[OSGeo-Discuss] Mobile GPS data collection...

[Bob Basques]

Aaron Koning wrote:
> I think you are spot on Bob! Do you have a web server in mind?
All,

Some more thoughts.

To tell the truth, I think I prefer to develop on a plain old PC 
architecture.  I've done some stuff with Java on the PALM, with Win on 
an IPAQ, and they all came up short in the end for one reason or another.

I think the route to go with something like this, is NOT to use a 
specific portable OS, but rather concentrate on using a Micro PC of some 
sort (the OQO with Linux, comes to mind) and use the same old tools 
we've been using for everything else.   My database of choice for the 
storage, at least for points, would be MYSQL, much lower overhead for 
storage and retrieval.  The Mapping side is a different story, but speed 
and simplicity would be the order of the day.  While there's no reason a 
Spatial database couldn't be used for the mapping, I would suspect that 
the management of the mapping data might be easier with static SHP files 
in the near term.  Although using a Regular PC OS would help with 
database up keep in the syncing process as well.

Also, don't forget, for a well rounded out system, the MapServer on the 
portable device should able to update it's Datasets for the mapping side 
of things in a cascading manner every time the Home and Field machines 
sync themselves.  It's not just the collected data you need to worry 
about.  One good example of why this is a good idea to implement, would 
be when you have a group of folks all capturing data in the same general 
area, where each needs to see what the other has been doing.  A live 
system would work very well for this, but even manually syncing things 
every day would show what each operator had captured the previous day.  
The same situation occurs when multiple groups are using the same system 
but depend on one another for the data they are capturing in performing 
their respective business function(s).

Lastly, and more related to a live updating system, would be the 
Communications aspects between the servers.  In an always on system 
where there is a high level of wireless connectivity, each user should 
be able to view every other users input items as they become available.  
This will require some thought as well, since the communication will 
need to go in both directions.  Think about two or three field personnel 
capturing data in a grid pattern next to each other and being able to 
see the input of the others as it occurs.  The data should still be 
plotted in real time on the portable device even if it's only manually 
synced as well, while the communications between server can be 
controlled a bit easier in this manner, the same requirements will exist.

The reasoning behind my preference for concentrating on a regular OS 
(Not portable specific) would be that these micro portables are only 
going to get smaller and more plentiful in the future.   There is also 
the notion that lessons learned from the building of things in the 
described process would help those that want to ignore the advice and 
develop on the portable specific OS anyway.  :c)

bobb



> What are the options for web servers on the Windows Mobile platform? 
> ApacheCE is a fairly dated project that ported Apache 1.x to 
> WindowsCE. Does anyone know if there is a newer Apache port for 
> Windows Mobile or does compiling Apache from source work well on 
> Windows Mobile? What about PHP?
>
> Also, anybody have experience with PostgreSQL and PostGIS on Windows 
> Mobile?
>
> Aaron
>
> On 7/30/06, *Bob Basques* < bob.b at gritechnologies.com 
> <mailto:bob.b at gritechnologies.com>> wrote:
>
>     All,
>
>     I'm more inclined to go with some sort of Web Based Syncing of the
>     data
>     collection.
>
>     My first thought was to use a WebServer on the device that handles the
>     data collection as a standalone device, and also the
>     communications with
>     a main database server.  This is just a starting point for
>     conversation
>     however.  But it's all dealing with automating things to the fullest
>     extent.  Having the Webserver on the mobile device handle the
>     communications with the main Database server instead of having the
>     user
>     worry about it.  All the user sees is whether the Web servers have
>     had a
>     connection yet and were able to sync with each other.  This type of
>     system would work with a automatic wireless connection or a manual
>     syncing process.
>
>     I would also propose having a auto-tracking map where most, if not
>     all,
>     of the input is done via a spatial interface.  This seems to be the
>     easiest type of interface to use for such things and doesn't add
>     to the
>     training aspects appreciably.
>
>     bobb
>
>
>
>
>     Tyler Mitchell wrote:
>     > I've also done some Pocket PC (windows) based mobile computing
>     > applications a few years ago.  This was on the IPAQ (before HP took
>     > over Compaq) and was a forestry field data collection from
>     surveys of
>     > waste left over after logging.  We sold a few copies of it.
>     >
>     > The weakest link was the database connectivity (and some general
>     > annoyances with the Embedded VB environment).  I ended up sync'ing
>     > with an Access db on the client PC through ODBC.  It worked pretty
>     > well, but had these weak links that were not the easiest for new
>     users
>     > to handle.  It was certainly not a cross platform or flexible
>     solution
>     > but filled the gap.
>     >
>     > Also, the platform was very slow.  I found populating drop-down
>     lists
>     > with more than a few values was slow. This was on the oldest model,
>     > 266Mhz processor though :)  Anyway, all that just introduce a
>     bit of
>     > what I've done.
>     >
>     > I think that having a cross platform solution is ideal, but I'm
>     > thinking it's going to be tough due to the hardware and PC sync'ing
>     > issues.  It seems there are some solutions out there that allow
>     > sync'ing with the Microsoft ActiveSync using an open source protocol
>     > (I forget the name).  There also appear to be some issues with
>     > PDA->USB->Networking with windows host PCs due to drivers.  I'm
>     > curious if anyone has worked through that.  It'd be ideal to
>     avoid the
>     > 'sync' problem and get straight into tcp/ip connectivity to
>     databases
>     > or via rsync.
>     >
>     > Any thoughts on this?  Others have similar issues?
>     >
>     > Tyler
>     >
>     >
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> -- 
> +--------------------------------------------
> |  Aaron Koning
> |  Information Technologist
> |  Prince George, BC, Canada.
> +--------------------------------------------
> |   http://datashare.gis.unbc.ca/fist/
> |  http://datashare.gis.unbc.ca/gctp-js/
> +-------------------------------------------- 
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