A mobile data collection app to boost Ecohydrological Research
Summary
State-of-the-art methodology for collecting geospatial data for ecohydrological field studies often relies on handwritten notes that have to be digitized once the researcher returns to the office. Such an approach is time consuming and prone to copy-and-paste errors. Therefore, researchers from the ECHO lab developed the TempAqua App that allows 1) to map and record stream networks in the field, 2) to automatically validate the geospatial data and 3) to export the data to a central database. The App significantly speeds up data collection in the field, minimizes digitizing errors, and allows for real-time data sharing between researchers.
However this app is only available for iOS users, and its code is not robust. With the ENAC Open Software Support grant, the app will be translated to be available on all mobile platforms, following open-source standards with version control, automated documentation etc. Furthermore, the app may be enhanced with a few extra features, and the alogorithms displaying GPS coordinates and stream reconstruction will be revised to optimize performance.
General information
- PIs: Izabela Bujak and Jana von Freyberg, ECHO
- Implementation: ENAC-IT4R
- Start date: Fall 2022.