Use of Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) to Collect Corrosion Inspection Data

Corrosion inspection of vehicles can provide useful information in evaluating material performance, optimizing future systems and predicting maintenance needs of fielded systems. However, most data is taken on field notes or inspection forms and transcribed into computer databases for analysis. This method allows for errors in data entry and omission (e.g., not completing vital information). In support of the US Marine Corps and US Navy we have developed field portable, computer-based data collection systems. These systems allow the users to easily record corrosion information, automate the data upload procedures and allow users to instantly access and evaluate information. This paper will discuss the work we've performed in brief and provide examples of programs and desktop applications that have been developed.