Lab 7: Survey 123

Introduction:

The objective of this lab is to follow an online tutorial and become familiar with Survey123. This is an ESRI app that is used for gathering survey based field data. The tutorial demonstrates how to create an HOA Emergency Preparedness Survey that would be used to help homeowners assess the safety of their homes in case of a natural disaster like an earthquake.

Methods:

To start, the survey was created at the Survey123 website. The first information added to the survey were the basic components of Name, Tags, and Summary of the survey which is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Name, Tags, and Summary Information

Throughout the tutorial, different tasks were performed with additional information about the application to fully cover all that Survey123 can apply. The types of questions added to this survey were either: Date, Singleline Text, GeoPoint, Single Choice, Number, Image, Multiple Choice, or Multiline Text. These options were located in the Design tab under Add (Figure: 2).

Figure 2: Questions that can be added into the survey

There were three different sections of questions in the tutorial: general participant information, 9 fix-it safety checks, and emergency asset inventory. Different questions were added to these sections that fit appropriately with the categories. Once the type of question was added, it was edited to display the correct label, and in some scenarios, hints were added to the questions to help the potential viewer answer the question most accurately. Another unique feature that could be added to each question was applying the Set Rule feature (Figure 3). This means that if a user answers a questions with a specific answer, a follow up question will also be asked. This a useful feature because some questions are only necessary as follow up questions to specific answers.

Figure 3: Set Rule Feature

After the survey was completed and necessary revisions were finished, the survey was published. The survey was completed six times with varying answers to provide enough data to analyze the results. The survey was also completed on the Survey123 field app. Completing the survey on mobile phone is more portable and the app allows the survey to be taken without service. The HOA Emergency Preparedness Survey can be accessed in the app and by clicking the collect button the survey starts (Figure: 4).

Figure 4: Survey123 Field App

After all the data was collected, it can be viewed in the Overview, Data, and Analyze tabs. The statistics can be viewed in different formats like pie charts, bar graphs or maps. The survey data can also be exported as a CVS, Excel, KML, Shapefile, or File Geodatabase. Lastly, the information collected from the survey was shared by creating a map. Pop-ups were edited so that no personal information was shared on the map. 

Results:

The survey data is represented in a web app that provides information of the locations of the surveys as well as other useful data in the pop-up window (Figure: 5).

Figure 5: Web App of Survey Data

This interactive map allows the viewer to select the different locations of the surveys to view individual information in the pop-up window.

Conclusion: 

The Survey123 tutorial was very accessible to complete and provided a lot of other useful information on how to use this application. This would be very useful in a variety of research projects. It is extremely user friendly which would allow anyone to be able to create a survey that fits with their research project. The fact that the survey can be taken on a mobile device or laptop makes it more efficient to collect more data. Survey123 also provides excellent analyzation and organization of the data once enough research has been collected. Additionally, the ability to transform the survey results into a web app is great feature to look at the data spatially. Survey123 also provides many platforms to export the data as well as making it very accessible to share the results with others.


Sources:
Get Started With Survey123 for ArcGIS - https://learn.arcgis.com/en/projects/get-started-with-survey123/lessons/create-a-survey.htm

Lab 6: Using Bad Elf GPS with IOs Device

Introduction:

The objective of this lab is to pair the Bad Elf Bluetooth GPS to a smart phone to create a tracklog. A tracking device will be hidden somewhere on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and then a tracking receiver will be used to find it. The Bad Elf will track the movements of finding the hidden tracking device across campus. The tracklog will be then be exported from the Bad Elf app on the smart phone to ArcGIS to view the tracklog path from start to finish.

Bad Elf is an affordable GPS device that can be hooked up to Apple products through Bluetooth. Many new devices have Bluetooth technology because it is wireless and an easy way to connect instruments. Connecting Bad Elf to a cellular device via Bluetooth is a smart way to collect GPS data because smart phones have the ability to access online data. Bad Elf GPS is also very compatible with other iOS apps with a wide range of interests. The Bad Elf website offers a collective list of apps that provide location data without using 3G cellular connectivity. The different categories of apps include: agriculture, aviation, fitness and sport, GIS, marine, motor sports, recreation, UAS, travel, and navigation.

These are five different apps that are particularly interesting:

Seapilot: This app uses professional marine navigation to provide vectorized S-57 chart data from National Maritime Administrations. Essentially, this app is used to plan trips, look at old trips, and navigate the seas. The information provided by this app is very detailed and it comes with many functions which would make navigating the seas a great experience.

Walkmeter: This app is a walkers/hikers necessity to have on their cellular device. It provides graphs, splits, intervals, laps, etc. regarding the track of the walker. This app offers an array of fitness data  including cycling, running, walking, skating and more. Tracks can also be exported and used to graph and map as well.

World Uncovered: This app would be the perfect companion for anyone that is traveling or even someone interested in uncovering tracks in their home city. This app tracks the locations, speed, and heights of routes to help paint a picture of where the user has been. The tracks can be recording by walking, biking or even riding to ensure all locations have been marked.

Navigation USA: This app is very useful for driving because it includes other useful aspects than just directions. Lane guidance, speed information, pedestrian navigation, traffic reports, and hazard warnings are what helps makes any traveling experience smoother. This app can also be used when there is not any internet connection is available which is important when traveling through dead zones.

GoSkyWatch Planetarium: This app can quickly identify and locate stars, planets, comets, and constellations. Information about what is being displayed pops up on the screen while using the app so touch is not required. It also offers a 180 degree display so the user can see the big picture of sky without having to do much movement. This app offers a fun and easy way to learn more about the solar system.

