Reading smartphone sensors data

[AntonioPatera]

In geology the orientation of structures is measured. Because smartphones are equipped with numerous sensors, including GPS receivers, accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, and even barometers, these data could be read by Survey123 to measure dip and strike of a rock outcrop or a fault.

[AnthonyRyanEQL]

Agree. I can see a lot of industries/utilities expanding their capability/knowlegde in data collection having access to this type of sensors

[Anonymous User]

Esri Collector for Tricorders. I look forward to this being a thing.   

But really, taking any data from any sensor, perhaps they can abstract it so it would put it in any field as long as the data type matches. Samsung and other modern phones have many other sensors, light, UV and even a hygrometer. 

[IsmaelChivite]

Update: Measuring the strike is possible with the bearing appearance.

If more people are interested in measuring the dip, please vote up and describe use cases.

[PeterKnoop]

@IsmaelChivite the mention of dip in the original post above is along the lines of the use cases we have.

Geologic features are often planar or linear features, which topography often cross-cuts or exposes at various angles other than perfectly horizontal or vertical. That means you need both a true strike and dip (or dip and dip direction; or, trend and plunge for linear features), to properly define features like faults, contacts, sedimentary bedding, foliation, lineation, etc.

A strike measured by sighting along the exposure of a geologic fault plane is only the "true" strike if the ground is perfectly horizontal. Otherwise, it is a measure of "apparent" strike caused by the ground cutting across the fault at a non-horizontal angle. Geologists are usually in need of the true strike (and dip) for their analysis.

In practice, for geologic features, it is usually easiest to measure the true dip or plunge first with your compass' clinometer, and then measure the strike, trend, or dip direction with the compass relative to that, so that you get a true, rather than apparent, measure.