Location-Aware Environmental Monitoring For Mobile Workers

Table of Contents

1 Introduction

1.1 Location Aware Environmental Monitoring and GIS Application

1.2 Aspects of “Mobile Human Computer Interaction”

1.3 Implementation Supporting Mobile Work

1.4 Structure of the Thesis

2 Positioning Technologies and Applications

2.1 Overview Positioning Techniques

2.2 Cell of Origin (COO)

2.3 Time of Arrival (TOA), Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA)

2.4 Angle of Arrival (AOA)

2.5 Satellite Based Positioning Techniques

2.6 Global Positioning System

2.7 Technical Background

2.8 Measurement of Pseudo Ranges

2.9 Differential GPS (DGPS)

2.10 Satellite Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS)

2.11 Global Navigation Satellite System

2.12 Combination of GPS and GLONASS

2.13 NMEA0183 Standard

2.14 Geographic Information System Overview

2.15 GRASS

2.16 ESRI GIS

3 Related Work: GIS Projects and Location-Aware Implementations

3.1 Accuracy in Real-World Positioning

3.2 GISPAD Implementation Overview

3.3 FOGEPOS Implementation Overview

3.4 Comparison and Relation to Our Approach

4 Project Background: Ecological Field Studies

4.1 Institutional Background

4.2 Umweltbundesamt’s Integrated Monitoring Observation Work

4.3 Monitored Processes and Recorded Parameters

4.4 Data Collection Process and Data Architecture

4.5 MORIS Database

5 Prototype Concept and Overview

5.1 View and Purpose of the Location-Aware Prototype

5.2 Challenges and Functions of the Location-Aware Prototype

5.3 ESRI ArcPad Design Decisions

5.4 ESRI Map and Layer Definitions

5.5 Analysis of Requirements for Implementation

5.6 Final Prototype GIS Functionalities

5.7 Capturing Tree Monitoring Data

5.8 Capturing Permanent Plot Data

5.9 GIS Logging Functionality

6 ESRI ArcPad Object Model Prototyping

6.1 Introduction of ESRI ArcPad Prototyping

6.2 ArcPad Customization Overview

6.3 Development Environment for ArcPad

6.4 Customizing ArcPad - ESRI XML Files (ArcXML)

6.5 Own Prototyping Work and Prototype’s Customization

6.6 Configuration Files and Involved Code

6.7 Selected Prototype’s Functions and Code Fragments

6.8 Prototype Installation Details

7 Evaluation and Field Test

7.1 Field Test’s Area Overview

7.2 Equipment Used for the Field Test

7.3 Qualitative GPS Results

7.4 GPS Track Log Data and Projection Transformation

7.5 Statistical Analysis of Gathered Positioning Values

7.6 Evaluating Usability and Interface Design

8 Conclusion and Outlook

9 Bibliography

10 Appendix

10.1 UN-ECE Integrated Monitoring Zöbelboden [www.umweltbundesamt.at]

10.2 ESRI Shapefile Specifications (Shortened Version) [www.esri.com]

10.3 SiRFstarII GSC2x Technical Documentation [www.sirf.com]

10.4 Gauss-Krüger Projection for Austria [www.statistik.at]

Research Objectives and Core Themes

The primary objective of this thesis is to investigate the practicality and usability of mobile GIS applications for researchers in extreme environmental field settings. The study explores how to provide accurate geospatial positioning data and support efficient data collection by implementing a mobile GIS prototype, specifically designed for use by the Austrian Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt).

• Mobile GIS application development and customization using ESRI ArcPad.
• Evaluation of GPS positioning accuracy in forested and mountainous terrain.
• Integration of mobile data collection with existing ecological information systems (MORIS).
• Optimization of field data workflows to reduce time and resource consumption.

Excerpt from the Book

Summary of Chapters

1 Introduction: Provides an overview of the thesis, the motivation for mobile GIS in field environments, and the objectives of the joint AGRID subproject.

2 Positioning Technologies and Applications: Explains fundamental positioning techniques including GPS, DGPS, and SBAS, and provides an overview of GIS software like GRASS and ESRI.

3 Related Work: GIS Projects and Location-Aware Implementations: Reviews existing GIS projects and location-aware implementations, discussing their accuracy in real-world scenarios compared to the proposed approach.

4 Project Background: Ecological Field Studies: Details the institutional context, the Zöbelboden monitoring area, and the architecture of the MORIS database system.

5 Prototype Concept and Overview: Discusses the conceptual design, requirements, and GIS functionalities of the developed mobile prototype.

6 ESRI ArcPad Object Model Prototyping: Describes the technical customization process, development environment, and specific code fragments used to build the prototype.

7 Evaluation and Field Test: Presents the results of field tests conducted at Zöbelboden, including statistical analysis of GPS accuracy and qualitative usability assessments.

8 Conclusion and Outlook: Summarizes the findings regarding prototype robustness and offers perspectives for future developments in mobile GIS and automated field data collection.

Keywords

Mobile GIS, Environmental Monitoring, GPS Positioning, Field Data Collection, ESRI ArcPad, Zöbelboden, Location-Awareness, Ecological Research, Mobile Human Computer Interaction, MORIS, Grid Computing, Geospatial Data, Prototypes, Field Test, Usability

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the core purpose of this master thesis?

The thesis investigates the practicability and usability of mobile GIS applications for researchers in extreme field environments to improve the collection of ecological data.

Which core topics are addressed in the work?

Key themes include GPS positioning accuracy, the development of customized mobile GIS clients, human-computer interaction in field environments, and the integration of collected data into existing institutional databases.

What is the primary research goal?

The goal is to determine if a usable mobile client can be provided to support scientific ecological monitoring, specifically addressing positioning interference in remote mountainous areas.

Which scientific method was applied?

The research follows a rapid prototyping software development process combined with empirical field testing to evaluate the performance and usability of the mobile prototype.

What topics are covered in the main section?

The main sections cover the technical foundations of GPS, detailed information about the ecological field studies at the Zöbelboden site, the design of the location-aware prototype, and a statistical analysis of gathered positioning data.

Which keywords characterize this thesis?

The most important keywords are Mobile GIS, Environmental Monitoring, GPS Positioning, Field Data Collection, ESRI ArcPad, and Location-Awareness.

How does the prototype handle GPS signal interference?

The prototype evaluates GPS accuracy by using data classification (e.g., number of satellites received) and outlier filtering to provide more reliable position data in forested and mountainous terrain.

What role does the MORIS database play in this project?

MORIS acts as the central ecological information system of the Umweltbundesamt. The prototype is specifically designed to allow seamless transfer and integration of collected field data into this database.

What is the benefit of the custom toolbar developed for the prototype?

The custom toolbar simplifies the user interface, ensuring that essential monitoring functions are reachable in only a few interaction steps, which is crucial for mobile workers with limited attention capacity in the field.