Development of Service Oriented Web-GIS Platform for Monitoring and Evaluation using FOSS4G.

Abstract

The usage of mobile devices has proliferated over the last decade. Smart phones now come with advanced technologies like Global Positioning System (GPS), advanced camera and sensors. Nowadays, mobile devices are used for different purposes such as individual tracking, checking current location and also collecting geo-referenced information. A Mobile GIS system offers geospatial functionality on smart phone devices by combining visualization with positioning. Due to these advancements, data can be collected easily in digital formats during field surveys and integrated into a desktop GIS for further processing and analysis. Further, Remote Sensing imagery and digital maps can be used as a reference backdrop for collecting data. , As the existing GIS data can be easily accessed in the field in both offline and online modes, information from geospatial analysis can be verified and validated. In this study, we discuss the implementation of an Open Source Mobile GIS framework using the client-server model to addresses the present needs of data assimilation using smart phones. Further, geo-processing services can accessed on mobile devices and the results of geospatial analysis can be visualized in near real time. The proposed platform is generic and can be used to provide location based geospatial services for several application scenarios. The entire system has been implemented using Free and Open Source Software, and Open Geospatial Standards. It provides functionality for spatial data management and manipulation remotely. In this study, we demonstrate the utilization of the system for monitoring and evaluation of scenarios for Emergency Medical Service (EMS) tracking and management of vehicle road trips and for the monitoring and evaluation of mangrove forests. The system is easily customizable for other situations.