Field Completion of the GIS database of Cameroon base map using the couple: tablet/GPS antenna

Abstract

The National Institute of Cartography of Cameroon (NIC) is currently establishing a 1:10,000-scale National GIS data base, from which digital maps are being produced. A new methodology for field completion, which is one of the key phases for the production of a base map, has been implemented in other to meet the requirements of the new database. This method is mainly based on the use of the couple tablet/GPS antenna for surveying, combined with android GIS software used for embedding the first drafts of map sheets. This mapping application consists of buttons which allow executing involved tasks on the field: survey a point, a line, polygon, cancelling a feature or filling an attribute table. The purpose of this paper was to demonstrate the added value of the suggested methodology in terms of accuracy, rapidity and data integration. The results of this case study showed that the achieved accuracy of data collected is around 1 m or sometimes less. The orientation on the field was very fast, and the integration of data collected in the GIS database of NIC was very easy. Keywords: Accuracy, Data integration GPS antenna, Mapping application, Tablet.