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