Automated Data Collection for GIS Maintenance

Author: Michael L. Binge
Organization: County of San Diego

5555 Overland Ave.
San Diego, CA 92123
USA

Phone: (858)495-5775
Fax: (858)694-8928
mbingepw@co.san-diego.ca.us

One of the most challenging aspects of maintaining an enterprise GIS is keeping feature data as current as possible. San Diego County has recently implemented a program designed to collect feature data at regular intervals.

Mobile mounted global positioning system (GPS) units are outfitted with voice activated data entry systems to perform the fieldwork. The system generates ArcView GIS shapefiles, which are then overlaid and compared to existing feature data. Appropriate edits to the GIS are then performed.