Advancing smart disaster response by leveraging social sensing and mobile technology

This paper aims to bring together most of the key issues involved in research in novel systems in telegeoprocessing. Telegeoprocessing can be defined as a new discipline based on real-time spatial databases updated regularly by means of telecommunications systems in order to support problem solving and decision-making at any time and any place . It involves the integration of remote sensing, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Global Positioning System (GPS) and telecommunications. Telegeoprocessing can be categorized as WebGIS (an integration of Internet and GIS), Mobile Geoprocessing (Wireless Mapping - an integration of mobile computing and GIS) and TeleGIS (an integration of GIS and other telecommunication techniques). This paper presents a comprehensive introduction to the problems encountered in telegeoprocessing engineering and the major technologies and standards related to designing an integrated, fully functional telegeoprocessing system based on the latest multimedia and telecommunication technologies. Overall attention will be given to systems based on remote sensing and GPS and all other technologies for sending data from sensors to GIS systems by means of multimedia telecommunications. Finally, we describe our pilot telegeoprocessing programme, which is currently being carried out in the Laboratory of Remote Sensing Information Sciences, Institute of Remote Sensing Applications, Chinese Academy of Science, China.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the practicality of an application called the mobile geographic information system (GIS). The authors' purpose was to focus specifically on the mobile GIS application in a prototype, mobile‐based model that is utilized for detecting flood warnings and issuing forecasts. At the end of this research project, a usability study was carried out in a test‐lab environment.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, research is presented regarding the architecture of a structure that has been built on practicality. Readers will learn about a system that is applicable within a vast array of turning‐point situations where rainfall data are communicated to the system in real time.FindingsIt has been revealed that traditional GIS and remote sensing software packages are not as cost‐effective as GIS services that are mobile. Mobile GIS systems have the capability to combine GIS, global positioning system, and remote sensing abilities for retrieving geospatial data sets at costs that are not as pricey as the traditional systems. As time moves on, the need for reliable real‐time data sets is increasing. Additionally, flood management examination provides a valid debate for the combining of mobile GISs within the realm of hydrology. Empirical evidence insinuates and illustrates reliability of GIS and the enhancement in the utilization and creation of devices that are offer mobile capabilities. The usability study revealed that the slope, aspect, watershed, and flow direction functions were not easy to comprehend. It was also discovered during the usability study that the word arrangement, radio button arrangement, and dropdown list caused confusion amongst users. The issue that was deemed as most severe, that was discovered during the usability study, was the blurred comprehension that users experienced regarding the digital elevation model.Research limitations/implicationsBefore the wisest solution can be pinpointed, all of the associated constraints of mobile GIS mapping application need to be identified; however, enough constraints have already been identified to bring to a close that a basic mobile GIS mapping application could created and triumphantly used. There are many platforms to choose from in regards to providing a solution to a feasible incorporation of the mobile GISs into the playing field. It should be decided which browser‐based strategy would serve as the highest of benefit based on characteristics that are important to consumers, such as affordability, ease‐of‐use, user‐friendly coding, and acceptability by users.Originality/valueThis research is highly indicative that mobile GIS would be of great benefit for future studies within the realm of disaster monitoring management. The research presented in this paper can be deemed as original due to the fact that it is a study about the utilization of mobile technologically‐advanced gadgets that provide data analysis for flooding in real time. Moreover, these highly technologically‐advanced devices are cost‐effective compared to those in the past.

Tourism plays an important role in the global economy, including in the Bangka Belitung Islands. However, information on tourism destinations here is still limited. Therefore, this exploration aims to create applications and websites based on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to guide tourists in finding tourism destinations in the Bangka Belitung Islands. The GIS application makes it easier for tourists to access tourism information, increases interest in visiting, and makes finding locations easier. Through practical access via mobile applications and websites, this service helps local and foreign tourists. The development of mobile and website-based GIS applications is expected to overcome the limitations of previous tourism information systems in Bangka Belitung by utilizing Location Based Services (LBS). GIS technology, especially mobile GIS, allows easy access, updating, manipulation, analysis and display of geographic information. The conclusion of this research is that the development of GIS-based applications and websites using the LBS approach is expected to make a positive contribution in promoting tourism in the Bangka Belitung Islands Province, not only providing the required information but also enriching the experience of tourists.

