A review of earth observation using mobile personal communication devices

Earth observation using mobile personal communication devices (MPCDs) is a recent advance with considerable promise for acquiring important and timely measurements. Globally, over 5 billion people have access to mobile phones, with an increasing proportion having access to smartphones with capabilities such as a camera, microphone, global positioning system (GPS), data storage, and networked data transfer. Scientists can view these devices as embedded sensors with the potential to take measurements of the Earth's surface and processes. To advance the state of Earth observation using MPCDs, scientists need to consider terms and concepts, from a broad range of disciplines including citizen science, image analysis, and computer vision. In this paper, as a result of our literature review, we identify a number of considerations for Earth observation using MPCDs such as methods of field collection, collecting measurements over broad areas, errors and biases, data processing, and accessibility of data. Developing effective frameworks for mobile data collection with public participation and strategies for minimizing bias, in combination with advancements in image processing techniques, will offer opportunities to collect Earth sensing data across a range of scales and perspectives, complimenting airborne and spaceborne remote sensing measurements. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.