Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Generating Cartographic Representations
of Volunteered Environmental Noise Data
from Mobile Phones
Petr Duda
Introduction
If one is solving a targeted mapping task, he/she usually firstly looks for a method
that would capture the phenomenon as objectively as possible, and only then look
for ways to physically realize such a method. But today this trend is reversed in
some cases. When designing a research method, we begin with study of the normal
human behavior and willingness to voluntarily collect data during other human
activities.
As a result of the rapid development of information and communication tech-
nology, particularly miniaturization, data collection using handheld mobile devices
(especially smart phones) is increasingly prominent also in the field of
geoinformatics. These devices have sufficient computing power for managing
relatively big data and also have some kind of GNSS receiver (e.g. GPS).
This combination came to be the basis for various kinds of either voluntary or
commercial
in situ
data collection tasks, conducted through sensors connected to
the mobile phone. One of these data types is sound pressure level. Almost every
mobile phone has a built-in microphone for voice communication. This microphone
can be successfully used for measuring environmental noise. Currently there are
some applications (e.g. NoiseTube: D
Hondt et al.
2013
, NoiseSpy: Kanjo
2010
,or
NoiseDrone: N¨st
2013
), which allow collecting and sharing noise data from
mobile phones, and also perform basic data processing, including creating map
outputs.
The aim of this article is to outline basic characteristics, methods of processing
and interpretation of volunteered data from mobile phones with an example of noise
data obtained mainly during informal user activity, and to propose methods of
cartographic representation of that data. Because this data is not nearly as accurate
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