The advantages of digital field data collection in the GIS environment.
Malaysian Geospatial ConferenceMalacca 6-7 March 2012
Ray ChungAPAC Regional Manager – Trimble Navigation
The big question:
“WHERE?”Where are our assets?
Where do we need improvements?
Where are our field workers?
Where are our vehicles & equipment?
Where did we get this information?
GIS Data Collection Solutions
• Systems designed specifically for location-based field work:– Data collection– Asset management – Inspection
• Professional-grade GNSS in the hand for GIS applications– Communications– Cameras with geotagging– High-visibility touch screens– Software and unique technologies for
better productivity
Adding value to GIS• Organisations utilise GIS to make critical decisions
– But where is the data coming from?
If GIS data collection is worth doing, it’s worth
doing right.
If GIS data collection is worth doing, it’s worth
doing right.
• The Problem:– Finding the toby locations in emergency
situations– Buried assets – more difficult to find under
snow or in large expanses of land• Old Way
– Memory!– Hand-drawings
• Nearby many water meters – drawn relative to meter
• Not to scale or updated since– Use map to get 'close' and metal detector and
shovel to find valve.
WHITWORTH WATER DISTRICT, USA
• Workflow– Locate and collect curb stops with high accuraccy– QA/QC performed on site– Waypoint files created and used for service calls
• Spreadsheet for address/ID lookup– Navigate to curb stop valve
• +/- 100mm in most cases– Update the GIS after work is performed
WHITWORTH WATER DISTRICT, USA
• The Problem:– Information required to monitor gardens related to food security
• Old Way– Combination of paper forms, separate
GPS, camera (digital photos) • New Way: Trimble Solution
– Municipal Reporter system utilising variousTrimble platforms
• Juno, Yuma + ProXT• Laser rangefinder
AFRICA CONSERVATION TRUST, SOUTH AFRICA
• Workflow benefits– “Faster and more efficient data capture
which has saved on time in the field and time in the office.”
– Saved the cost of one worker
AFRICA CONSERVATION TRUST, SOUTH AFRICA
Characteristic/ItemTrimble
workflowPen & Paper
Consumer Device
Field UI designed for GIS data collection ? x
Digital, fixed field/mandatory data entry x x
Office software offering GIS integration x x
Data immediacy x x
Retain knowledge (eliminate brain drain) ? ?
Field crews stay on task at hand- Secure data store omits loss (reduces trips)
x x
Field-to-Office workflow is streamlined x x
Detailed attribution core to solution x x
Reliable and consistent spatial link- Accuracy metadata
x x
Data Collection Method – Comparison
Trimble Workflow Pen & Paper Workflow
Overa
ll C
ost
Capital Costs
Capital Costs
Field Work
Field Work
Data Integration
Data Integration
Metropolitan Electricity AdministrationBangkok, Thailand
•20%-30% of all errors are attributed to transcribing field workers data sheets by data entry personnel!
•Reasons – unable to read writing, understanding and transferring diagrams, technical and personal jargon and abbreviations
If GIS data collection is worth doing, it’s worth
doing right.
If GIS data collection is worth doing, it’s worth
doing right.
Questions