Chapter 4

Mobile GIS
Instructor
Chapter objectives

• Understand the concepts of mobile GIS, LBS, VGI, VR, and AR

• Understand the three approaches to building mobile apps
• Know the mobile apps provided by Esri’s geospatial cloud
• Create smart surveys using Survey123 web designer
• Collect data using Survey123
• Configure editable feature layers and feature templates
• Use ArcGIS Collector to collect GIS data
• Design QuickCapture projects
• Use the QuickCapture app
• Prepare data for AuGeo and use AuGeo to understand AR

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition

Data sources Desktop tools ArcGIS Online / ArcGIS Enterprise Client apps
CSV files Feature layers
layers Ready-to-use apps and
configurable templates
Shapefiles Raster tile layers
Web Configurable app templates
KMLs Vector tile layers maps/ ArcGIS StoryMaps
File geodatabases Scene layers web
scenes Experience Builder/Web AppBuilder
Enterprise geodatabases ArcMap Map image layers
ArcGIS Dashboards
Nonspatial data ArcGIS Pro Image layers ArcGIS Insights
Tools ArcGIS Feeds Collector, Survey123,
ArcGIS Collector, Survey123,
Drone2Map Explorer, QuickCapture,
Explorer, QuickCapture,Tracker,
Tracker,
Photos/Imagery Stream layers
Navigator, and
Navigator, and Workforce
Workforce……
Raster function templates ArcGIS Custom web tools
ArcGIS AppStudio
Sensor and real-time data CityEngine Standard tools ArcGIS Earth
Big data GeoAnalytics tools/big ArcGIS Indoors viewer
data analytics
… ArcGIS VR 360
Real-time analytics
AuGeo
360 VR Experience
…
Geometry services
Custom apps
Living Atlas of the World
ArcGIS API for JavaScript
… ArcGIS Runtime SDKs
ArcGIS API for Python
… Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition
From wired to wireless

• “Post-PC era”

• Mobile GIS: GIS for use on mobile devices

Web
Mobile GIS
GIS

Mobile is becoming the pervasive client platform for Web GIS

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition
Mobile GIS advantages

• Mobility
• Location awareness
- Positioning technology: GPS, cellular networks, Wi-Fi networks, Bluetooth …
- User location is often the subject area. User can see, touch, hear, smell, and feel the subject.
• Near real-time information
• Large volume of users
• Versatile means of communication

Replacing paper-based workflows (efficient, accurate, convenient …)

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition
Supporting technologies

• Mobile devices • Wireless communication technology

- Smartphones - Bluetooth
- Tablets - Wi-Fi
- Smart watches - Cellular network technology
- Other wearable devices - 3G, 4G, 5G, and 6G
- Satellite internet services
• Mobile OS - SpaceX Starlink plan
- Android
- iOS/iPadOS • Positioning technologies
- Windows - Satellite-based approach, such as GPS
- Cellular-network-based approach
- Wi-Fi-based approach
- Various indoor positioning technologies (IPS)

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition

Positioning technologies

VLC
(Visual Light
Communication) GPS
(Global
Positioning System)
BLE
(Bluetooth
GSM
Low Energy)
(Global System
for Mobile
Communications)
Wi-Fi

Indoors Outdoors
Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition
Editable feature layers: Foundation of mobile data collection

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition

Feature layer views

Views

Add new sightings

Only see reviewed sightings
Only see some attribute fields
Source Public

Hosted feature layer Add new sightings

See all sightings
See all attribute fields
City staff (field)
Endangered species sightings

Update and delete sightings

View all sightings
See all attribute fields
City staff
(reviewers)

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition

Feature templates

• Data integrity

• Ease of editing

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition

Mobile app development strategies

1. Browser-based apps
• Examples: apps you created with ArcGIS web app templates

• Advantages
• Run inside web browsers, no installation is needed
- Based on HTML, JavaScript, and CSS
- Better cross platform capabilities than the native app approach
- Typically less costly and quicker to develop than native apps

• Disadvantages
- User experience typically cannot compete with native apps

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition

Mobile app development strategies

2. Native apps
• Examples
- ArcGIS Collector, Explorer, Survey123, QuickCapture Workforce, Navigator …

• Advantages
• Deep-level access to device hardware and other resources
• Typically have better performance than browser based apps
• App store user experience (search, discover, review, sale/buy, install, and so on)

