may switch back to OSRM for scaling purposes.
- karussell 10y ago
  For an open source project using OSM services might be wise not only scaling-wise :) See 10.4 c) iv) "No asset-tracking unless you have purchased the applicable Maps for Work license." https://developers.google.com/maps/terms#10-license-restrictions https://developers.google.com/maps/terms#10-license-restrict...

philip1209 10y ago

TSPaaS?

ajmichael 10y ago
As catchy as that is, KVRPaaS would be more appropriate. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_routing_problem https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_routing_problem

karussell 10y ago

A bit unfair ... they stole our phrase "routing as a service" !1! ;) https://twitter.com/graphhopper https://twitter.com/graphhopper