Mobile Geographic Information System Research Articles

Opportunities and challenges of using geospatial technologies in teaching school geography in Kazakhstan

The rapid advancement of technology and widespread access to digital resources have transformed teaching practices and enhanced educators’ competencies. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) offer new avenues for understanding global events and conducting multidimensional analyses. This study aimed to evaluate teachers’ potential use of geospatial technologies by analyzing the objectives of geography curricula for grades 7–11 in Kazakhstan. Additionally, this study investigated barriers to GIS adoption among geography teachers and strategies for cultivating geospatial thinking skills. The research employed curriculum analysis and a teacher survey involving 208 respondents from across Kazakhstan. The results indicated moderate adoption of geospatial technologies, with mobile GIS applications being most prevalent. However, obstacles such as equipment costs, lack of experience, and time constraints hinder their utilization. This study underscores the importance of integrating geospatial technologies in geography education to foster students’ spatial thinking, creativity, and information literacy. Moreover, this study highlights the role of a GIS in enhancing educators’ and students’ proficiency in modern geoinformation systems and digital technologies. The findings offer practical insights for educators and serve as a valuable resource for enhancing geography instruction and promoting geospatial technology integration in the classroom.

Application of mobile digital recording and GIS analysis of archaeological surface survey finds in the MapFarm project

Recent technological developments in the field of mobile devices have influenced the way archaeological surveys are conducted. The collection, management and analysis of archaeological data have been enriched through the use of new digital applications and devices. This paper presents a case study of the application of a technique for digital recording of archaeological surface finds in the MapFarm project, along with the subsequent analysis. This technique relies on the capabilities of modern mobile devices and web technologies, combined with the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). It enables the direct digital recording of the exact location of artefacts in the field, using the GNSS receiver of smartphones, allowing the rapid extraction of collected data and their analysis with GIS. The technique was applied during the systematic archaeological survey of selected prehistoric settlements in Aegean Thrace, in the context of the research project MapFarm, which aims to expand our knowledge about the Neolithic settlers of Aegean Thrace. The implementation of this technique has significantly reduced the time required for recording in the field, ensuring at the same time a more efficient and precise analysis of data. In addition, more firm conclusions emerged regarding the distribution of the archaeological finds in the context of the intra-site level and the site’s extent, by comparison to older surface survey techniques. Analyses performed through the GIS digital tools provided an improved approach to the distribution of surface finds at the settlements under investigation.

QGIS Application for Spatial and Temporal Visualisation of Data for Food Safety Audits in Malaysia

Introduction: Advancement in digital technology opens new doors for food safety auditors when it comes to performing food safety audits. Surge of Covid cases since year 2020 has seen an unprecedented switch to remote auditing by the Food Safety and Quality Programme under the arm of Ministry of Health in Malaysia. Methods: This paper presents the use of QGIS, an open-source cross-platform for geographic information system (GIS) to store, manage and visualise 2 types of data, i.e. real time data collected via a mobile device using QField, an open-source mobile application and also fixed data retrieved from existing database. New data from obtained from field sampling and surveillance presents updated information for food safety auditing and enforcement purposes. A total of 4972 datasets were obtained from the Ministry of Health’s Food Safety and Quality Division database on food factories from all 13 states and 3 federal territories in Malaysia. These datasets were transformed and stored into QGIS point layer for performing data classification analysis on clustering of HACCP, GMP and MeSTI certifications. Results: The Penang state has the most HACCP certified companies in fish and fish product category, Selangor is the highest for confectionery industry and Sabah for food services. The general output of mobile GIS provides a big picture of distribution of food safety certifications in Malaysia while more specific adoption of QField can assist in effective field work planning for enforcement officers and auditors leading to cost calculation via information on location, distance and time. Conclusion: QGIS application for spatial and temporal visualisation of data benefits the food safety auditing in Malaysia.

