NTUEF_Survey_APP

The Problem

Traditional forestry surveys often rely on manual, paper-based data collection, which is time-consuming, inefficient for data processing, and prone to human error.

The Solution

This project is an Android tablet application created to solve these challenges by providing a robust digital tool for field data entry. Developed in partnership with forestry experts at the National Taiwan University Experimental Forest (NTUEF), the app is designed to:

• Increase Efficiency: Streamline data collection and automate processing.
• Improve Accuracy: Reduce errors associated with manual data entry and transcription with accuracy check.

Key Features

• Go Paperless: Eliminates the tedious and error-prone process of manually keying in field notes into spreadsheets after a survey.
• Real-Time Data Validation: When re-surveying a plot, the app automatically validates new tree measurements against historical data, flagging significant deviations to ensure longitudinal data quality.
• Seamless Data Export & Sync: Automatically generates a structured JSON file and syncs all data to a remote database, ensuring it is centralized, secure, and ready for analysis.

Getting Started

• Android Studio Version: Android Studio Flamingo | 2022.2.1 Patch 2
• Kotlin Version: 1.9.10
• Other Version: For a complete and up-to-date list of all dependencies and their specific versions, please refer to the app/build.gradle file in the project.
• Step by Step:
  • Unzip the project file
  • Open the project in Android Studio
  • Create your own local.properties with the following content:

    BASE_URL = "<BASE_URL>"
    API_PARAMS_TOKEN = "<API_PARAMS_TOKEN>"
    CATALOGUE_API_KEY = "<CATALOGUE_API_KEY>"
    PLOT_API_KEY = "<PLOT_API_KEY>"
    CODE_API_KEY = "<CODE_API_KEY>"
    CREATE_API_KEY = "<CREATE_API_KEY>"

  • "Gradle Sync" in Android Studio
  • Run the app on an Android device or emulator

APP Usage Pipeline

• "下載樣區資料" -> "選擇樣區" -> "下載樣區內樹木資料" -> "開始調查" -> "輸入樹木資料" -> "完成調查並上傳資料"

Author

• Chih-Chuan (Leo) Hsu - A Master's student in Computer Science and Engineering at Texas A&M University with a background in Forestry and Environmental Science.
• This application was originally conceived and built during my Master's studies at National Taiwan University.