GPStracks

GPStracks is an open-source platform for collecting, storing, processing, and visualizing GPS tracking data from wearable devices and mobile applications. It is designed to support individuals, clubs, and researchers who need to analyze routes, speeds, elevations, and timing for activities such as running, cycling, and hiking.

The system provides a backend for ingesting tracks in common formats such as GPX, TCX, FIT, KML, and CSV, and a web-based frontend for interactive visualization. It offers analytics including total distance, moving time, pace statistics, elevation gain and loss, and speed profiles. A map-matching module aligns raw GPS traces to road networks or trail maps to improve route accuracy, and a profiler can generate segments, laps, and heatmaps.

GPStracks is built with a modular architecture in mind. It typically includes a backend service, a geospatial data store, a RESTful API, and a client interface. The platform supports offline data import, batch processing, and optional real-time updates. It can be deployed on premises or in cloud environments and is designed to be extended via plugins and adapters to connect with external GIS tools and data sources.

In terms of governance, GPStracks is released under an open-source license and maintained by a community of developers. Documentation covers installation, data formats, API usage, and developer guidelines, with an emphasis on privacy controls and consent management.

The project originated to help hobbyists, clubs, and researchers streamline GPS data workflows. Common use cases include personal activity logging, performance analysis for teams, field studies, and urban mobility visualization.