• Disadvantages
- Not cross platform, require platform specific programing skills
- Objective-C or Swift for iOS, Java for Android, and .NET for Windows Phone
- More expensive to develop

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition

Mobile app development strategies

3. Hybrid-based approach
- Integrates native components and HTML/JavaScript/CSS to build native apps

• Examples
- Embeds a web control into a native app to load HTML and JavaScript contents
- Use frameworks such as PhoneGap to allow deeper integration with the native platforms

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition

ArcGIS native apps for field and indoor operations

Plan Navigate
Use location to assign and Route to your work using your
coordinate field activities roads, your GIS data – even
while offline

Coordinate Understand
Act on real-time conditions in See what’s happening
the field to update worker around you with maps
tasks

Capture
Monitor Perform data collection and
Know where workers are and send it back to the office from
see the progress of work in anywhere
real time

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition

ArcGIS native apps for field and indoor operations

Plan Navigate
ArcGIS Workforce ArcGIS Navigator

Coordinate Understand
ArcGIS Workforce ArcGIS Explorer
ArcGIS Tracker
ArcGIS Explorer

Capture
Monitor ArcGIS Collector
ArcGIS Tracker ArcGIS Survey123
ArcGIS Dashboards ArcGIS QuickCapture

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition

ArcGIS Workforce
Plan and coordinate fieldwork

Plan and coordinate fieldwork

Improve operational awareness

Create and manage fieldwork

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition

ArcGIS Workforce
Plan and coordinate fieldwork

Dispatchers

Work assignments

Projects Fieldworkers

Working status

Project Owner
Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition
ArcGIS Explorer
Maps anywhere, online and off-line

View your maps anywhere

Easily find field assets

Create and share notes on-the-go

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition

ArcGIS Collector
Mapcentric data collection

• Collect and update data using the map or GPS

• Download maps to your device and work off-line
• Collect points, lines, areas, and related tables
• Fill out easy-to-use, map-driven forms
• Attach photos to your features
• Use professional-grade GPS receivers
• Search for places and features
• Support smarter forms and provide enhanced
high-accuracy 3D data collection capabilities

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition

Workflow to use Collector

4 Data collected is saved to

the source feature layer.

5 Decision makers review the survey

results using the web map or web apps
that include the source feature layer.

1 Creator creates an editable 2 Creator adds the feature

feature layer or views, and layer or views to a web
configures the editing settings. map, and shares them
with certain groups.
3 Users of the groups collect
data using Collector.
Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition
ArcGIS Survey123
Smart, formcentric data collection

Simple data collection experience

Sophisticated smart-form capabilities

Web and native

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition

 Workflow to use Survey123

ArcGIS Online
ArcGIS Enterprise

1 Survey creator authors, previews, and

submits a survey using web designer.

2 Survey creator shares

the survey with 4 Decisions makers review
everyone or certain survey results in charts,
groups. maps, and tables using
Survey123 website.
3 Public or mobile
workers collect data
Survey creator authors smart surveys using XLSForm,
1 using Survey123.
previews and publishes a survey using Survey123 Connect.

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition

Smart forms

• Rules and dynamic questions

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition

Survey123 Connect: Create more sophisticated forms

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition

ArcGIS Tracker
Know what happens in the field

Share your location

Know where everyone is

Own your locations

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition

ArcGIS Indoors mobile app

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition

More native apps

• ArcGIS Companion
- Manage content and administer your Web GIS anywhere

• ArcGIS Navigator
- Routing using special maps and rules even when offline

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition

ArcGIS Web APIs and Runtime SDKs to build custom mobile apps

ArcGIS Online
ArcGIS Enterprise

REST API

ArcGIS Web APIs ArcGIS Runtime SDKs

Mobile SDKs Desktop SDKs

JavaScript API iOS Android Windows Phone Multi-platforms Linux Windows MacOS
(Objective C) (Java) (.NET) (Qt) (C++, Java) (.NET, Java) (Objective C)

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition

 ArcGIS AppStudio

• Template-based approach for building cross-platform apps without coding

• Allow customization via ArcGIS Runtime SDK for Qt
iOS/iPadOS

Android

Linux

Windows

Mac

Start with Select an app Preview in

an app Share and Native apps for
template and AppStudio
Idea build multiple platforms
configure it Player

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition

Location-based services (LBS)

• LBS refers to information services that integrate the locations of mobile devices to provide added
value to the mobile user.

