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If wearable computing is small and powerful enough, it could be used in the field and would be less
intrusive during field study than today's mobile devices.
Currently, we have said that LBGC requires one mobile device in the field to perform calcu-
lations on. This is largely due to field study areas being remote with little network connection.
However, there are emerging technologies that may allow for greater connectivity, either locally or
at a distance, and therefore give the user access to the web and cloud computing in the field such as
grid computing (Palmer et al., 2009). Additionally, software vendors such as ESRI have started to
make their software available in a customisable form for newer devices that run iOS and Android.
However, as of time of going to press, this software requires client-server architecture and does not
have the ability to create and process local shapefiles. .
15.6 CONCLUSION
In this chapter, we have introduced the concept of LBGC as a method of bringing the power of GC
into the field using modern mobile technology. Mobile apps have been around for several years but
only recently has the hardware become powerful enough and therefore suitable for performing GC in
the field. We have argued for the importance of being in the field to gather first-hand data and for the
analysis being computed in context whilst being located within the area that is being studied. There
are other areas of research that involve mobile apps that have a location element to them such as LBS
and MGIS. LBS is generally about consumption of location-relevant media to enhance an outdoor
experience either through providing extra functional knowledge or for shear enjoyment. MGIS offers
many important data collection and visualisation techniques, which would be useful in an LBGC
app, but is still very heavily reliant on a desktop GIS component to perform the analysis, by which
time the data collection window may have passed and, likewise, the opportunity to reflect on analy-
sis and make amendments to collection methodologies may also have vanished. Although LBGC has
obvious similarities with these two, its defining features are the combination of computing power,
mobility and first-hand experience enabled by the mobility of modern, powerful and mobile devices.
To conclude this chapter, we present a call for research in the area that has been discussed. The
technology now exists in abundance and there is no shortage of developers to exploit the opportu-
nities offered by these devices. There are documented virtues to being in the field, and GC is an
ever-advancing subject, such that a dedicated combination of the two offers novel opportunities to
bring LBGC to life!
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Sam Meek was supported by the Horizon Doctoral Training Centre at the University of Nottingham
(RCUK Grant No. EP/G037574/1) and by the RCUK's Horizon Digital Economy Research Institute
(RCUK Grant No. EP/G065802/1). We would like to acknowledge James Carswell of the Dublin
Institute of Technology for providing an insightful review.
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