Arc Collector: Part 2

Intro:

This lab is a continuation of the previous lab which demonstrated the basics of how to use Arc Collector. Using this knowledge, the goal of this exercise was to formulate a research question that can be solved using ArcCollector, and then to collect data and map the results. This specific project focuses on the condition of sidewalks in the student housing area nearby the UW-Eau Claire campus to answer the question of "which sidewalks are in the greatest need of repair"? This topic is relevant to all of the students of the university because they all utilize the sidewalks to get to campus. When sidewalks are damaged, they can become a hazard to those walking, jogging or using other methods of transportation. By using ArcCollector to pinpoint areas of high damage, a map will be created showing the areas in greatest need of repair.

Study Area:

Figure 1
Section of Student Housing Area

The study area for this exercise is a section of the student housing area north of the UW-Eau Claire campus. This section is a 5 by 5 block area between 1st and 5th avenue and Chippewa and Lake street. The reason this section was chosen is because it is very frequently used by students traveling to campus. This area also contains Randal Park, an area used heavily by students and the public alike. The methods used to collect data in this area can be expanded to larger areas as well.
   

Methods: 

Before data can be collected, a geodatabase needs to be created to house feature classes. In ArcMap, a geodatabase was created and domains were established. Within the geodatabase, a feature class for sidewalk damage was created and given various attributes. Each of these attributes were assigned one of the previous domains.

Figure 2 :
List of Domains under Database Properties

Some domains included a coded values domain to restrict what types of damage may be recorded. Another was a range domain that limited the number of damages that may be recorded.
It is important to make sure that the geodatabase is designed correctly so that the proper data can be collected.

The fields assigned to the feature class are as follows

Severity: This field records how severe the damage is

Street: A text field to record the street name the damage is on

Number: Number of damage features on a section of sidewalk (i.e two cracks)

Type: Coded values field to record the type of damage (crack, chip or uneven sidewalk)

Once the geodatabase and feature class are created it may be published as a service to ArcGIS online. Once this is done, the data collection in ArcCollector may begin.

Results: 

Figure 3
Map showing types of sidewalk damage

Figure 4
Map of quantified sidewalk damage

http://arcg.is/Oef5v Link to map of damage severity

This study concluded that there is extensive damage to sidewalks in the student housing area near the UW-Eau Claire campus. The greatest damage can be seen on Hudson and Lake streets. This is likely due to these streets being heavily traveled by students yet being further away from major roads such as Water Street or First Avenue. Although it is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city, the sidewalks around Randal park showed surprisingly little damage. These sidewalks are likely attended to more frequently because the area is used heavily by students as well as the general public. 

Conclusion:

This project is just one example of the capabilities of ArcCollector with data collection. The geodatabase schema for this project was relatively simple and suited the needs of this project. However it was still important to carefully design the geodatabase because in a project with several feature classes with various subtypes and domains it is crucial that the data is well organized. I feel that my research has answered my overall question. In the future I may expand my study over a larger area or include additional attributes to examine.

Arc Collecter

Introduction: 

ArcCollector is a mobile data collection app that allows users to use the advanced GPS capabilities of their mobile device (either Andriod or Apple devices) to collect G.I.S data. This is advantageous because it allows users to collect the data as a GPS unit without requiring receivers or additional equipment. Users can enter data for a variety of attributes in the form of a survey, which can than be exported into a map. Being an Esri product, ArcCollector can export data into other Esri software such as ArcMap

Study Area:

The study area for this assignment was the UW-Eau Claire campus. The class was broken into groups, with each group being assigned a different zone on campus due to time constraints. This report focuses on data collected in zone 7, which consisted of the majority of lower campus including the campus mall and the field behind the Putnam Hall dormitory.

Figure 1
Map of Zones with zone 7 highlighted in yellow

Methods: 

The purpose of this assignment was to use the ArcCollector application to collect microclimate data on the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire campus. To begin, the ArcCollector app was installed on the students mobile devices. Then ArcCollector was connected to a geodatabase to establish domains. An attribute domain is a sort of rule that determines the type of data that can be assigned to an attribute. For example, for the wind speed attribute, a domain was set so that only numbers between 0-360 may be entered, corresponding with the degrees of a circle. This exercise consisted of 8 attributes, each with an assigned domain. Next, a map was selected from the students ArcGIS online account for data points to be added to.

The next part of the assignment focused on the actual data collection. This was done primarily with a Kestrel 3000, a device that can collect a variety of weather information such as temperature, dew point, heat index and wind speed. A compass was used to determine wind direction. 20 g.p.s points were collected and micro-climate data was recorded for each point. Because the ArcCollector app is connected to an online map, the points appear on the map in real time as they are recorded. The data in the online map could than be exported into ArcMap for a variety of cartographic purposes.

Results: 

 In ArcGIS online, each of the attributes could be mapped to examine patterns across the UWEC campus. Some examples may be seen below.

Figure 2
ArcGIS online map of surface temperatures

One of the attributes mapped was surface temperature across campus. A spatial pattern that the data indicates is that blacktop and concrete surfaces have a higher surface temperature than grass or bare ground surfaces. This is made clear on the map with locations such as parking lots and the campus footbridge. This data was obtained on a sunny day, and seeing that blacktop gets very warm in sunlight, this seems accurate.

Figure 3
ArcGIS online map of Wind Speed

A second attribute mapped was wind speed. A pattern that may be observed on this map is higher wind speeds in open areas. These include areas such as the campus footbridge and outside of towers hall. Some of the lowest wind speeds may be observed in the campus mall. The reasoning behind this is the presence of buildings. Large buildings block the wind and reduce the overall wind speed. The footbridge, an area that exhibits consistently high wind speeds, has no buildings around to block the wind. The campus mall is surround by academic buildings that would block the wind and reduce the overall wind speed.

Conclusion:

ArcCollector is a powerful and useful mapping application that allows users to collect field data which can be uploaded to an online map in real time. This could be very useful in a field such as transportation planning. ArcCollector may be used to record areas of roads that are in disrepair. For example, attributes may include road location, surface type, extend of damage (crack, pothole, ect.). This could then be exported into an ArcMap document to illustrate which roads are in the greatest need of repair, allowing city government to prioritize their projects. Overall, ArcMap is a very useful and accessible tool with a wide variety of geospatial applications.