A solution for the data collection in the field survey based on Mobile and Wireless GIS

Traditional data collection methods for geological investigation, profile measurement, and other field survey in the research community of geosciences are generally based on the manual measuring and recording by the investigators. The most popular “instruments” used in the traditional survey are pencils as well as printed hard copy charts. The methods are obviously complicated and inefficient, at the same time the collected data are always inaccurate and not compatible with the digital process in computer. For these reasons, a solution for the data collection in the field survey based on Mobile and Wireless GIS is proposed in this study. Key technologies involved in the solution are reviewed at first. Then, a prototype of mobile GIS with basic GIS functions is designed and implemented based on independent development. Important technologies of implementation some basic GIS services for data collection in mobile environment introduced and many key challenges related, which are overcome in the process of the system development, are studied in detail.