Methods: 

To start, the Bad Elf app needed to be installed onto the iPhone. Once installed, the Bad Elf GPS (Figure 1) was paired to the iPhone by selecting the right number on the device that corresponds with Bluetooth pairing on the iPhone. Then the app was explored a bit and the display units were all changed to metric units under settings in the app. After that, the GPS button on the device is held down until the tracklog said it has started.

Figure 1: Bad Elf GPS

Next, one group of students hid the tracking transmission device and another group of students used the tracking receiver (Figure 2) to find it. The tracking receiver is held up to the users chest so that it is parallel to the ground. The screen displays a percentage of how close the receiver is in distance to the transmission. The higher the percentage, the closer in proximity. Also, an arrow shows up on the screen as well to lead the user to the correct direction of were the transmission is located. While this activity was occurring, the Bad Elf GPS tracklog was tracking the route the entire time. 

Figure 2: Tracking Receiver

Once the activity was over, the tracklog was downloaded from the Bad Elf app. To do this, 'trips' was selected in the app.  Then the share button was chosen to send the tracklog to an email address. The KML file GPX file were both shared to the email address. The KML file and GPX file were then opened in the email and downloaded and saved onto a computer. Then ArcMap was opened and the KML file and GPX file were converted into a layer to be used for a map. The KML file displayed the tracklog as a line feature class and the GPX file displayed it as a point feature class. The KML was chosen for the map because it represented the tracklog in a more useful way (Figure 3).

Figure 3: Map of Tracklog

Conclusion: 

This lab was a great introduction to all of the possibilities that the Bad Elf GPS has to offer. The power of Bluetooth technology makes using this device very user friendly and compatible with multiple platforms. Not only is this device easy to use, but it is also very compatible with many apps. Bad Elf can be used for research purposes but also with individual activities. Bad Elf can be used by different professions as well as personal desires. The ability to use this device and create a tracklog anywhere through different forms of transportation and then be able to share this information to anyone is an extremely useful tool. It would very exciting to be able to track a route while vacationing to see all of the different locations that were traveled to in that time. For research purposes, an individual could use the Bad Elf GPS and collect data in one part of the world and then send that information thousands of miles away to their team to analyze the information. 

Sources:

https://bad-elf.com

Lab 5: Processing Pix4D Imagery

Introduction: 

In Lab 4, the goal was to become familiar with the software Pix4D. To do this, volumes were calculated, animations were created, and maps were made with the results. Discussion of the software and its features were included as well. That information can be accessed here. For lab 5, data will be processed using Ground Control Points (GCPs) in Pix4D. A GCP is a characteristic point in a known coordinate system and traditional surveying methods are used to measure those coordinates. The GCP data was provided for this lab by the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. The objective of this lab was to process real life data using GCPs and create a shapefile to create a map in ArcGis. Lastly, the area of study for this lab is a garden plot located in the Eau Claire Priory.

Methods: 

To start off, a New Project was opened in Pix4D and the 69 images provided for this lab were added. After all of the images are added, the shutter model needed to be Edited and changed from Global Shutter to Linear Rolling Shuttle. Next, the GCPs were imported into the project with the GCP/MTP Manager in the X,Y, Z format. The overall layout of the flight was then shown in mapview after clicking Finish in the window. Then, steps 2 and 3 were unchecked right away on the bottom of the screen so then the only box that was checked was Initial Processing. Finally, the Start button could be clicked to begin the processing which took quite a bit of time. When the processing is done, it will produce a quality report. This report is important to look over because it provides information on the accuracy and the RMS error of the 9 ground control points (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Quality Report of the Ground Control Points

It the quality report looks good, the processing can be complete and all the steps will be green once everything is finished. Going into RayCloud view will show the outcome of the data. Turning off the cameras and turning on the triangle mesh will show model of the data (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Data in RayCloud View After Processing

Then, by going into GCP/MTP Manager again and opening the RayCloud editor, the accuracy of the GCPs can be manually set. 3-5 images on each of the 9 GCPs were set to their real world image by moving the green X over the middle of the target. This will ensure that the GCPs will be extremely accurate. After each GCP was calibrated, the reoptimize button was clicked to reset them. Now boxes 2 (Point Cloud and Mesh) and 3 (DSM, Orthomosaic and Index) were checked and box 1 was unchecked and the final processing was started. The final shapefile was used to create two maps in ArcMap to show the DSM and Mosaic model of the data. The data from Pix4D was also imported into ArcScene to help show a side tilted view of the garden plot to help represent elevation.

Results:

The first map (Figure 3) shows the orthomosaic product from Pix4D and includes an image from ArcScene and a locater map of Eau Claire. Information about the projection, pixel resolution, and sensor are located at the bottom of the map.

Figure 3: Orthomosaic Image of a Garden Plot in the Eau Claire Priory

The second map (Figure 4) shows the DSM product from Pix4D and includes an image from ArcScene and a locater map of Eau Claire. Again, information about the projection, pixel resolution, and sensor are located at the bottom of the map.

Figure 4: DSM of a Garden Plot in the Eau Claire Priory

Conclusion:

Processing data using GCPs in Pix4D was a long process but it created a great result. The hands on effect of calibrating each GCP to ensure accuracy was helpful experience. Analyzing the quality report was difficult because of the length and detail but the necessary information was gathered. The elevation of this specific plot was relatively minimal so it would be very interesting to process data that had great variance in elevation levels. This lab demonstrated important information in processing UAS data.


Sources:
https://support.pix4d.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002441583-Ground-control-points-GCPs-