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Best Setup for Mapping in Undeveloped Countries?

Posted by Cliff on from the mapping-the-unmapped dept.

Floodimus asks: "My girlfriend lives and works in West Africa and on my next visit she has asked me to help her do some mapping of uncharted villages. I want to make this study really accurate and useful, so I am thinking about using high tech and low tech resources such as GPS and good old fashioned compasses, but I was wondering what the Slashdot crowd would recommend for GPS hardware (does GPS equipment from the US work over there?), field equipment, mapping software etc. I use both PCs and Macs and would like the software to run on the Mac, but it doesn't have to. What's the best, most rugged stuff you've used? Where are some resources that would help me out?"

2 of 438 comments (clear)

  1. Use satellite images by MathFox · · Score: 4, Interesting
    My suggestion is to buy some good-resolution satelite images (a few meters) and have your girlfriend draw her map using that. You can use a GPS receiver to calibrate the satelite image to actual coordinates.

    I think that a handheld (Palm) would be more convenient for measurements than a laptop. Handheld and GPS receiver do fit in your pocket and they have less moving parts than a laptop.

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  2. HOW to do this by zandermander · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I'm sure many others will cover equipment, power charging and such - I'll cover how you should do this. Well, since I taught in a developing country for a few years, this is my suggestion of how...

    Developing countries generally have a huge surplus of labor - it's one of their biggest resources. They also, like a lot of the world, tend to have lots of kids who are eager to learn new stuff.

    What you need to do is take several GPS receivers with you and hook up with a local teacher who can integrate GPS ideas and geography in with their lessons. The teacher could even make it a special project working with trustable students to map their own village(s).

    The key here is to push as much onto the students as possible so they do the work and they learn. You'll help the teacher, help the students and help make more than just maps.