Thursday, February 22, 2007

Mobile GIS Applications




Mobile GIS is the expansion of a geographic information system (GIS) from the office into the field. A mobile GIS enables field based personnel to capture, store, update, manipulate, analyze, and display geographic information. Mobile GIS integrates one or more of the following technologies: Mobile devices, Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Wireless communications for Internet GIS access.


Traditionally, the processes of field data collection and editing have been time consuming and error prone. Geographic data has traveled into the field in the form of paper maps. Field edits were performed using sketches and notes on paper maps and forms. Once back in the office, these field edits were deciphered and manually entered into the GIS database. The result has been that GIS data has often not been as up-to-date or accurate as it could have been.

Taking GIS into the field opens up new opportunities for more up-to-date and accurate GIS data. The developments in mobile GIS have enabled GIS to be taken into the field as digital maps on compact, mobile computers, providing field access to enterprise geographic information. This enables organizations to add real-time information to their database and applications, speeding up analysis, display, and decision making by using up-to-date, more accurate spatial data.

Firefighters, police officers, engineering crews, surveyors, utility workers, soldiers, census workers, field biologists, and more use mobile GIS to complete the following tasks :

Field Mapping—Create, edit, and utilize GIS maps while in the field

Asset Inventories—Create and maintain an inventory of asset locations and attribute information

Asset Maintenance—Update asset location, condition, and schedule maintenance

Inspections—Maintain digital records and locations of field assets for legal code compliance and ticketing

Incident Reporting—Document the location and circumstances of incidents and events for further action or reporting

GIS Analysis and Decision Making—Perform measuring, buffering, geoprocessing, and other GIS analysis while in the field.

Images shown are Mobile GIS application areas and ArcPad customization for environmental applications.

Monday, February 19, 2007

What is GIS?

A geographic information system (GIS), or more commonly referred to as a geospatial information system or Geographic Information Science, is a system for capturing, storing, analyzing and managing data and associated attributes which are spatially referenced to the earth. In the strictest sense, it is a computer system capable of integrating, storing, editing, analyzing, sharing, and displaying geographically-referenced information. In a more generic sense, GIS is a tool that allows users to create interactive queries (user created searches), analyze the spatial information, edit data, and present the results of all these operations. Geographic information science is the science underlying the applications and systems, taught as a degree program by several universities.

Geographic information system technology can be used for scientific investigations, resource management, asset management, Environmental Impact Assessment, Urban planning, cartography, criminology, history, sales, marketing, and route planning. For example, a GIS might allow emergency planners to easily calculate emergency response times in the event of a natural disaster, a GIS might be used to find wetlands that need protection from pollution, or a GIS can be used by a company to find new potential customers similar to the ones they already have and project sales due to expanding into that market.