Local food systems are increasingly being studied in response to the threats imposed on global agri-industrial food systems. Central to local food is the community who is imaging and implementing diverse and hyper-local food assets, which are making a significant, but largely unknown, contribution to food security, resiliency, and sustainability. It is important to align these assets with broader regional food policies, programs, and regulations. However, there are few mechanisms to engage stakeholders or share local information. One possible mechanism to learn about local food assets is volunteered geographic information (VGI); a phenomenon that blends crowdsourcing, citizen science, and online mapping. It is currently being studied for its ability to engage and gather information from diverse and under-represented groups. This policy-relevant research investigates how VGI can support greater engagement and knowledge sharing across diverse food stakeholders. To achieve this objective, the VGI system framework is established to study the processes that support the creation of VGI. Next, the new era of food mapping, dubbed Food Mapping 2.0, is investigated to understand the impact evolving mapping techniques have on the engagement of food stakeholders. Lastly, the VGI systems framework, which is embedded in participatory geographic information system and participatory action research methods, is applied to support participatory mapping of regional food assets in Durham Region. His research gathered contributions on over 200 food assets in Durham Region – an upper-tier municipality just east of Toronto consisting of eight lower-tier municipalities – effectively capturing the distributed intelligence of government, not-for-profit, and community stakeholders. The crowdsourced data include locations, descriptions, and media related to farms, markets, community gardens, foodscapes, and other innovative food assets. The community identified urban food assets as a central strength of the regional food system. Overall, this project enabled the creation of an open food assets dataset, further supporting the development of an online Food Assets map and a Crowdsourcing Urban Food Assets report, which are collective used to inform future food policy, regulation, and program development. Overall, this research revealed a uniquely local and community-driven perspective about food system assets within Durham, while serving as a prototype of the VGI systems framework.

Local food systems are increasingly being studied in response to the threats imposed on global agri-industrial food systems. Central to local food is the community who is imaging and implementing diverse and hyper-local food assets, which are making a significant, but largely unknown, contribution to food security, resiliency, and sustainability. It is important to align these assets with broader regional food policies, programs, and regulations. However, there are few mechanisms to engage stakeholders or share local information. One possible mechanism to learn about local food assets is volunteered geographic information (VGI); a phenomenon that blends crowdsourcing, citizen science, and online mapping. It is currently being studied for its ability to engage and gather information from diverse and under-represented groups. This policy-relevant research investigates how VGI can support greater engagement and knowledge sharing across diverse food stakeholders. To achieve this objective, the VGI system framework is established to study the processes that support the creation of VGI. Next, the new era of food mapping, dubbed Food Mapping 2.0, is investigated to understand the impact evolving mapping techniques have on the engagement of food stakeholders. Lastly, the VGI systems framework, which is embedded in participatory geographic information system and participatory action research methods, is applied to support participatory mapping of regional food assets in Durham Region. His research gathered contributions on over 200 food assets in Durham Region – an upper-tier municipality just east of Toronto consisting of eight lower-tier municipalities – effectively capturing the distributed intelligence of government, not-for-profit, and community stakeholders. The crowdsourced data include locations, descriptions, and media related to farms, markets, community gardens, foodscapes, and other innovative food assets. The community identified urban food assets as a central strength of the regional food system. Overall, this project enabled the creation of an open food assets dataset, further supporting the development of an online Food Assets map and a Crowdsourcing Urban Food Assets report, which are collective used to inform future food policy, regulation, and program development. Overall, this research revealed a uniquely local and community-driven perspective about food system assets within Durham, while serving as a prototype of the VGI systems framework.

Assessing the application and value of participatory mapping for community bushfire preparation

The study of various facets of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) integration has been ongoing since the early 1990s. Mobile GIS followed closely behind this with a lag in technological developments for mobile devices such as size, computing power, cost and accessibility. Once mobile technologies caught up to the integration of GIS and GPS through the advent of smart mobile devices of the 21st century, the capabilities were nearly limitless. The integration of GIS and GPS functionality in smart devices started a new era of mobile GIS. This study analyses GPS horizontal positional accuracy for selected smart mobile devices under ideal GPS data collection conditions in reference to National Geodetic Survey benchmark sites within central Arkansas. For the study, smart devices are denied network connectivity to ascertain the robustness of autonomous GPS compared to these same device's assisted-GPS modes and selected dedicated GPS devices. The study area provides many field-based environments that one might typically encounter when collecting location and attribute information such as no connectivity to cellular service, canopy density, urban canyons, and rural and idyllic conditions. Observed differences between study GPS readings and benchmark data are examined statistically to determine each device's effectiveness.

