A brief history of mobile data collection with a spotlight on mobile app Fulcrum

October, 2015

Woody Bailey, Senior Tech in Water Group at Wright-Pierce Over 20 years of experience with mapping and collecting data MWUA Technology Committee Presentation • Take a walk down memory lane of mobile data collection • Highlights of Fulcrum in presentation

Live Demonstration • Create a form • Import starting data • Create report • Sync data with cloud • Review data

Questions/Discussions

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The Original Mobile Data Collection Tools –

Pencil&Paper • Simple to use • No batteries required • Time consuming in field and

back in office • Error prone

Trimble Terrasync app on Windows Mobile

• GPS precision • Speed Data Collection with “Drop down

picklists” via ‘Data Dictionary’ • Expensive • Field to finish process complicated

(especially in the early days) • Hardware becomes obsolete

ArcPad

• Improved Import/Export • Didn’t require expensive GPS

hardware

• Slow performance • Lacked extensive user

base/support

ArcReader

• Free but… required Publi$her

Exten$ion to update • Easy interface, well received in

the field • Had some redline tools • Data collection limited to

clunky redline tools • Touch screen laptop/tablets

were still rare (Netbooks?) • Data often becomes out of

date

GPS Analyst • Collect data directly into

GIS geodatabase • Utilizes all drop down

picklists from gdb domains • Data collector is a PC

• Data collector is a PC • Next to no support or user

base • More complicated UI

Coupled with Microsoft Surface with an i7 Bluetooth GPS Antenna/Receiver

ArcGIS Online

• Excellent mobile applications for data collection and lookup

• Supports offline editing • Office to field very smooth and easy • Powerful enough to eliminate

desktop software for some • Pricey/Restrictive licensing • Export back to desktop GIS clunky

and time consuming • Limited zoom levels frustrating,

but… …hot off the presses just yesterday the next update next month promises to improve basemap zoom depth

Fulcrum

• Great Value / Relaxed licensing terms

• Stable streamlined mobile applications for data collection and retrieval

• Support for offline editing • Simple workflow/Excellent support • Real-time Calculations

• No support for linear assets …yet • Point symbols and Status colors

limited • Adding custom layers requires other

software and is tedious

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Questions / Discussions