Design and implementation of geographic information system with mobile terminal and 5G network

AbstractRemote insurance mainly completes quotation, insurance application and payment through the PC terminal and mobile terminal, and the premium directly enters the insurance account. This article takes remote insurance as an example. First, it analyses the requirements of the remote insurance and insurance system, and then collects data from the mobile terminal. The system geographic information system (GIS) server subsystem and GIS information management subsystem are designed in three aspects. GPS data and video image data are collected and processed in the data acquisition subsystem, forwarded by the GIS server, and sent to the GIS information management subsystem. Geographic information system information management realises online loss determination through basic information query, geographic location identification, scheduling, path planning, real‐time tracking, image information etc. on the mobile terminal, combined with insurance and insurance business. In terms of implementation, the GIS information management platform and Google Maps are used to realise the monitoring, scheduling and path planning of the mobile terminal GIS online platform. And conduct experimental research on the content‐centric 5G structure. The results show that the transmission interference time of the content‐centric network‐based 5G structure is 390 ms, which is much lower than the 800 ms demanded for GSM‐R system. It proves that the content‐centric network‐based 5G structure has good mobile performance; the test of the content‐centric network verifies that the content‐centric network has the advantages of balancing network load and preventing network congestion; meanwhile, the test of the proposed The functions and performance of the GIS system proposed in this paper are tested. The results meet the user requirements.

Multipurpose GIS Portal for Forest Management, Research, and Education

The main objective of this research was to develop a web-based geographic information system (GIS) based on a detailed analysis of user preferences from the perspective of forest research, management and education. An anonymous questionnaire was used to elicit user preferences for a hardware platform and evaluations of web-mapping applications, geographic data, and GIS tools. Mobile GIS was used slightly more often than desktop GIS. Web-mapping applications that provide information to the public and the present research results were rated higher than the forest management application. Orthophotos for general purposes and thematic layers such as forest stand maps, soils, protected areas, cadastre, and forest roads were preferred over highly specialized layers. Tools for data searching, map printing, measuring, and drawing on digital maps were rated higher than tools for online map editing and geographic analysis. The analysis of user preferences was used to design a new multipurpose GIS portal for the University Forest Enterprise. The GIS portal was designed with a three-tier architecture on top of the software library for managing user access, working interactively with digital maps, and managing web map applications. The web map applications focus on tools and geographic information not available elsewhere, specifically timber harvest and logistics, research plots, and hunting game management.

Development of instrumental methods for accounting the spawning grounds area of herring in the Sea of Okhotsk

Methods for accounting of herring spawning grounds area using consumer grade underwater robots and UAVs were worked out. Such devices are promising for use due to their relatively low cost, ease of deployment and application. Experimental procedures were carried out from May 11 to June 9 in the Kruglaya and Tungusskaya bays (the northern part of the Okhotsk Sea) during the period of herring spawning. With the help of underwater robots, spawning grounds should be surveyed by short point diving and short transects. Series of screenshots of bottom, recorded on a mobile device, could be georeferenced automatically. The work should be accompanied by the recording of tracks, station coordinates and other attribute data in a mobile geographic information system (GIS). Unmanned flights over spawning grounds must be carried out in the mode of automatic linear and polygon missions or manually. For the orthophotos production, the optimal height is 150 m with a forward overlap of images no less than 80% and a side overlap no less than 50% (no less than 20% in case of very good bottom visibility and survey conditions). During harsh survey conditions, zigzag flights over spawning grounds at a height of 50 m are preferred with shooting a series of photographs without intersection and no orthophotos production. The materials of underwater and unmanned surveys, integrated into the desktop GIS, provide high accuracy and efficiency in estimating the area of spawning grounds, the maximum degree of documentation and verifiability of the obtained materials.

Free Mobile Geographic Information Apps Functionalities: A Systematic Review

Background and Objectives: Geographic Information System (GIS) is a system designed to capture, store, analyze, and manage all types of geographical data. Mobile GIS has the ability to deliver functionalities, data and services without necessarily requiring a fixed location or wired connection. This paper analyzes the functionalities and potential of free mobile GIS applications available in Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Method: A well-known Systematic Literature Review (SLR) protocol was carried out to study free mobile GIS apps functionalities. A quality assessment questionnaire was developed for this purpose to be applied to the selected mobile GIS apps. Results: A total of 42 mobile GIS apps were selected from Apple App Store and Google Play Store. The results showed that the majority of mobile GIS apps support Global Positioning System (GPS) and were designed to be mainly used in geography, topography, Geo-Positioning, and transport domains. The search also showed that the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) protocols for web services remain less integrated in the apps. Conclusion: The features of mobile GIS were discussed and a set of recommendations to improve the development of mobile GIS applications was proposed.

