eLocust3K: survey and control data collection through smartphone
eLocust3K: survey and control data collection through smartphone
eLocust3K is an integrated solution developed by FAO to support field survey officers in collecting and transmitting Desert Locust survey and control data directly from their smartphones. Data can be entered offline and sent later when the officer regains access to a mobile network or a Wi-Fi connection.
The solution is based on the KoboCollect app, which can be downloaded from the Google Play Store. A specific version of the eLocust3K form is available for each country, linked to a separate KoboToolbox project to ensure that data are not mixed between countries.
Data are stored locally on the phone and automatically transmitted to the national locust centre once a network connection is available. There, the national Desert Locust Information Officer imports the data into the country’s RAMSES (Rv4.1) GIS system for validation and analysis.
Installing eLocust3K
Installing eLocust3K on an Android device (smartphone or tablet) is very easy and needs only three steps:
- installing KoboCollect app (from the playstore, can be done with a QR code)
- opening KoboCollect and installing the eLocust3K form of the country by scanning the QR code specifically given by the Desert Locust Information Officer
- checking that the eLocust3K-XXX form is present (where XXX is the 3 letter ISO code of the country)
eLocust3K form
The eLocust3K form has been developed by FAO-DLIS to cover all questions that were used on eLocust3. Well-trained national locust officers can enter the complete field data on ecology, locusts, control, and safety in eLocust3K. In this way, countries now have two options for collecting and transmitting complete field data: eLocust3 tablet and eLocust3K via smartphone. The eLocust3 tablet should continue to be used by teams that are in areas with no connectivity for several days or more. However, teams that return to cell/internet connectivity at the end of each day can use eLocust3K.
eLocust3K backend servers
FAO-DLIS has developed a scripting service to automatically send data in the format required for entry into RAMSESv4. Every night, the FAO server performs the following tasks for each country:
- Checks if some new data have arrived in the kobo.fao.org database
- Transforms the new data into the format required by RAMSESv4
- Sends the processed data to the national Desert Locust Information Officers via email
National officers can also access the data collected by their field teams in real time through the kobo.fao.org website.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about eLocust3K
eLocust3K is a data collection tool built by FAO for the country officers, that records and transmits data about weather, ecology, locust, and control in near or real-time from the field to national locust centres for planning and FAO for early warning. It is one of the fundamental tools for collecting standardised field data required to manage desert locust.
The user enters observations in the field that are saved on the smartphone, sent to the national locust centre and shared with other users in the country when a cell or internet connection is available.
Well-trained field staff who conduct surveys and control in locust-affected areas.
You must register with your countries Desert Locust Information Officer who will provide the access to the national form. All user data are kept confidential and not shared. The KoboCollect app is free and you do not need to create your own account on Kobo.
Any relatively recent Android smartphone (Android >4) that can install the KoboCollect app and connect to the internet (through wifi or cellular network). No additional cables or antennas are required.
Yes. The forms have been translated in Arabic, English, Farsi and French. You can switch it once the form is started from within the KoboCollect app. The KoboCollect app works according to your smartphone's language. Other languages can be added upon Countries' official requests.
This helps to ensure that all functionality of the app works correctly. For example, the app uses the built-in GPS of your smartphone to determine the latitude and longitude of each location automatically. Photos taken with the app must be saved to your smartphone before they can be sent. Each report must also be saved to your smartphone before it can be transmitted. If access is not allowed, the app will not work.
Yes. There are four mechanisms in place: (1) the form does not allow incomplete or illogical data to be entered, (2) national locust information officers review and correct the data in the RAMSES GIS before it is sent to FAO, (3) RAMSES data are checked and duplicate data removed in the centralised Locust Data Cube, and (4) a final check is made by FAO-DLIS.
Yes. The KoboCollect app, the eLocust3K form and all of its functions, including the automatic recording of GPS coordinates at each location, can be used without the Internet or cell network in the field. All data are automatically saved to the smartphone, which is then transmitted once the Internet or cell network becomes available.
Photos of vegetation and locusts are very useful in validating the data to ensure high quality and reliability.
The eLocust3K solution consists of data recording and transmission through the internet while the eLocust3 tablet requires a custom Bluetooth cable, satellite antenna, and a monthly subscription for data transmission services.
No. As each report is very small, your smartphone can save many hundreds of reports.
No. It is not possible to change or edit the data after a report has been submitted. Therefore, always check that the data are correct before submitting the report. If you realize you made a mistake, inform your Desert Locust Information Officer who will correct the information when entering them in RAMSES GIS.
Related links
See also
eLocust3
Handheld device for locust officers to record survey and control results in the field and transmit them via satellite to their National Locust Centres
Early Warning
The basic components that are required for any early warning system to be effective and reliable
MODIS
A dynamic map that shows where vegetation is present in the desert and how long it has been green to better monitor Desert Locusts habitats
Google Earth Engine
Innovative Google technology and free new tools: Google Earth Pro, My Maps, Fusion Tables, and Google Earth Engine, already used by FAO Forestry and being extended for Desert Locust
Desert Locust Information Service
The Desert Locust Information Service (DLIS) at FAO Headquarters (Rome, Italy)