By Mathias Lemmens, senior editor, GIM International

Mobile GIS systems are a typical result of the ongoing miniaturisation of instruments enabled by microelectronics and nanotechnology. One of the many results is small, handy, portable and accurate surveying tools called mobile GIS systems.

A mobile GIS system integrates GNSS positioning, GIS functionality, wireless communication and mapping in one compact, handheld piece of hardware. Wireless communication enables downloading of geo-data from the central GIS while in the field, and uploading of field data either instantly or at set times. The development of the technology stems from three directions: the GIS industry, producers of mapping tools, and the survey/navigation industry. The present overview reflects this history: both vendors of hardware and GIS and mapping software are listed. The marriage of hardware and software results in a lightweight (typically less than one-kilogram) device, which provides both professional surveyors and other fieldworkers, such as utility personnel, with a flexible solution for the collection of accurate positioning data on objects, recovering them at a later stage and adding annotations.

Because they may be operated under harsh and hostile environmental conditions, handhelds have to be rugged. Several standards are in use expressing the environmental worthiness, one being the International Protection Rating Code (IP), and another the United States Military Standard (MIL-STD-810). Most devices use Windows Mobile as operating system. A digital camera is usually part of the standard hardware. Nearly all GIS and mapping software listed support vector and raster data formats; only Unistrong does not support raster data. A virtual keyboard is software for entering characters from multiple input devices, one being a Soft Input Panel (SIP): an onscreen keyboard used for small devices where there is no room for a physical one.

Technical details of the hardware of Penmap's GI-Collector Tablet are identical to Trimble's Yuma. Penmap provides out-of-the box solutions for a wide range of industries, based on its own Encore mapping software, embedded in GNSS handhelds manufactured by Trimble. Manufacturers from China and Taiwan are increasingly joining us in our product surveys. These producers are represented in the present survey by UniStrong and SuperGeo Technologies, respectively.

Due to space limitations this printed version lists only one device per manufacturer; our website displays the complete survey. The selection is based on manufacturer's preference. Also read a further thorough treatment of technical and business features of mobile GIS systems.

Email: m.j.p.m.lemmens@tudelft.nl