Smartphones and Tablets as Scientific Tools for Georeferencing Measurements

  IJETT-book-cover  International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology (IJETT)          
  
© 2015 by IJETT Journal
Volume-24 Number-2
Year of Publication : 2015
Authors : Leonidas Carrasco-Letelier
DOI :  10.14445/22315381/IJETT-V24P216

Citation 

Leonidas Carrasco-Letelier"Smartphones and Tablets as Scientific Tools for Georeferencing Measurements", International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology (IJETT), V24(2),82-86 June 2015. ISSN:2231-5381. www.ijettjournal.org. published by seventh sense research group

Abstract
The identification, study, or monitoring of any environmental problem frequently requires georeferencing measurements. Fieldwork has frequently been constrained by the availability of global positioning system (GPS) navigation devices. However, many current portable devices can perform georeferencing measurements. We therefore analyzed the potential use of two common portable devices (smartphones and tablets) to take low-resolution georeferencing measurements. We compared the georeferencing measurements from a low-resolution standalone GPS navigation device (Etrex 10, Garmin) with the corresponding measurements from a smartphone (with an assisted GPS system) and a WIFI-enabled tablet (with a standalone GPS system). The results show no statistically significant differences in latitude or longitude measurements between the low-resolution standalone GPS navigation device and the smartphone or WIFI tablet. A comparison of measurement precision showed statistically significant differences between all the devices studied. The standalone GPS, smartphone, and tablet achieve mean precision values of 3 m, 4 m, and 5 m, respectively. These results show that georeferencing measurements from a smartphone or WIFI tablet can be useful in low-resolution studies.

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Keywords
GPS, smartphone, tablet, georeferencing measurements.