Crowd-Source Mapping of Geographic Information Resources by Volunteer Users of Mobile Devices for the Purpose of Emergency Responses

After the first moments a crisis take place, quick emergency responses can be improved by updated spatial information and online map services of target places. Efficient use of GIS in the phase of response in crisis management requires having access to reliable data related to the crisis. Considering the critical situations at the initial moments of all disasters including earthquakes, floods, and accidents, as well as the great significance of geographic data in relief and providing the injured with appropriate care, the necessity of such data becomes apparent. The real time information acquired from crowdsourcing information can update the basic GIS server maps. Therefore, this study incorporates the capability of smart phone sensors, GPS, Web 2.0, VGI and Server-based technologies to design and develop a system for collecting target hazardous information from volunteers. Users can send information regarding the hazard location, its images, and other explanations to a central server through web technology and GPRS. This information and other crowdsourced information can be viewed by all users in real time through an updated map in the GIS Server. This online information can be used by relief groups so that they can hurry to the rescue of the injured with minimal loss of time. One of the most important contributions in designing this system is considering to the improvement of the positional accuracy of targets with respect to the position of the mobile device. Several approaches have been recommended for this purpose. The solutions include the use of online map services, the use of geocoding services, and the use of arithmetic methods based on the measurements of sensors embedded in a smart mobile phone. If a volunteered user for relief operations is convinced to determine the location using the various required methods and then send the results, the accuracy of the information can be verified with greater certainty. The evaluation by a sample group of mobile users indicated that the system was easy to use and could be a substitute for telephone systems of reporting incidents. Fifty three and twenty four percent of the sample group of respondents agreed and completely agreed with this claim, respectively. Based on the users’ views, if such a system is developed and used on a large scale, it will be widely employed to help crisis management and relief operations. Fifty-three percent of users agreed and thirty-five percent of them completely agreed with the claim that the system has a simple user interface and can be easily used. It was found that the initial location determined by the mobile positioning system could be improved through the use of online map services and/or by utilization of mobile sensors in the arithmetic method. The results showed that, from the positional accuracy perspective, the arithmetic method by the means of device embedded sensors would yield the best result. However, geocoding is more is more economical to save time. The system's evaluation also showed that this method would quickly compile target hazardous area information and provide guidance to relief groups.