Assignment #5: Using a Bluetooth GPS with your IOs device

Introduction:

Technology has advanced a rapid rates over the past few decades. GPS units are now compatible with with mobile, laptop, and tablet devices to use as an interface tool. This lab revolves around connecting the Bad Elf GPS with an IOS device using bluetooth. By doing so, the GPS unit makes the GCs more accurate. On top of that, it eliminates the need for WiFi. There are several applications compatible with Bad Elf via an IOS device including:

• Collector for ArcGIS
• Survey 123
• GIS4Mobile
• Theodolite HD
• Fog of World
• Gaia GPS Classic
• Galileo Offline Maps

ArcCollector for GIS was a great app that allows you to download offline maps, and collect data improving the efficiency and accuracy of the GIS. It allows you to work on maps that you have uploaded onto your ESRI account so you can create track logs, look for places and features on the map, and even attach photos to GCP's on the map.

Figure 1 displays two screenshots of the Arc Collector application.

Survey 123 was also a very useful app. You can also download maps offline as well as any forms that have been shared with you. It enables you to add Interval, Ratio, Ordinal, and Nominal data to any location as needed.

Figure 2 shows two screenshots of the Survey123 application

GIS4Mobile is an application allowing the user to synchronize GIS data with data that they collected field data in a very user-friendly way. You can practically do anything with data including inspections, documentation, data-collection, an registration. Plus, it allows you to connect with GIS enterprise and and fieldwork all free of charge.

Theodolite is an application used for hiking and off road traveling. It has a multi-function viewfiedner for Ipads and gives live visuals of contour lines, roads, trails, and other feature classes. It also allows you to Geotag photos as well to showcase your experience. It is used for all sorts of outdoor activities, by all sorts of fields workers and sportsman.

The Fog of World is a fun web applications, and the only one that is actually considered a game. As you explore areas it removes fogged out areas near the vicinity and gives out badges urging the user to travel and explore more around the whole world.

The GAIA GPS classic is another interesting application that is used for planning trips for hiking in the woods and doing other off road traveling. Again this application allows you to download offline maps so that you aren't navigating through the woods and get lost because you can't get signal. It also tracks your route so you can go back the way you came.

Galileo Offline Maps can download maps to anywhere you want. It allows syncing of Geodata, GPS recording, and when finished sharing the Geodata as well.

Methods:

For this lab the class was split into different groups, and told to make a track using the Bad Elf and logging it on the GPS. After making sure the Iphone was paired with the correct number on the Bad Elf, each group was sent in separate directions to crate there own paths. Once the path was completed, the groups came back to the lab, and uploaded from the Bad Elf app via the Iphone device this group used.

Figure 1. Displays the route this Group walked shown in Google Earth. 

After getting hands on experience with the Bad Elf App, students were instructed to install a few of the other applications that are also compatible with the Bad Elf GPSs.

For the last part of the assignment, Professor Hupy demonstrated the Galileo Offline Maps. It enables the user to download map tiles for campus and the surrounding area as well as the Wisconsin map in the Application. It uses cached maps which store copies of map images at different scales so that image services run faster. It also uses an external GPS, like the Bad Elf, to make mapping more accurate. The best part about the app is that it records your personal GPS track, so that you can go back and see all the different locations you've been to.

Discussion/Conclusion:

This assignment did a great job of showing how effective Geospatial applications are with IOS devices. Most of the applications were very simple to use, especially for anyone who has background knowledge in Geography. For Geographers out in the real world, they can see data instantly uploaded to their work rather than having to record data from a standard GPS or in a field notebook then later enter manually on to the computer,  There is no doubt that applications like this will continue to get better and better as technology continues to advance at the rate it has been over the last 5 or 10 years.

Sources:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/collector-for-arcgis/id589674237?mt=8

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/survey123-for-arcgis/id993015031?mt=8