A Web Service and a Mobile App for Reporting Site Pollution and Other Features
Authors: Wing-Kwong Wong, Nguyen Thi Thuy Hang, Meng-Yuan Tsai, Guan-Cheng Shi, Yo-Chen Tsai
Abstract:
In this study, a web service and an Android client app that can upload and view live photos on a map are proposed. The study resulted from a collaboration project between the National Yunlin University of Science and Technology and Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City - University of Science. The web service provides maps showing a number of areas. Each map shows different types of positive and negative features. Positive features include buildings, plants, and animals that can help the users to get familiar with the area. When a visitor visits the area, one can use the App to see the pictures of his/her surroundings so that one will be able to identify the location and the correct direction. Negative features include pollutions that users reported to the web service. Examples include chemical and toxic spills, fire and whether they have been cleaned up or not. Once a pollution site is reported, the appropriate agencies should be notified to check out the condition and clean up the pollution.
The success of this web service depends on the active participation of the app users. The quality of the photos and verbal information they upload to the web is critical. The more accurate and precise the information, the better the service will be. Currently, the uploaded information includes the time and the latitude and longitude of the mobile device’s location. Some additional functionalities are being considered and designed to improve the service. For example, the user can select the features they want to show on the map and the period when the information was uploaded. Some issues are being considered. For example, how to decide whether the reported object or environmental condition is up-to-date. Specifically, when a pollution site was reported a month ago, how to decide whether the pollution was cleaned up as it is today. The administration can hire an employee to update the information. However, a challenging alternative is to let the app users update the information, and the server can decide whether the information is up-to-date. The web service should be evaluated in future work.
