This document discusses mobile GIS solutions and their applications. It covers why organizations use mobile GIS, challenges to consider, different device types and connectivity options, and examples of mobile GIS implementations by Dublin City Council, Waterford City Council, and in Denmark. Device selection factors, GPS capabilities, and connected vs disconnected systems are also outlined.

1. Mobile GIS
The smarter way to take advantage
of your investment in GIS
GeoDATA
2012

2. Agenda
• IMGS introduction
• Mobile GIS
– Why use?
– Challenges
– Possible Applications
• Devices
– Types
– Disconnected versus Connected
– GPS
• Examples
– Dublin City Council - Road Survey
– Waterford City Council - Sustainable Neighbourhood Unit
– Denmark - Give a Hint
• Q+A
GeoDATA
2012

3. IMGS
• We deliver innovative spatial solutions for the desktop, web and mobile based
on our partners technology
• Designed to meet the challenges of Government, Mapping Agencies and Utility
& Communications Customers
• Our customers include OSNI (LPS), NIE, BT, OSI, ESB, Eircom and 34 Local
Authorities
GeoDATA
2012

4. Why use Mobile GIS?
• Local knowledge becoming thing of the past:
– Larger work areas
– Contract workers
– Therefore location information essential
• All field workers now have some form of digital device –
phone laptop etc.
– Need to take advantage of this expensive time
• Field capture can increase:
– Data Quality e.g. GPS, photographs etc
– Productivity – decrease double entry
GeoDATA
2012

5. Mobile GIS Challenges
• Many different Mobile GIS applications
• Each with unique requirements
• Rapidly developing technology
• Trade offs
– Capabilities
– Price
– Size
– Ruggedness
– Weight
– Battery Life
• One size does not fit all
GeoDATA
2012

6. Mobile GIS Applications
• Utilities
– Asset Locations
– Asset Condition
• Local Government
– Route Mapping
– Incident Capture
– Street furniture
• Mapping Agencies
– Field Survey
GeoDATA
2012

7. Mobile Device – Selection Factors
• Screen size
• Battery life
• Weight
• Transport (on foot or in car)
• User training (simple or advanced)
• Cost
• GPS support
• Connectivity
• Update process (connected, disconnected)
GeoDATA
2012

8. Its all GPS isn’t it?
• GNSS
– Global navigation satellite system
– Provides location and time information
anywhere on Earth
– Commonly known as GPS which are the USA
satellites
– But also GLONASS (Russia), Galileo (EU) and
Compass (China)
GeoDATA
2012

9. GPS flavours
• But not all mobile systems provide the same GPS:
– Assisted GPS
• Consumer grade GPS
• Uses mobile network (towers and WIFI) to quickly get
location
• 10-20 m accuracy
– Basic (Standalone) GPS
• Good enough for basic navigation and capture
• 1-5 meter accuracy with single frequency (L1) chip
• Based on simple Satellite Triangulation
GeoDATA
2012

10. GPS flavours
• Differential GPS
– Improved accuracy
– Requires a
stationery receiver
(extra hardware)
for 2m accuracy
– Or use DGNSS
service to get < 1m
(single GPS
frequency
– Dual frequency (L1
& L2) provide RTK
GNSS for cm
accuracy
GeoDATA
2012

11. Connected versus Disconnected GIS
Connected Mobile GIS
– Pros
• Server based – no client overhead
• Secure – no data on device
• Can act as Single device – phone and mobile GIS
• Instant data updates
– Conns
• Requires mobile connection – not always possible in rural areas
Disconnected Mobile GIS
– Pros
• Feature rich, data rich
– Conns
• Slow updated – how do you update background mapping
• Client installation
GeoDATA
2012

12. Dublin City Council
Roads Hazard Survey
• Dublin City Council required a solution to
proactively capture hazard data in the city
• Dublin City Council required a full
Disconnected GIS solution
– Dock and Go support
– Once hazards uploaded then actioned in work
management system
• Dublin City Council required an easy to use
configurable form – no coding
• Mobile Expansion Pack for GPS integration –
not to capture data but to move map as
walking
GeoDATA
2012

13. Waterford City Council –
Sustainable Neighbourhood Unit
• Sustainable Neighbourhood Unit required ability to record environmental incidents
• Incidents include Graffiti, Abandoned Vehicles, Fly Tipping, Burst Pipes, Broken
Street Light, etc
• Waterford required a secure mobile GIS that can instantly over a wireless
connection update enterprise systems
• Aim of solution:
• Reduce delay in responding to incidents
• Demonstrate to public that incidents are been resolved in a timely manner
GeoDATA
2012

14. Demonstration
GeoDATA
2012

15. Denmark “Give a Hint”
• App that gives citizens a simple tool to send
information to the authorities (e.g. pot holes,
grafitti, broken sign posts, missing street lights
etc.)
• Works on both iPhone and Android smartphones
• More than 10,000 people have downloaded the
app in Denmark
• 30 local governments have signed up (nearly 30%)
• At one point the app was #1 in iTunes among
Utilities apps
GeoDATA
2012

16. Governments can subscribe to services
Gold Silver Bronze
Simple email service - - +
- Category
- Comment
- GPS Position
- Accuracy
- Photo
- 1 email address
Advanced email service + + -
- Map Link
- Nearest Address
- 12 email addresses
Webservices + - -
- WFS
- WMS
- KML
- RSS
SMS service + - -
Administration web + - -
GeoDATA
2012

17. In Summary
• A Mobile GIS can save time and money
• But there are a wide range of solutions available
• But you need to consider what is important to you and choose
the solution that best fits
GeoDATA
2012

18. Ciarán Kirk
Technical Director, IMGS
8b Keypoint, Rosemount Business Park, Dublin 11
t: +353 1 885 3839 m: +353 87 804 7218
w: www.imgs.ie e: ckirk@imgs.ie
For More Information on Mobile Asset Collection
Please attend Nathan Ward’s presentation this afternoon.
Thank You
GeoDATA
2012