An IoT-Based Intelligent Geological Disaster Application Using Open-Source Software Framework

With the development of Internet of Things (IoT) and machine learning technologies, mobile geographic information systems (GISs) have developed rapidly. Moreover, mobile GIS applications serve all walks of life including remote sensing, geological disaster management, and decision support systems. This article discusses the main development methods of the Android system for mobile GIS, analyzes the characteristics of different development methods, and mainly introduces the technology of developing mobile GIS based on free and open-source software (FOSS) framework. Finally, we present a data collection framework for an Android application development, based on QGIS, QFiled, GeoServer, PostgreSQL, and GeoPackage. The mobile GIS can collect important data. Furthermore, the data collection framework uses a data aggregation technique to filter and remove redundant data. Machine learning approaches are integrated in the GIS to make it intelligent. The application, in the Xishan mining area of Taiyuan, proves that the proposed framework can complete the collection and storage of geological disaster data, which has certain practical significance. Our experimental results show that the data aggregation method is approximately 42.3–44.09 percent (training times) more efficient than the no aggregation approach. Moreover, the attention network may produce an additional overhead in the prediction process, depending on the model. This overhead is observed between 0.58% and 2.83% for the LSTM model.

Three development stages of mobile geographic information system technology

Three development stages of mobile geographic information system technology

Application of BIM and GIS Technology in Urban and Rural Planning

For a long time, geographic information system (GIS) technology has been widely used in urban and rural planning. This paper first analyzes the background of urban and rural planning, introduces the concept of building information (BIM), and puts forward the building information model. Then the application of mobile off-line GIS is studied, and the characteristics of mobile GIS are known. Secondly, the concept of urban-rural integration is put forward, and two functions of urban-rural planning are found: macro-control means and public interest protection. Finally, the application of information technology in urban and rural planning management shows that the disposable income of urban and rural residents increases year by year, and the fastest growth in 2020 is 120 million yuan.

Deploying GIS Services into the Edge: A Study from Performance Evaluation and Optimization Viewpoint

Geographic information system (GIS) is an integrated collection of computer software and data used to view and manage information about geographic places, analyze spatial relationships, and model spatial processes. With the growing popularity and wide application of GIS in reality, performance has become a critical requirement, especially for mobile GIS services. To attack this challenge, this paper tries to optimize the performance of GIS services by deploying them into edge computing architecture which is an emerging computational model that enables efficient offloading of service requests to edge servers for reducing the communication latency between end-users and GIS servers deployed in the cloud. Stochastic models for describing the dynamics of GIS services with edge computing architecture are presented, and their corresponding quantitative analyses of performance attributes are provided. Furthermore, an optimization problem is formulated for service deployment in such architecture, and a heuristic approach to obtain the near-optimal performance is designed. Simulation experiments based on real-life GIS performance data are conducted to validate the effectiveness of the approach presented in this paper.

Digital epidemiology supported by GIS as a way for effective communication of the epidemic situation

There is no central information system supporting epidemiological surveillance in the case of the Czech Republic. For efficient management of epidemiological data, it is advisable to use a Geographic Information System (GIS), in which data can be managed based on their geographical component. The advantages of GIS are not only all tools for managing an ordinary database but also functions typical for geographic data. Technical University of Liberec (Czech Republic) with the support of the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic guarantees the design and building of an information system with GIS features designed for the solution of epidemics within the chosen region of the Czech Republic (Regional Hygiene Station of the Liberec Region). The concept of the information system is based on the requirement to use Open Source tools without the need for future license fees. A substantial part of the system is programmed (R language). Data input will be provided by forms and questionnaires (pre-prepared, editable). The database will be based on demographic data along with multiple time and geographical data (useful for the construction of epidemiological curves and data representation in maps).Data input is possible via any platform (desktop, smartphones, mobile GIS for fieldwork). The output console is designed to work with data organized in maps. After the necessary anonymization and aggregation of data, some of the data is designed to be made available to the general public. Emphasis is placed on the communication role of the information system in providing information from and to the public.The research team is multidisciplinary (epidemiologists, geographers, programmers, sociologists). The development of the information system has been started in 2019 on the example of alimentary diseases. A part of it has been used since March 2020 for monitoring COVID-19 within the Liberec Region. Full completion and commissioning are set for 2021.Key messages Geographic Information System is an effective database, analytical and communication tool for epidemilogy.The information system must enable communication with experts and the general public.

