ALI TOCKER
A man who studied agriculture in Waikato and started his working life on a Tirau dairy farm has a key role in developing two new smartphone applications that could make life easier for farmers, fishermen, nature lovers and campers.
Adam Hutchinson is travelling the country by campervan promoting a new application for iPhone and Android smartphones called CamperMate [1] . The free application detects a user's location and helps them find the closest amenities, including public toilets and dump stations. A key aim is to reduce campers' desire to take advantage of natural areas, including privately owned farms, for toilet stops.
"This should be fantastic news for Waikato farmers because it makes it easier for people to be more responsible when travelling around in their campervans," Hutchinson said.
The application uses GPS and currently includes more than 6500 facilities nationwide, with more being added.
Hutchinson said his experience in Waikato helped him develop an appreciation for the outdoors and for reducing human impacts on the environment. Other amenities that can be found through the application include the nearest rubbish bins, camping sites, police stations, wifi sites (for free Internet access for people on the go) and i-sites (tourist information sites).
Hutchinson said his research among tourists showed that 15 to 20 per cent of campers were carrying smartphones, with 90 per cent having a mobile phone of some description. His company, Mogeo, developed the CamperMate application in partnership with the Department of Conservation.
The other smartphone application Hutchinson has developed, working with the Ministry of Fisheries, helps fishermen get instant access to recreational fishing information – tailored for the region they're in.
The application – also for iPhone and Android smartphones – uses GPS to detect which of New Zealand's six fishing regions a user is in. It then advises the minimum legal sizes and catch limits for fish species for that region, covering about 140 fish species. It also displays photos of the fish species most common to an area if the angler is not sure what they've caught. Minimum sizes and limits vary depending on the region.
"I'm trying to lower the barriers to accessing information by using new technology," Hutchinson said. The application, called the Ministry of Fisheries Recreational Fishing Ap, is free. People without a smartphone can text in their fish species and receive relevant information by reply text.
His promotional roadtrip will take him through Taupo, Coromandel and Hamilton this week.
- Waikato Times
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