Case Study: CMyTrees

The Brief.

Build a new app that would use selected data from the existing DB of our client’s well-established Tree Management Software. Add complex mathematics for wood density calculations by species, as well as government-validated carbon storage formulae, to provide users with quick and accurate calculations of the carbon storage in individual trees or whole treescapes of facilities.

The Objective.

Create a free app quickly as a value-add for our client and their customers, thereby delivering a pathway to move their business fundamentals from tree risk management toward environmental management. Also, through the app’s integration with their well-established tree management software, deliver stickier long-term relationships with their customers. Make a simple and relatable app for any user, regardless of age, to accurately calculate the storage of carbon in any subject tree, and have the capacity for users to create a personal carbon inventory of trees on their domestic property/s. Also, provide the possibility of using the app as a classroom tool for students at facilities where the treescape was already managed by our client.

The Challenges.

Database performance: Despite the potentially large volume of calls the new Flutter app would make against the existing software system’s database, ensure there were no adverse impacts on the speed and stability of the existing platform with its separate functions and user base.

• Custom carbon calculations: Create custom code to make the complex calculations for carbon storage per tree and treescape that were applicable to individual tree species types via wood density tables. Ensure all calculations were robustly aligned to government-approved methods of calculation in each instance.
• Security of data flow: Ensure the data flow was secure end-to-end, safeguarding both the integrity of user data and the performance of the system during large-scale data transfers.
• User interface design: Despite the complexity of the app and its capabilities, ensure the UI was intuitive and easy to use for school-aged children through to adults with low IT literacy.
• Device integration for measurements: Have the app seamlessly call upon any of the various inbuilt measuring features of Apple and Android devices to input measurements of a tree taken in situ and populate these directly into the app for final carbon calculations.

The Solution.

Flutter app was developed within a tight 3-month timeframe. It was designed to operate on iPhones, iPads, and Android devices and independently call upon the customer’s SQL DB of their existing PC-based software product (without disruption). The app retrieves specific attributes on individual trees or groups of trees within the SQL DB and uses this baseline data with embedded formulae within the app itself to calculate the carbon stored.

• AR integration for in-field measurements: Leveraging AR features on modern smartphones, users can easily measure the height and diameter of trees by pointing their device’s camera at the tree. The app captures these measurements and automatically calculates the corresponding carbon storage.
• Efficient API and Database interaction: The app interacts with the backend SQL database using secure API calls. By optimizing the API usage, we ensured the app performed well, even under heavy load, while maintaining the integrity of the client’s existing software platform.
• Custom species-specific carbon storage formulas: These formulae applied species-based wood density tables to derive the carbon storage per tree or treescape, ensuring accuracy aligned with government standards for carbon measurement.

For added user relatability, the app has added features to convert the carbon value (weight) into measurements of everyday energy equivalents, such as the volume of petrol, gas, and electricity. The app also has the feature of a user being able to enter their current energy consumption for these same fuels and see how much offset a tree or treescape gives them in years.

 As a further value-add, the features of the app were also pushed to the customer’s core software as a module for use by their corporate customers to calculate carbon and deliver carbon storage reporting within the larger legacy software system.