• For example, to get information of a location (or point of interest — POI )

- With desktop GIS, move your mouse cursor to the location and click it
- With LBS, you move yourself
- You (with your phone) are the mouse cursor, working in the real world—a map with a scale of 1:1
- As you get close to the POI, your LBS app will provide information relevant to the POI

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition

Volunteered geographic information (VGI)

• Digital spatial data produced voluntarily by citizens rather than by formal institutional data producers

• Crowdsourcing
- Engage citizens to report crimes
- Collect traffic speed, accidents, and police locations from mobile users (Waze)

• For VGI collection, among ArcGIS mobile apps

- Survey123 is the best because it doesn’t require named users
- QuickCapture is also good if an organization has ArcGIS HUB Premium (which allows anonymous users to use QuickCapture)

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition

Virtual reality (VR)

• Computer-generated simulation of a 3D map or environment that can be interacted with in a

seemingly real or physical way by a person using special electronic equipment, such as a helmet
with a screen inside or gloves fitted with sensors

More details in chapter 7

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition

Augmented reality (AR)

• AR superimposes computer generated or retrieved (often from the web) information with a live
view of the world
• Often related with mobile GIS
- Awareness of location, direction, and tilt angle
- Live view via camera
• Categories
- Tabletop: pins 3D content to a real-world surface
- World-scale: GIS data is rendered and displayed on top of the camera view
- AR-based tour guide app
- App to “see” underground pipelines
- More examples

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition

Augmented reality (AR)

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition

Augmented reality (AR)

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition

Augmented reality (AR)

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition

Augmented reality (AR)

Link to an article
Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition
Customize mobile GIS with edge computing & artificial intelligence

A customized Survey123
recognizes a plant’s name
from a photo of a leaf

A customized QuickCapture
recognizes a building type
Cinema
from its camera view 66.99 %
43 ms
Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition
Tutorial demo: Survey123
A university wants its students, staff, and the public to report nonemergency incidents on campus

• Section 4.1 designs a smart form for Survey123

• Section 4.2 collects data using the Survey123 mobile app

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition

Tutorial demo: Collector
A city wants its staff to perform public works inspections

• Section 4.3 prepares and configures editable feature layers and a web map
• Section 4.4 uses Collector to collect point and line incidents

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition

Tutorial demo: QuickCapture
A city wants its staff to perform public works inspections quickly, even when driving

• Section 4.5 creates a QuickCapture project

• Section 4.6 uses QuickCapture to collect point and line incidents

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition

Tutorial demo: AuGeo
Create data for AuGeo and experience AR

• Section 4.7 prepares data for AuGeo

• Section 4.8 explores your surroundings in AR

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition

Summary

• Mobile GIS is becoming the pervasive client for Web GIS

• Mobile apps can be developed in browser, native, and hybrid-based approaches

• ArcGIS provides a suite of mobile apps, including ArcGIS Collector, Survey123, Explorer,
QuickCapture, Tracker, Navigator, Workforce, Companion, and AuGeo
- Collector is map centric and requires an editable feature layer in a web map
- Survey123 is form centric and requires a form that can be created using Survey123 Connect or web designer
- …

• Mobile GIS is the foundation of many popular types of apps and frontiers, including location-based
services (LBS), volunteered geographic information (VGI), virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality
(AR)

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition

Assignment 4.1: Create a smart Survey123 form

Requirements: Your survey must have at least one rule and must allow users to do the following:
- Specify locations (points, or lines, or polygons) on a map

- Submit photos of evidence

- Describe what they see or experience

- Choose one or multiple options, such as type of suspicious activity, type of bugs, type of symptoms, and so on

- Specify date and time

- Specify contact information

What to submit:
- The URL that asks your users to open the survey in a browser or in the Survey123 field app

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition

Assignment 4.2: Use Collector or QuickCapture to collect data

Requirements:
- Create at least a point layer, and a line or polygon layer with at least a domain and with attachments
enabled on all the layers
- Define domains and feature templates for at least one layer

What to submit:
- The URL to open your web map (if you choose to use Collector)
- or the URL to your QuickCapture project

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition

Discussion

Getting to Know Web GIS, fourth edition