KEEP TAKING THE TABLETS

This article describes the use of hand-held tablet personal computers (PCs) in data collection for a roadside asset inventory in the city of London, England. An asset is defined as any item of street furniture, including road markings, maintained by the local authority. The data was collected by walked survey using a measuring wheel and a data logger, but map-based asset inventory was required. The data collection software was developed and customised, including a geographical information system (GIS) component. A GIS software specialist was commissioned to write a customised version of an existing product. Computer hardware was considered: palm-held units were too small and not sufficiently powerful, so tablet PCs were adopted. Ordnance Survey map data was employed. Data collected on site is uploaded to the main system and subjected to quality audit. Further developments will include the use of global positioning system technology and digital cameras.