Donald Kay Munro

Library of the Australian Defence Force Academy University College The University of New South Wales Donor: Donald Kay Munro PLEASE TYPE UNTVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES Thesis/Project Report Sheet SumameorFamilyname: Firstname: DONALD Othername/s: MI Abbreviation for degree as given in the University calendar: Ml NF. S.Q School: COMPUrER..SCIENCE p^cuity: ZIIII^IIIZZIIIIZIIZIIIIIZ m: Fanners conduct their business in a spatial environment They make decisions about the area of land to place under various crops, the area for livestock and the areas which need to have ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ certain treatments (spraying, ploughing) carried out on them. On domestic personal computers, software such as Word Processors and Spreadsheets can assist them with record keeping and financial records; however, there is no commonly available software that can assist with the spatial decisions and spatial record keeping. Geographic Information Systems (CIS) can provide such support, but the existing software is targeted at an expert specialist user and, while offering powerful processing, is too complex for a novice user to derive benefit. Most of the software has its origins in the scientific or research community and would previously have been running on mainframe or powerful minicomputer environments. Many programs require complex instructions and parameters to be typed at a command line, and learning how to use these instructions would consume months of training. This Project used the Evolutionary Model of Structured Rapid Prototyping to define the user requirements of a DeskTop GIS for use by farmers. This work involved a repetitive cycle of talking to farmers about the information that they regularly used and the sort of information they would like in the future; finding ways of collecting and storing that data; writing programs that would manipulate and display the information; and making those programs accessible to the farmer in an easy-to-use environment on a domestic personal computer. The feedback from the users was then assessed, the programs changed and extended, and the cycle repeated. The Project initially found difficulty in selecting a suitable programming environment that would support the Rapid Prototyping Methodology for a graphical application. Tnis necessitated considerable reprogramming between the versions of the prototype. Also, a great variety of sources of farming data was discovered, all of which had different processing requirements. This richness led to many custom designed routines being required for the different data types, and hence a modular approach to prototype construction. While the Prototype is by no means a complete specification of the requirements of a User Driven DeskTop GIS, it has uncovered many considerations in terms of data and processing ; that were initially not apparent. It has also been useful in trialing a different approach (Rapid ZZZHIZIZZZZI Declaration relating to <1 Prototyping) to the definition of a graphical appUcation. I am fuUy aware of the policy of the Univensity relating to the retention and use ofMgher degree project reports and theses, namely t copies submitted for examination and is free to allow them to be consulted orborrowed. Subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968, the University may issue aproject report or thesis in whole or in part, in photostats or microfilm or other comd^^ lalso atfthcrif^puiicationby University Microfilms of ^lELSignature . —^^MT— Date TheUniversityrecognisesthattheremaybeexceptionalcircumstancesrequiringrestrictionsoncopyingorcon^^^^ upto2yearsmustbemadeinwritingtotheRegistrar.Requestsforalongerperiodofrestrictionmaybeconsideredinexw^^ aletterofsupportfromtheSupervisororHeadofSchooLSuchrequestsmustbe submitted with the thesis/project report FOR OFFICE USE ONLY DateofcompletionofrequirementsforAward: Re gis trar and Deputy Princi pal THIS SHEET IS TO BE GLUED TO THE INSIDE FRONT COVER OF THE THESIS The DeskTop GIS for Farmers: an application of Rapid Prototyping in a Graphical Environment p r^. r' . University CoiiGga Donald Kay Munro, B A A.N. U. A Major Project (600 hour equivalence) towards the degree of Master of Information Science by Coursework Department of Computer Science University College The University of New South Wales Australian Defence Force Academy December 1995 324539 Certificate Of Originality I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published or written by another person nor material to a substantial extent has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma of a university or other institute of higher learning, except where due acknowledgment is made in the text of the report. Donald Kay Munro OS / 10/1996 11 Abstract Farmers conduct their business in a spatial environment. They malce decisions about the area of land to place under various crops, the area for livestock and the areas which need to have certain treatments (spraying, ploughing) carried out on them. On domestic personal computers, software such as Word Processors and Spreadsheets can assist them with record keeping and financial records; however, there is no commonly available software that can assist with the spatial decisions and spatial record keeping. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can provide such support, but the existing software is targeted at an expert specialist user and, while offering powerful processing, is too complex for a novice user to derive benefit. Most of the software has its origins in the scientific or research community and would previously have been running on mainframe or powerful minicomputer environments. Many programs require complex instructions and parameters to be typed at a command line, and learning how to use these instructions would consume months of training. This Project used the Evolutionary Model of Structured Rapid Prototyping to define the user requirements of a DeskTop GIS for use by farmers. This work involved a repetitive cycle of talking to farmers about the information that they regularly used and the sort of information they would Uke in the future; finding ways of collecting and storing that data; writing programs that would manipulate and display the information; and making those programs accessible to the farmer in an easy-to-use environment on a domestic personal computer. The feedback from the users was then assessed, the programs changed and extended, and the cycle repeated. The Project initially found difficulty in selecting a suitable programming environment that would support the Rapid Prototyping Methodology for a graphical application. This necessitated considerable reprogramming between the versions of the prototype. Also, a great variety of sources of farming data was discovered, all of which had different processing requirements. This richness led to many custom designed routines being required for the different data types, and hence a modular approach to prototype construction. While the Prototype is by no means a complete specification of the requirements of a User Driven DeskTop GIS, it has uncovered many considerations in terms of data and processing that were initially not apparent. It has also been useful in trialing a different approach (Rapid Prototyping) to the definition of a graphical application. Ill Acknowledgments This project has only been possible with the assistance of the following people: Dr. Graham Freeman, (Computer Science, ADFA), for being my supervisor and for offering additional insight; Dr. Edward Lewis, (Computer Science, ADFA), for reviewing the early drafts; Dr. Gerald Nielsen, (Professor of Soil Science, Montana State University, USA), for his invitation to spend part of a study leave in his laboratory working on the prototype and for his many introductions to people interested in the prototype; Dr. David Tyler, (Director, Springhill Engineering, Belgrade, Montana, USA) for his assistance in the collection of GPS data and for providing survey and geodetic information; Mr. Bill Wright, (Farmer, Belgrade, Montana, USA), for allowing borrowed equipment to be mounted on his brand new header, and for his enthusiasm and patience during the four days which I shared his driving space collecting data during the harvest; Ms. Diana Cooksey, (Project Coordinator, Montana State University, USA), for a crash course in GPS operation, and for the post-processing of the crop-yield data; Dr. Peter Fisher, (Professor, Department of Geography, Leicester University, UK), for his invitation to spend part of a study leave in his department looking at the processing of GPS data; Mr. Jason Dykes, (PhD student, Department of Geography, Leicester University, UK), for his help in generating the GRASS images from the Montana crop yield data; Mr. Jo Wood, (Lecturer, Department of Geography, Leicester University, UK), for his help with PBMPlus and Kriging code; Dr. John Louis, (Director, Centre for Image Analysis, Charles Sturt University, Australia), for the initial satellite images and paddock boundary data; Mr. Tom Maginness, (Director, CSU Farm, Wagga Wagga, AustraHa), for his farm notes, cropping histories and valuable insights; and Ms. Janice Anderson, (Wife and friend), and Nathan, Stewart and Vanessa for putting up with me during the project. iv Contents Certificate of Originality ii Abstract iii Acknowledgments iv Contents v List of Tables vii List of Figures viii Abbreviations and Acronyms ix 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Project Vision 1 1.2 Existing Products - Market

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