DEVELOPMENT OF A CITSCI AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SUPPORTED GIS PLATFORM FOR LANDSLIDE DATA COLLECTION

Abstract. Geospatial data are fundamental to understand the relationship between the geographical events and the Earth dynamics. Although the geospatial technologies aid geodata collection, the increasing possibilities yield new application areas and cause even a greater demand. Considering the increment in data quantity and diversity, to be able to work with the data, they must be collected, stored, analysed and presented with the help of specifically designed platforms. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) with mobile and web support are the most suitable platforms for these purposes. On the other hand, the location-enabled mobile, web and geospatial technologies empowered the rise of the citizen science (CitSci) projects. With the CitSci, mobile GIS platforms enable the data to be collected from almost any location. As the size of the collected data increases, considering automatic control of the data quality has become a necessity. Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) with the CitSci based GIS designs allows automatic quality control of the data and helps eliminating data validation problem in CitSci. For this reason, the purpose of the present study is to develop a CitSci and AI supported GIS platform for landslide data collection because landslide hazard mitigation efforts require landslide susceptibility, hazard and risk assessments. Especially, landslide hazard assessments are necessary the time of occurrence of a landslide. Although this information is crucial, it is almost impossible to collect time of occurrence in regional hazard assessment efforts. Consequently, use of CitSci for this purpose may provide valuable information for landslide hazard assessments.

Bridging the gap between technical and social competencies of urban and regional planning through mobile technology: The case of Cape Peninsula University of Technology

Higher education institutions are entrusted with the responsibility of training future workforces that are well equipped to function in the age of the 4th industrial revolution (4IR). This role is pertinent in light of growing concerns that with the advent of 4IR, mobile technology and robotics would take over certain roles that are currently performed by humans. Using the case of Goedverwacht community service-learning project in the Western Cape province of South Africa, this paper demonstrates ways in which mobile technology is embraced and applied in urban and regional planning education at Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). The purpose of the service-learning collaboration between the Goedverwacht community and CPUT was to produce a spatial map depicting property boundaries so that the community could, amongst others, be ready for the imminent land tenure reform processes. With the input and guidance of community members, the map was compiled through the use of mobile and allied technology, including global positioning system-enabled smartphones, drones and mobile geographic information system.

Application of Mobile Geographic Information System Platform in High Voltage Grid Planning

Grid planning and pre-project site survey require the support of Geographic Information System (GIS). However, the existing grid GIS platform adopts B/S mode which can only be run and viewed on the computer connected to the company’s intranet, thus failing to meet the needs of on-site investigation by the planners. Therefore, the application of mobile GIS platform to pre-grid planning is an inevitable development direction for the future power grid information system, and how to manage more efficiently and use the data collected by mobile GIS terminal will be an urgent problem to be solved. Based on the authors’ learning and practical experience, this work first analyzed the potentials of mobile GIS for grid planning, then discussed the problems in high voltage grid planning, and finally proposed the system function and overall architecture design based on mobile GIS platform.

Integration of dem derived depression and scs based runoff datasets for delineation of potential rainwater harvesting sites in Sita and Swarna basins, Karnataka

A large amount of rainwater is lost due to surface runoff that reaches the sea through streams and rivers. Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) is an encouraging approach to store available surface water and improve groundwater to overcome the water dearth problems. The present study utilizes a technically robust Geographic Information System (GIS) based methodology for evaluating and identifying the suitable RWH sites depending on the depth and volume of depressions derived from ASTER-DEM. The procedure primarily developed for the humid and tropical climatic regions has been adopted for the Sita and Swarna River basins of Southern Coastal Karnataka in the present study. The selection of a suitable site for RWH is based on different key determinants such as land use/land cover, hydrology, soil, and topography as well as the surface runoff derived using the ArcCN-Runoff tool. Initially, ninety four depression parcels have been extracted in Sita River and Swarna River basins from the DEM data using algebraic operations. Subsequently, key determinants have been analyzed in GIS domain as per the criteria mentioned in the Integrated Mission for Sustainable Development (IMSD) guidelines. As per the GIS analysis, total thirty depression parcels have been considered in the study, out of which eight parcels are classified as highly suitable; twelve as moderately suitable, and the remaining ten as not suitable RWH sites. If the rainwater is reaped and conserved properly using the suggested RWH sites as per the IMSD guidelines, the study area can serve 341.4 million cubic meters of additional water for domestic, irrigation and small scale industrial sectors. The delineated RWH sites are subjected to ground verification at 30% sample sites using Arc Pad Mobile GIS unit. The resulted accuracy is found to be 89%. The study emphasizes the benefits of GIS techniques over the traditional survey methods for sustainable water conservation. However, it is recommended to employ cadastral level data which enables easy acquisition of land required for constructing the RWH structures at farm and private lands.