The dawn of GeoWeb 2.0, the geographic extension of Web 2.0, has opened new possibilities in terms of online dissemination and sharing of geospatial contents, thus laying the foundations for a fruitful development of Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) systems. The purpose of the study is to investigate the extension of VGI applications, which are quite mature in the traditional bi-dimensional framework, up to the third dimension by means of virtual globes. Inspired by the visionary idea of Digital Earth, virtual globes are changing the way people approach to geographic information on the Web. Unlike the 2D visualization typical of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), virtual globes offer multi-dimensional, fully-realistic content visualization which allows for a much richer user experience. The proposed system should couple a powerful 3D visualization with an increase of public participation thanks to a tool allowing data collecting from mobile devices (e.g. smartphones and tablets). The participative application, built using the open source NASA World Wind virtual globe, is focused on the cultural and tourism heritage of Como city, located in Northern Italy. Users can create and manage customized projects and populate a catalogue of cartographic layers which is available to the entire community. Together with historical maps and the current cartography of the city, the system is also able to manage geo-tagged data, which come from user field-surveys performed through mobile devices in order to report POIs (Points Of Interest). Users can also extend POIs information adding more textual and multimedia contexts (e.g. images, audios and videos) directly on the globe. All in all, the resulting application allows users to create and share contributions as it usually happens on social platforms, additionally providing a realistic 3D representation enhancing the expressive power of data.

The dawn of GeoWeb 2.0, the geographic extension of Web 2.0, has opened new possibilities in terms of online dissemination and sharing of geospatial contents, thus laying the foundations for a fruitful development of Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) systems. The purpose of the study is to investigate the extension of VGI applications, which are quite mature in the traditional bi-dimensional framework, up to the third dimension by means of virtual globes. Inspired by the visionary idea of Digital Earth, virtual globes are changing the way people approach to geographic information on the Web. Unlike the 2D visualization typical of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), virtual globes offer multi-dimensional, fully-realistic content visualization which allows for a much richer user experience. The proposed system should couple a powerful 3D visualization with an increase of public participation thanks to a tool allowing data collecting from mobile devices (e.g. smartphones and tablets). The participative application, built using the open source NASA World Wind virtual globe, is focused on the cultural and tourism heritage of Como city, located in Northern Italy. Users can create and manage customized projects and populate a catalogue of cartographic layers which is available to the entire community. Together with historical maps and the current cartography of the city, the system is also able to manage geo-tagged data, which come from user field-surveys performed through mobile devices in order to report POIs (Points Of Interest). Users can also extend POIs information adding more textual and multimedia contexts (e.g. images, audios and videos) directly on the globe. All in all, the resulting application allows users to create and share contributions as it usually happens on social platforms, additionally providing a realistic 3D representation enhancing the expressive power of data.

This paper reviews persistent principles of participation processes. On the basis of a review of recent interrogations of the (Public) Participatory Geographic Information Systems (P)PGIS and Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) approaches, a summary of five prevailing principles in participatory spatial information handling is presented. We investigate these five principles that are common to (P)PGIS and VGI on the basis of a framework of two dimensions that govern the participatory use of spatial information from the perspective of people and society. This framework is presented as a shared perspective of (P)PGIS and VGI and illustrates that, although both share many of these same principles, the ways in which these principles are approached are highly diverse. The paper ends with a future outlook in which we discuss the inter-connected memes of potential technological futures, the signification of localness in ‘local spatial knowledge’, and the ramifications of ethical tenets by which PGIS and VGI can strengthen each other as two sides of the same coin.

The study of various facets of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) integration has been ongoing since the early 1990s. Mobile GIS followed closely behind this with a lag in technological developments for mobile devices such as size, computing power, cost and accessibility. Once mobile technologies caught up to the integration of GIS and GPS through the advent of smart mobile devices of the 21st century, the capabilities were nearly limitless. The integration of GIS and GPS functionality in smart devices started a new era of mobile GIS. This study analyses GPS horizontal positional accuracy for selected smart mobile devices under ideal GPS data collection conditions in reference to National Geodetic Survey benchmark sites within central Arkansas. For the study, smart devices are denied network connectivity to ascertain the robustness of autonomous GPS compared to these same device's assisted-GPS modes and selected dedicated GPS devices. The study area provides many field-based environments that one might typically encounter when collecting location and attribute information such as no connectivity to cellular service, canopy density, urban canyons, and rural and idyllic conditions. Observed differences between study GPS readings and benchmark data are examined statistically to determine each device's effectiveness.

