How it works ALTS is a unique combination of GIS, GPS, voice recognition and radio communication technologies. The commercial product consists of two main elements. A microphone and the GPS and communication antennas plug into the single, field-hardened unit. Voice Mapper can slide into a docking station in the vehicle or slip into a backpack. In the field, the operator records attribute data using key words and phrases from a vocabulary database to describe observations.
Users can check their position by glancing at the symbol tracking their movement on a color screen.
They can also initiate queries by touching the screen with the pen. At the base station, the data file is post-processed and sent to a GIS database as attributes in a thematic map. ALTS is modular, allowing customers to select components that meet their particular needs. Customers can buy standard vocabulary databases or make up their own. A department can change, add or record an entirely new vocabulary in minutes.