A Web and Mobile GIS for Identifying Areas within the Radius Affected by Natural Disasters Based on OpenStreetMap Data

In many countries where natural disasters often occur, such as Indonesia, information about the area affected by the disaster is very important. As in the transportation sector, road users must avoid affected areas and roads. To overcome this problem, in this paper we propose a Geographic Information System (GIS) to identify areas affected by natural disasters within a certain radius. We use a web-based and mobile platform to present an open access system. In addition, we utilize OpenStreetMap map data as a source of spatial database that is open, wide-scale, and complete. In the initial stage, polygon-shaped road data will be split in-to shorter line segments and stored in PostGIS Spatial DBMS. Furthermore, this system will automatically detect road segments that included within the radius of a natural disaster event. Displays of road segments affected by disasters will be accessible to users through web and mobile applications. In addition, we also test and evaluate our system in case studies in certain areas in Indonesia.

Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Remote Sensing and a Monitoring Information System to Enhance the Management of Unauthorized Structures

In this research, we investigated using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photographic technology to prevent the further expansion of unauthorized construction and thereby reduce postdisaster losses. First, UAV dynamic aerial photography was used to obtain dynamic digital surface model (DSM) data and elevation changes of 2–8 m as the initial sieve target. Then, two periods of dynamic orthophoto images were superimposed for human–computer interaction interpretation, so we could quickly distinguish buildings undergoing expansion, new construction, or demolition. At the same time, mobile geographic information system (GIS) software was used to survey the field, and the information gathered was developed to support unauthorized construction detection. Finally, aerial images, interpretation results, and ground survey information were integrated and released on WebGIS to build a regulatory platform that can achieve accurate management and effectively prevent violations.

Geographic-Aware Augmented Reality for VGI

Abstract. Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) has been a constantly growing field over the last decade, but the utilised technologies (i.e., mobile phones) are not able to exploit the full potential concerning effort and accuracy of registering geographic data. This paper introduces the GeoAR Glasses, a novel technology enabling the use of Geographic-Aware Augmented Reality for Mobile Geographic Information Systems (Mobile GIS) and Location-Based Services (LBS). The potentials of the GeoAR Glasses with respect to current mobile mapping applications is shown by means of an in-situ study (N=42) comparing two different modes of collecting VGI data. For the comparison we take into account the accuracy of the mapped data points and the time needed to complete the mapping. The results show that the GeoAR Glasses outperform the mobile application concerning both positional accuracy and completion time.

A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF UTILIZING MOBILE-GIS TECHNOLOGY TO COLLECT ONLINE CRIME

Abstract. Mobile-Geographic Information System (GIS) is one of the dimensions of these enhancements, which, due to its flexibility, its simplicity with traditional GIS systems, the need for less expertise and low cost, has brought this technology into a variety of areas. Mobile technologies using mobile devices is proving to be a more effective implementation for crime detection and monitoring. Mobile-GIS are operating within a wider range of GIS technologies, wireless technologies, and global positioning technology. The ability to use this system to report crime and control crime in cities has led different countries to use this system for easier and less costly reporting of citizens, and many developed countries use Mobile-GIS technology to do this. And they use this technology depending on their needs. In this research, Mobile-GIS applications in the five developed countries of the world are being studied and their disadvantages and advantages are discussed, and finally, regarding to society safety the possibilities and necessity of police department to develop such programs are discussed. In this study, we are proposing a crime reporting and management model using GIS technologies and review the all possibility and limitation to implementation are confronted in order to mitigate the challenges are faced by most developing countries in reducing the crime rates. A conceptual plan for constructing such a program in the police department has been proposed, which is suggested by using systems like Real-time kinematic (RTK) to improve the user's location to increase accuracy.