Adventures in Data Collection

Robbyn JF Abbitt

GIS Coordinator

Dept of Geography, Miami University

2015 Ohio GIS ConferenceSeptember 21 - 23, 2015 | Hyatt Regency Columbus| Columbus, Ohio

Data Collection Timeline20

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2015

Issues we always face…

GPS Accuracy

How to connect field data attributes to the GPS dataPaper? Computer in the field?

Equipment – what do we buy?

Smartphones and Tablets are great – but how do you get the data off of them?

Geotagged photos are great – but where’s the tag?Where you’re standing? The object that is focused on?

Do we store photos on a server or with the actual data?

Need for WIFI or Cell serviceThis translates to $$

GPS Accuracy

The Game Changer

ESRI Collector App’s ability to go off-lineNo need for wifi or cell connection

Allowed us to use the cheaper Android tablets to allow students to collect field data

Including photos!

Allowed students to use their own devices to collect field data

Some hurdles…

Users must be part of and AGO organization

Users must also be part of a GROUP within the organization

Need for intimate understanding of ArcGIS Online

Users must know what Collector is capable of and how it is best used

Setting it up requires knowledge of geodatabasesDomains

Attachments

Must understand proper options when publishing data as a service for use in collector

In order to offline and have a basemap – you have to know WHERE TO FIND THE OFFLINE BASEMAPS

Some hurdles…

Users must be part of and AGO organization

Users must also be part of a GROUP within the organization

Need for intimate understanding of ArcGIS Online

All students had to be added to the University AGO organization

They were then added into a group for our class so they could view the class maps

Students were introduced to ArcGIS Online and its functionality through an exercise using premade data

Based off of the Fall 2012 ArcUser article “A Workflow for Creating and Sharing Maps” by Keith Mann

Some hurdles…

Users must know what Collector is capable of and how it is best used

Students had to download the app

Course instructor created testing data that students simply had to download through Collector to use

Some hurdles…

Setting it up requires knowledge of geodatabasesDomains

Attachments

Students had already learned about geodatabases, domains, and attachments through a week-long module and lab assignment

Some hurdles…

Must understand proper options when publishing data as a service for use in collector

Students were given detailed instructions on how to create their feature class data, publish their data and map

Some hurdles…

In order to offline and have a basemap – you have to know WHERE TO FIND THE OFFLINE BASEMAPS

Students were given instructions and the url link for the offline basemaps

But LOTS of successes!!!

Beyond the Classroom….

Lava flow core collection in Mexico

Parking spot inventory on campus

Shoreline trash data collection

Bike rack inventory on campus

Fourth grade science week activity

Lava Flow Core Collection

Project needed to give researchers access to a geoferenced map with historic lava flow data

Needed to include their location on the map

Needed to be on a device

Needed to be offline

Lava Flow Core Collection

PhD student digitized historic lava flows into geodatabase feature classes from georeferenced images

GDB was published as a service

Web map was created with sync capability for Collector

Lava Flow Core Collection

Lava Flow Core Collection

Lessons learned:Visiblity settings within ArcGIS online matter – A LOT!

Adding the offline basemap as a BASEMAP is important

Parking Spot Inventory on Campus

Client project for Advanced GIS students – Miami University Police Department and Parking Services were the clients

Clients needed a database of all parking spots on campus

Database needed to include XY location

Picture of any signage (with condition of signage)

Type of parking (red, yellow, handicap, etc)

Parking Spot Inventory on Campus

Students were tasked with testing various field data collection methods

Parking Spot Inventory on Campus

Lessons learned:Accuracy of different devices varies

Turning OFF WIFI helps with more accurate locations

Device GPS just isn’t accurate enough for this type of project

Ability to use Collector would have greatly increased the production efficiency for this project

Shoreline Trash Data Collection

Client project for Advanced GIS students

Client desired a digital method for collecting location of and type of trash along shorelines

Students created a Collector Application and dealt with privacy settings for individual collectors

Shoreline Trash Data Collection

Students had to develop a database schema for the collected data (based off of paper shoreline data collection sheets)

They then published and tested the app

Shoreline Trash Data Collection

Lessons Learned:Map must be downloaded the device prior to site visit

If GPS isn’t working well, can manually plot points

Data security can be managed

Students are REALLY creative

Bike Rack Inventory on Campus

Graduate Student initiated project for Office of Sustainability

Student had been in the Advanced GIS class and knew tablets and collector could help!

Bike Rack Inventory on Campus

Anna used Android tablets from the Dept of Geography

Collected location, condition, and image

Bike Rack Inventory on Campus

Lessons learned:The weather will affect your data collection

You can’t count on all devices working properly

The sharing options on both the data and the web map must be set properly for the end product to be seen by the intended audience

Elementary STEM Fun!

Talawanda Science Week – 4th grade activity

By now they have visited me to 1. Play with Google Earth

2. Use GPS units to collect waypoints

3. Learn about cardinal directions

I wanted to take advantage of mobile technology (tablets) that they all use at home to do “scientific” data collection

The result: What is this mysterious bird that we keep finding signs of in Cook Field?

Students were given tablets to go off and collect data

There were “feathers” and “eggs” to locate and tree ages to estimate

At the end they were asked about what inferences they could make about this mysterious bird

What did they infer?

Orange and Blue birds like to live near each other

Purple and Yellow birds like to live near each other

Green birds are loners

Green, blue, and purple birds tend to live in trees close to where they lay their eggs

Yellow and orange birds lay their eggs relatively far from their nests in trees

Blue and Orange birds tend to prefer younger trees to make their nests

Elementary STEM Fun!

Lessons learned:Kids love to play with technology – pass out the tablets AFTER you have explained what they will be using them for

Some tablets will cease to work – roll with it

Some kids will hate this activity – make them do it anyway

Some kids are awesome data collectors…others are not

• VS

YOU (the professional) will learn A TON by setting up & deploying this project

So what’s next?

The Trimble R1 GNSS ReceiverCan be used with Android and Apple phones and tablets

It should increase our positional accuracy so the Collector App can be used for detailed data collection in the field

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THANK YOU – Questions?

Special Thanks to Mark YandrickKen CarrierChris Whitmore