DURHAM, NC--(Marketwired - Feb 25, 2014) - Mi-Co, the Mobile Information Corporation, today announced that it was awarded the contract to provide the US Department of Transportation (DoT) with a functional field data collection system with its Mi-Forms mobile forms software. The software will enable DoT field personnel working in varied and often isolated locations with poor network connectivity to capture a higher level of accurate data elements for motor vehicle crash investigations.
The Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (The Volpe Center) of the US DoT is developing a modernized field data collection system -- Crash Data Acquisition Network (CDAN) -- to support the US DoT's motor vehicle crash data collection efforts. Using Tablet PCs, field data collectors will collect a wide array of data on motor vehicle crashes at locations -- tow yards, vehicle salvage centers, and roadside -- throughout the United States. Approximately 25 percent of the time they will not have reliable access to an internet connection.
Procurement Requirements
Mi-Co's data collection solution was selected after a market analysis by the US DoT, based on its handwriting recognition, and offline data capture and validation capabilities -- key requirements of the procurement -- as well as its flexibility to adjust to changing research needs, and ability to rapidly development new forms for data collection, and to deploy across multiple hardware platforms.
In addition to offering data collectors with varied input options (on-screen keyboard, stylus in mouse mode, and stylus in handwriting mode), the award of this contract and successful development of the data collection platform also required the following capabilities:
- Multi-modal feedback to a user (visual or aural) to reduce data entry errors at the point of capture
- Ability to improve the appearance of handwritten data on a mobile device
- Interaction with paper forms
- Maintain data validation in an asynchronous network environment
- Rapid deployment via an integrated development environment of new forms into an existing workflow
- Workflow creation and control
- The ability to pivot end point deployments - write once, deploy to many different hardware platforms
- Ability to secure data at rest and in transmission from central server to mobile devices
- Ability to interface with a number of back-end relational databases
How Mi-Co's Solution will be Used
Field staff will conduct multiple interviews on a weekly basis with motor vehicle crash participants. During these interviews, field data collectors will use natural handwriting within the mobile forms to capture data presented in an aural manner in a rapid fashion. The written notes that capture responses will need to be recognized and placed into the appropriate data fields. A strong handwriting recognition capability will eliminate the need for field staff to re-type their notes from written paper-based form, reduce transcription errors, free the field staff to capture more data, and speed case production for field staff.
The Mi-Co platform's integrated multi-mode feedback and disconnected data validation capabilities alert users to invalid data entries to ensure data integrity and to prevent recoding by field staff. The solution will also allow users to work in a disconnected environment with access to their data.
For the complete procurement request and award justification visit: https://www.fbo.gov/?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=66d3d12e4a24ffa7ed2695734748f6a2&tab=core&_cview=1.
About Mi-Co:
Mi-Co is the developer of Mi-Forms Digital Ink handwriting recognition and data cleaning technology and provides solutions for smart e-Forms data collection in a variety of industries. The Mi-Forms Software Suite enables flexible forms design and the capture, handwriting recognition, validation and automatic communication of forms-based data from handwritten source documents. Mi-Forms supports enterprise data capture using Tablet PCs, the Digital Pen, iPad, Android Slates, and other mobile capture devices. For more information on Mi-Co, please visit www.mi-corporation.com.
Contact Information:
CONTACT:
Lauren Curley
(617) 529-6463