(Implemented) Location tracking in Survey123

5386
13
05-16-2017 09:17 AM
Status: Implemented
FrankVeldhuis
New Contributor III

We want to manually place a geopoint and have Survey123 automatically capture a second geopoint of the actual user location. We have created a repeat with a geopoint that is hidden. This creates a related point but it is always at 0,0. 

 

We are using Survey123 for park inspections. The user adds a geo-point over the asset they are inspecting. How do we know if the user was in their truck, office, or actually at the asset? We don't know. Tracking the user location would help defend ourselves against litigation by proving the user was in fact near the location of the inspection. We know the location tracking won't be perfect. Anything will be better than nothing 🙂

13 Comments
ChristopherMcClain

Couldn't you just enable a geopoint as part of the survey?

FrankVeldhuis

We already have a geopoint in the survey.

The user adds a geo-point over the asset they are inspecting. How do we know if the user was in their truck, office, or actually at the asset? We don't know. That's why we want tracking. Collector has it why can't Survey123?

FrankVeldhuis

I wasn't clear in my description. We want both, the ability to place a point on the map and to track where the user was located when the survey was completed.

ScottPrindle

Hello Frank,

Thank you for submitting this idea. In this request, are you looking to track the field worker's location at all times, or just when a geopoint has been collected in a survey? What kind of accuracy are you looking for with this new functionality? How are you currently handling location verification in your surveys?

Thanks,

Scott

FrankVeldhuis1

Hi Scott,

Thanks for following up on this idea. In a perfect world, I would like to only track the point location during the survey. Maybe continuously update the point location while the survey is open and save the point location when the survey is completed. If a survey is edited then I would only be interested in the point location where it was last edited. 

As for accuracy, I would be interested in getting the estimated horizontal accuracy as a separate field.

We aren't handling location verification right now. In the grand scheme of things, it is no worse that the old paper forms that we replaced. The location tracking is a way to reduce our liability by adding additional proof that the user was near the asset being inspected. It's not fool proof but it's better than paper.

TimothyKing3

This would be a great addition, especially with the added functionality of the High Accuracy GNSS data. I would like to create a 123 form that I could add to all of our projects that would automatically take a location when 123 is being used so I would then be able to see if users are using an external device, placing the point manually, mistakenly connected to a mifi or hotspot.  I would also be able to see if there are issues with the accuracy across multiple projects.


I created a tracking layer via AGO that I use in collector to track, but none of the metadata, other than accuracy, gets sent to the feature service so it is not real valuable.  I recently created a separate tracking layer and it only adds the accuracy and none of the other metadata into the tracking layer.  The GPS units are EOS Arrow 100s and they are working real well with the new High Accuracy GNSS metadata in 123.

Thanks,

LTK

MichelleWilliams1

Hello Esri Jedi,

I have an idea, how about adding a companion field that states if the geolocation was input moving the map or input with the target. 

IsmaelChivite
Status changed to: Under Consideration
 
IsmaelChivite
Status changed to: In Product Plan