Observation Collector - Caslys Consulting Ltd.

Caslys developed a wildlife field observation application for the Nunavut Department of Environment. The Aerial Wildlife Survey - Observation Collector (OC) software was developed specifically for use in their aerial wildlife survey. The collector was designed for rapid data entry in the field; integrating data forms with GPS and mapping tools on a touchscreen MS Windows tablet. The product has replaced cumbersome and time-consuming paper field forms that were completed during the survey and later entered into a digital format back at the office; and now allows survey results to be viewed in the field, in real-time.

The OC facilitates the collection of aerial field data and the subsequent management of the resultant observation dataset. The application consists of two modules:

OC Field Collection Application is designed for collecting observation data while airborne. The application is spatially enabled to connect with a Global Positioning System (GPS) and display the current location on a built-in map.
OC Administrator Application is designed for survey setup allowing the user to select the active survey type for the planned field work. Additionally, it allows the user to configure options such as GPS connections, flight transects, map setup and pick list configuration for each survey type.

During data collection, observations are stored in a local database. Detailed observation data can be edited and exported to Excel and Esri Shapefile format for easy integration with GIS mapping software. Additionally, the application automatically creates a GPS log file in Shapefile format that tracks aircraft flight during data collection.

The application is designed to allow additional surveys to be developed through a plug-in architecture. All of the survey configuration is stored in the local database. The OC application suite was originally designed to work on Trimble Yuma and Motion R12 ruggedized handheld field units with built-in or external GPS, and later upgraded to work on Windows 11 on a modern Microsoft Surface Tablet.