Sidekick

Sidekick is a cross-platform mobile application for connecting to and managing Cacophony Project thermal cameras used in wildlife conservation.

What is Sidekick?

Sidekick allows conservationists and researchers to:

• Connect to Cacophony thermal cameras in the field
• Configure camera settings and recording schedules
• View live camera feeds and test recordings
• Download and manage recorded footage
• Upload wildlife recordings to the Cacophony Project platform
• Track camera locations and status

The Cacophony Project uses thermal cameras with AI-powered detection to monitor wildlife for conservation research, particularly focusing on predator control and native species protection in New Zealand.

Technology Stack

Sidekick is built using:

• Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile for shared native code
• Capacitor.js for cross-platform native runtime
• Solid.js for the user interface
• SQLite for local data storage

This architecture provides native performance with cross-platform compatibility for both Android and iOS.

Prerequisites

• Node.js version 18 or higher
• Java 17
• Android Studio (for Android development)
• Xcode (for iOS development, requires macOS)
• A physical mobile device for testing (most features require hardware access)

Development Setup

1. Install pnpm (recommended package manager):

   npm install -g pnpm

2. Open the project in Android Studio:

   • Open the /sidekick directory in Android Studio
   • Let Gradle download all dependencies

3. Install JavaScript dependencies:

   pnpm install

4. Build and run:

   # Development mode with hot reloading
   pnpm dev
   
   # OR
   
   # Build a release version
   pnpm build
   pnpm sync

5. Connect a physical device:

   • Enable USB debugging on your Android device
   • Connect it to your computer
   • Or use Xcode to deploy to an iOS device

Note: Most camera features require physical hardware and cannot be fully tested in emulators.

Release Process

Android

Builds are automated through GitHub releases.

iOS

Builds are created manually using Xcode Archive.

Version Updates

When creating a new release, update version numbers in:

• ./sidekick/app/build.gradle.kts
• ./sidekick/App/App.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj

Documentation

For more information about the Cacophony Project:

• Cacophony Project Website
• GitHub Organization