With the advent of communication technology and location enabled handheld devices, the citizens, regardless of their knowledge or expertise, may help in generating spatial information. This phenomenon is known as volunteered geographic information (VGI). Thus, VGI can be seen as a way of producing geographic information and as a tool for updating national geographic databases. This work proposes a volunteered geographic information (VGI) framework for disaster management, primarily focuses on flood disaster. During disaster situation, the local volunteers may provide authentic and real-time information to the disaster management decision-makers and in-situ rescue worker. The local volunteers also can involve in initial rescue operation by using their domain knowledge and physical capacity. The work involves: (i) development of a geospatial platform for collecting authentic data for disaster management from the local volunteers; (ii) integrating with backend SDI for generation of disaster risk map by the processing of volunteered data along with the geospatial data from several authoritative data sources; (iii) development of a rescue plan based on information provided by the local volunteers by using ant colony optimization technique, etc. The system has been validated with some real and simulated data related to flood disaster.

Mobile Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is an outcome of integrating GIS, wireless communication, embeds and mobile computing technologies. Based on .NET Compact Framework and GPRS a Mobile GIS with own patent is developed. Services in the system include: downloading map by General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), defining geographical coordinate system of maps, Global Position System (GPS) connection and information dynamically showing on map, sharing users' GPS information through SMS (Short Message Service) to establishes communication between system users, vector feature map and related property data editing and shortest route planning. The system is now used in field data collection and simple navigation. This paper introduces the implementation of some basic GIS services in mobile environment. And some implemented services are presented and studied in detail.

BackgroundA growing body of research has employed mobile technologies and geographic information systems (GIS) for enhancing health care and health information systems, but there is yet a lack of studies of how these two types of systems are integrated together into the information infrastructure of an organization so as to provide a basis for data analysis and decision support. Integration of data and technical systems across the organization is necessary for efficient large-scale implementation.ObjectiveThe aim of this paper is to identify how mobile technologies and GIS applications have been used, independently as well as in combination, for improving health care.MethodsThe electronic databases PubMed, BioMed Central, Wiley Online Library, Scopus, Science Direct, and Web of Science were searched to retrieve English language articles published in international academic journals after 2005. Only articles addressing the use of mobile or GIS technologies and that met a prespecified keyword strategy were selected for review.ResultsA total of 271 articles were selected, among which 220 concerned mobile technologies and 51 GIS. Most articles concern developed countries (198/271, 73.1%), and in particular the United States (81/271, 29.9%), United Kingdom (31/271, 11.4%), and Canada (14/271, 5.2%). Applications of mobile technologies can be categorized by six themes: treatment and disease management, data collection and disease surveillance, health support systems, health promotion and disease prevention, communication between patients and health care providers or among providers, and medical education. GIS applications can be categorized by four themes: disease surveillance, health support systems, health promotion and disease prevention, and communication to or between health care providers. Mobile applications typically focus on using text messaging (short message service, SMS) for communication between patients and health care providers, most prominently reminders and advice to patients. These applications generally have modest benefits and may be appropriate for implementation. Integration of health data using GIS technology also exhibit modest benefits such as improved understanding of the interplay of psychological, social, environmental, area-level, and sociodemographic influences on physical activity. The studies evaluated showed promising results in helping patients treating different illnesses and managing their condition effectively. However, most studies use small sample sizes and short intervention periods, which means limited clinical or statistical significance.ConclusionsA vast majority of the papers report positive results, including retention rate, benefits for patients, and economic gains for the health care provider. However, implementation issues are little discussed, which means the reasons for the scarcity of large-scale implementations, which might be expected given the overwhelmingly positive results, are yet unclear. There is also little combination between GIS and mobile technologies. In order for health care processes to be effective they must integrate different kinds of existing technologies and data. Further research and development is necessary to provide integration and better understand implementation issues.

In the early 2000s, Web 2.0 technologies prompted an explosion in geographic data that include Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI), a set of methods that brings user contribution to the center of data acquisition. These methods increase the capacity of community-driven and local initiatives to create geographic information and close existing data gaps in authoritative sources. Informal settlements constitute an example of where a major vacuum exists, as maps are often incomplete, outdated, or imprecise. However, quality issues regarding VGI frequently arise, as do questions on citizen participation and empowerment. This study explores how different VGI approaches support citizen participation and user empowerment, in tandem with the opportunities and limitations of VGI to map informal settlements in Latin America. We propose a VGI comparison framework to evaluate citizen participation in two informal settlement mapping projects in São Paulo and Mexico City. Such a framework includes four categories: (1) required material resources; (2) required geographic information system (GIS) literacy; (3) user agency; and (4) involvement of research subjects. The results demonstrate that higher citizen involvement in São Paulo stems from the inclusion of residents through participatory mapping methods. Conversely, the Mexico City’s case demonstrates how crowdsourcing may happen irrespective of and contrary to the goals from those represented in the data. We suggest that VGI is a powerful tool for generating timely and precise data on informal settlements, but research subjects should have agency over geographic information collected about them.