GeoSpatial Experts, developers of GPS-Photo Link photo-mapping software, today introduced GeoJot, an app that converts an iPhone or iPad 2 into a photo-based geospatial data collection tool. Available for purchase from the Apple App Store, GeoJot is a companion application created for exclusive use with GPS-Photo Link software for the PC.
GeoJot allows iPhone and iPad 2 users to enter attribute descriptions and attach them to photographs as they are taken. In addition, the application geotags photos with GPS coordinates that are more accurate than is standard for these devices. Photos acquired with GeoJot must be emailed or downloaded to a personal computer running GPS-Photo Link to access the enhanced accuracy and attribute information outside of the iPhone/iPad platform.
GeoSpatial Experts will demonstrate GeoJot at the Esri International User Conference being held July 11-14, 2011, in San Diego, Calif. Look for GeoSpatial Experts in booth #1400.
“We developed GeoJot so that people can use devices they already own for field data collection in photo-mapping applications,” said GeoSpatial Experts CEO Rick Bobbitt. “Photo mapping is a fast and accurate means of collecting location-based information for business applications that require precise photographic documentation of objects and features at a specific place and time.”
GeoJot lets the user collect attribute information about each photograph. The user can either key in 24 customized descriptions up to 100 characters in length, or the user can set up drop-down menus of feature names, values and standardized condition descriptions that can be selected as each photo is taken. These lists can be saved and shared with other iPhone or iPad 2 users.
“The ability to create, save and share multiple attribute lists with GeoJot is ideal for field crews that are taking inventories of the locations and conditions of assets,” said Bobbitt. “This ensures that data collection is consistent among everyone in the crew.”
iPhones and iPad 2s have built-in geotagging capabilities, which means they use internal GPS chips to stamp each photo with the location coordinates of where the photo was taken. GeoJot maximizes the geotagging accuracy of the internal GPS chips by up to four times – putting it well within the accuracy specifications of many business-related photo-mapping applications.
Photos geotagged with their GPS locations and attributes are emailed or downloaded from the iPhone or iPad to a PC running GPS-Photo Link software. GPS-Photo Link can extract attribute information and the most accurate location information from the photo files to generate watermarked photos, printed reports, Esri shapefiles and geodatabases, and Google Earth files.
Introduced in 2001 and marking its 10th anniversary, GPS-Photo Link has become the industry standard software for mapping photographs in business and professional mapping applications. Routine photo-mapping applications of GPS-Photo Link now include the following:
* Real property field audits
* Emergency response deployments
* Environmental impact assessments
* Utility infrastructure inventories
* Water meter field audits
* Oil spill response documentation
* Wildlife surveys
* Crime scene mapping
* Mapping travel routes
GPS-Photo Link software is available in two versions. GPS-Photo Link GIS Pro Series is designed for users who wish to use advanced coordinate systems or include photos in professional mapping software, such as Esri’s ArcGIS. The Express Series is designed for users who want to document the locations of their photos but will not be integrating them into professional mapping systems.
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