Introduction

SSP has been working on a pilot project involving the GPS data collection of newly installed gas features.  It includes the automatic field population of attributes via a barcode scanner.  Recently, at the same time, my friend and coworker, Ryan Potts, wrote a very good blog post on the beta release of Survey123 for ArcGIS.  Pottsy’s post got my juices flowing on how this newer technology could be applied to the gas industry.  More specifically and simply, a barcode had to populate a feature’s field values and photo document in the ArcGIS Online environment.  Both capabilities would be required to make Survey123 a data collection alternative for gas utilities.  Decided to kick the tires.

Testing

The beta copy of Survey123 was downloaded and installed.  In just a little over an hour, the collection of data was possible via one of the template forms and posting to SSP’s ArcGIS Online account.  Piece of cake.  Now…bring on the barcodes!

There is a sample survey titled ‘Barcode Scanning’.  A new survey titled ‘Gas Feature Barcode Example’ was created utilizing the sample as a backbone (Figure 1).

After clicking the ‘Create Survey’ button, an Excel spreadsheet appears (Figure 2) with the barcoding sample.  Rows 3 and 5 have the purpose of barcode collection and storage.  Rows 6-8 conduct a calculation (Column M) on the resultant barcode.

Upon closure of the Excel spreadsheet, we see the results (Figure 3).

To expand the capability of the sample, we want to also have the ability to use our cell phone to take photographs and attach to the collected feature.  By clicking on the ‘Open XLSForm Spreadsheet’ button (highlighted in yellow in the image above), our spreadsheet reappears.  A new row was added (Figure 4) to collect and store the image. Other questions could also be easily added to prompt the data collector to enter feature and/or site specific information.

After saving and dismissal of the spreadsheet, we see that there is now a new area for photo collection (Figure 5).

When we are happy with our form, it is then uploaded to our ArcGIS Online account.  It is now available for download and utilization by the Survey123 app on a smartphone.  Since there is not a gas fitting on my desk, the app will be used to collect the location, barcode information, and take a photograph of bottle of Kansas City Style BBQ Rub.  On a side note, the Rub is an excellent addition to chicken on the grill.

By clicking on the form’s barcode, centering on the BBQ Rub’s barcode, and clicking, the numeric barcode is populated.  Notice Outputs 2 and 3 are automatically populated based upon the calculation (Figure 6).

We then click on the camera and take a picture of the BBQ Rub (Figure 7).

After clicking the check in the lower right hand corner of the form and submitting the survey, it is transmitted and immediately accessible on ArcGIS Online (Figure 8).  The attachment could also be clicked on to bring up the photograph of the BBQ Rub.

Personal Review and Discussion

Survey123 performed exactly the way I hoped and desired.  It was impressive how simple the process was for setup, configuration, and deployment.

There are two outstanding questions with this type of gas feature collection deployment:

1. Where do the barcodes get interpreted?  In the MLGW case study, the barcodes are interpreted immediately on the GPS unit and the attributes (manufacturer, size, etc.) are visibly populated.  This is conducted by complex statements that are the equivalent of Esri field definition queries.  This methodology may be an advantage because it enables the user to field-verify the results.

Another way to process the barcodes would be after the features are transferred to the GIS.  Hypothetically, the conversion could be associated with the migration tools previously outlined in Part 2 of the Case Study.  The conversion could use existing domains or lookup tables which aid in update in the event a new manufacturer or material comes online.

2. What is the accuracy requirement?  In a previous blog post, the accuracy of a good GPS unit is compared to the utilization of the cell phone’s GPS (Figure 9).  Quite frankly, if accuracy is a high priority, Survey123 isn’t going to cut it TODAY.  I think we would be naive to think that cell phone accuracy won’t improve in the near future.  That being said, there are also small Bluetooth-enabled GPS receivers that can connect to cell phones.  These devices are quickly coming online that may boost the accuracy.

In closing, this post was written to discuss an additional option for gas feature GPS collection.  The startup time and link to ArcGIS Online are its greatest assets.  Because it relies upon the smartphone’s GPS, the resultant accuracy is subpar to a quality GPS receiver.  I foresee its strong future use in not only the gas sector, but also any sector that uses GIS.