HARNESSING THE POTENTIAL OF MOBILE DEVICES AS FIELD DATA COLLECTION TOOL IN A SATELLITE-BASED RICE MONITORING SYSTEM

摘要

Field data collection is a laborious, time consuming, and resource intensive activity. The traditional paper-based approach is painstakingly slow to provide data analysts, scientists, and other stakeholders with near-real time insights of what is actually happening in the field. The advancement in information technology particularly mobile and cloud computing enables field data collection to be easier, more accurate, work effective, and time efficient. Field data collected by mobile devices are transmitted to servers that instantaneously aggregates, check for errors, and provide insights. Several IRRI-led projects together with country partners have leverage on these technologies in the last 4 years either as an ad-hoc tool or as an integral component of a satellite-based rice monitoring system. This paper described how mobile data collection (MDC) tool specifically Open Data Kit (ODK) and GeoODK have standardized and significantly improved the field data collection process as well as reducing the time it takes for data to be reported. Collected data are easily and readily incorporated in crop monitoring (calibration and validation of rice area and start of season maps derived from Sentinel 1 SAR images) and abiotic damage assessment (crop loss due to flood and drought) activities. Most importantly how MDC have positively change the mindset and increased performance of field data collectors. Challenges and resolutions were provided for others to consider when employing MDC tools.