1. Introduction
SmartSoilMapper (“the App”, “we”, “our”, “us”) is a precision-agriculture mobile application developed at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur). The App enables agricultural researchers, farmers, and field technicians to collect, store, and analyse soil health data using a Wi-Fi-connected Cone Penetrometer device.
This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, how it is stored, and your rights with respect to that information. By using SmartSoilMapper you agree to the practices described in this policy.
2. Information We Collect
2.1 Location Data
The App requests access to your device’s GPS / location services for the following purposes:
- Tagging soil sample readings with precise geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude).
- Displaying your current position on the in-app Google Map.
- Building a spatial soil-health database tied to real-world field locations.
Location data is collected only while the App is actively in use and a scan is being performed. We do not collect location data in the background.
2.2 Sensor Data
When connected to a Cone Penetrometer device over the local Wi-Fi network, the App receives and stores:
- Soil compaction index / cone penetration resistance (CI) in kg
- Penetration depth in mm
- Device battery voltage (V) and percentage (%)
- GPS coordinates broadcast by the penetrometer device
- Timestamp of each reading (Unix epoch milliseconds)
All sensor data is received over a local Wi-Fi connection. No sensor data is transmitted to external servers.
2.3 User-Created Content
The App allows you to create and name Projects to organise your fieldwork. Project titles, creation timestamps, and associated scan records are stored locally on your device.
2.4 Device Permissions
| Permission | Purpose |
|---|---|
ACCESS_FINE_LOCATIONACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION | Obtain GPS coordinates for soil sample tagging and map display. |
INTERNET | Render Google Maps tiles; communicate with the penetrometer over its local Wi-Fi hotspot. |
ACCESS_NETWORK_STATEACCESS_WIFI_STATE | Detect Wi-Fi connectivity status. |
WAKE_LOCK | Prevent the device from sleeping during an active scan session. |
We do not request access to your contacts, camera, microphone, call logs, or any other personal data.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information collected solely to provide the core functionality of SmartSoilMapper:
- Displaying real-time sensor readings (load, depth, battery) on the main screen.
- Pinning geo-tagged soil samples as markers on the interactive Google Map.
- Persisting project and scan records in the on-device SQLite database for later review.
- Generating soil analysis summaries and agronomic recommendations on the Results screen.
- Exporting or reviewing historical project data across sessions.
We do not use your data for advertising, profiling, or any purpose unrelated to soil-data management.
4. Data Storage & Retention
All data collected by SmartSoilMapper is stored exclusively on your device using SQLite. The database contains the following tables:
- project — project ID, title, and creation timestamp.
- soil_ci — cone penetrometer readings linked to a project (latitude, longitude, depth, CI, timestamp).
- soil_depth — depth-profile scan records (x, y coordinates, depth, timestamp).
- boundary — user-defined field boundary polygons (serialised coordinate strings).
Data is retained until you delete the App or explicitly delete a project / record within the App. No data leaves your device through the App.
5. Data Sharing & Third Parties
5.1 Google Maps SDK
The App uses the Google Maps SDK for Android to render map tiles and display location markers. When the map is visible, your device contacts Google’s servers to download map imagery. This is governed by the Google Privacy Policy. Your soil sample coordinates are displayed client-side only and are not transmitted to Google.
5.2 Local Device Network
Communication with the Cone Penetrometer device occurs entirely over the device’s local Wi-Fi Access Point (192.168.4.1:81). This connection is not routed through the internet. An authentication handshake (shared secret) is used to verify the device before data transmission begins.
5.3 No Third-Party Analytics
SmartSoilMapper does not integrate any analytics SDK, crash-reporting service, advertising network, or social-media SDK. No telemetry data is collected or transmitted.
5.4 Research Use
If you are using the App as part of research conducted at IIT Kharagpur or a partner institution, aggregated and anonymised soil datasets may be used for academic publications. Any such use will be governed by your institution’s data-governance policies, and personally identifiable information (if any) will not be disclosed.
6. Security
We implement the following measures to protect your data:
- Device authentication: the App sends a shared secret before the penetrometer begins streaming data.
- Local-only storage: all project and scan data is stored in an on-device SQLite database not accessible to other apps (Android sandbox).
- Network scope: cleartext traffic is enabled only for communication with the penetrometer on its local hotspot network (
192.168.4.1).
Because data is stored on your device, we recommend you secure your device with a PIN / biometric lock and keep the operating system up to date.
7. Children’s Privacy
SmartSoilMapper is a professional agricultural tool intended for users aged 18 and above. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has used the App, please contact us so we can assist with data deletion.
8. Your Rights
Because all data is stored locally on your device, you have complete control over it:
- Access: view all stored projects and scans within the App at any time.
- Deletion: delete individual projects, scans, or all App data by uninstalling the App or using the in-app delete options.
- Portability: data is stored in a standard SQLite file; advanced users may access it directly via Android ADB on a rooted device.
There is no account system, so there is no remote account to deactivate or request erasure from.
9. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in the App’s functionality or applicable law. When we do, we will update the “Last Updated” date above. Continued use of the App after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy. For significant changes we will display an in-app notification.
10. Contact Us
If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or your data, please contact:
- Institution: Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
- App Package:
in.ac.iitkgp.soilmapper - Platform: Android (Kotlin Multiplatform / Compose Multiplatform)
- Website: https://www.iitkgp.ac.in