An algorithm for the selection of route dependent orientation information

Landmarks are important features of spatial cognition and are naturally included in human route descriptions. In the past algorithms were developed to select the most salient landmarks at decision points and automatically incorporate them in route instructions. Moreover, it was shown that human route descriptions contain a significant amount of orientation information, which support the users to orient themselves regarding known environmental information, and it was shown that orientation information support the acquisition of survey knowledge. Thus, there is a need to extend the landmarks selection to automatically select orientation information. In this work, we present an algorithm for the computational selection of route dependent orientation information, which extends previous algorithms and includes a salience calculation of orientation information for any location along the route. We implemented the algorithm and demonstrate the functionality based on OpenStreetMap data

Twenty years of progress: GIScience in 2010

It is 20 years since the term “geographic information science” was suggested to encompass the set of fundamental research issues that surround GIS. Two decades of GIScience have produced a range of accomplishments, in an expanding literature of research results as well as in the infrastructure of research. Several themes are suggested for future research, based both on gaps in what has been accomplished thus far, and on technology trends that will themselves raise research questions

Scale in object and process ontologies

Scale is of great importance to the analysis of real world phenomena, be they enduring objects or perduring processes. This paper presents a new perspective on the concept of scale by considering it within two complementary ontological views. The first, called SNAP, recognizes enduring entities or objects, the other, called SPAN, perduring entities or processes. Within the meta-theory provided by the complementary SNAP and SPAN ontologies, we apply different theories of formal ontology such as mereology and granular partitions, and ideas derived from hierarchy theory. These theories are applied to objects and processes and form the framework within which we present tentative definitions of scale, which are found to differ between the two ontologies

Usage de la cognition spatiale pour localiser les lieux d'activité lors d'une enquête Origine - Destination

Ce mémoire cerne la problématique de la description qualitative de la localisation d'un lieu décrit en langage naturel. C'est par une approche cognitive qu'est abordé successivement l'apprentissage de l'espace, le stockage de l'information et la restitution de l'information en langage naturel, par l'entremise des concepts de méronymie, de catégories hiérarchiques et de référents spatiaux. De ce cadre théorique, on propose de restructurer une base de données de lieux existants en y ajoutant des paramètres qui permettent de retrouver, d'une description en langage naturel précise ou floue, un lieu sans ambigüité dans une base de données grâce à une interface usager offrant divers modes de repérage spatial

Interpreting Spatial Language in Image Captions

The map as a tool for accessing data has become very popular in recent years, but a lot of data do not have the necessary spatial meta-data to allow for that. Some data such as photographs however have spatial information in their captions and if this could be extracted, then they could be made available via map-based interfaces. Towards this goal, we introduce a model and spatio-linguistic reasoner for interpreting the spatial information in image captions that is based upon quantitative data about spatial language use acquired directly from people. Spatial language is inherently vague, and both the model and reasoner have been designed to incorporate this vagueness at the quantitative level and not only qualitatively