Proceedings of the meeting on: Research based on Ordnance Survey small-scales digital data

Special issue (CISRG - Cartographic Information Systems Research Group) ;

EcoHomeHelper: An Expert System to Empower End-Users in Climate Change Action

Climate change has been a popular topic for a number of years now. Computer Science has contributed to aiding humanity in reducing energy requirements and consequently global warming. Much of this work is through calculators which determine a user's carbon footprint. However there are no expert systems which can offer advice in an efficient and time saving way. There are many publications which do offer advice on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions but to find the advice the reader seeks will involve reading a lot of irrelevant material. This work built an expert system (which we call EcoHomeHelper) and attempted to show that it is useful in changing people's behaviour with respect to their GHG emissions and that they will be able to find the information in a more efficient manner. Twelve participants were used. Seven of which used the program and five who read and attempted to find advice by reading from a list. The application itself has current implementations and the concept further developed, has applications for the future.Comment: Contains links to the actual thesis on this topi

An empirical study of algorithms for point feature label placement

A major factor affecting the clarity of graphical displays that include text labels is the degree to which labels obscure display features (including other labels) as a result of spatial overlap. Point-feature label placement (PFLP) is the problem of placing text labels adjacent to point features on a map or diagram so as to maximize legibility. This problem occurs frequently in the production of many types of informational graphics, though it arises most often in automated cartography. In this paper we present a comprehensive treatment of the PFLP problem, viewed as a type of combinatorial optimization problem. Complexity analysis reveals that the basic PFLP problem and most interesting variants of it are NP-hard. These negative results help inform a survey of previously reported algorithms for PFLP; not surprisingly, all such algorithms either have exponential time complexity or are incomplete. To solve the PFLP problem in practice, then, we must rely on good heuristic methods. We propose two new methods, one based on a discrete form of gradient descent, the other on simulated annealing, and report on a series of empirical tests comparing these and the other known algorithms for the problem. Based on this study, the first to be conducted, we identify the best approaches as a function of available computation time.Engineering and Applied Science

Directory of research and development based on Ordnance Survey small scales digital data

Special issue (CISRG - Cartographic Information Systems Research Group) ;

The Application of Expert Systems to Small Scale Map Designs

The increased availability of inexpensive computer mapping programs in recent years has lead to a great increase in the number of map authors and the number of maps being produced, but does not however appear to have lead to more widespread knowledge of cartographic design theory. The large number of poorly designed maps created by users of these computer systems indicates that there is a lack of knowledge of how to design maps. These poorly designed maps are not the fault of the computer programs, since most programs do have the capability of producing well designed maps when used by someone knowledgeable in map design. Rather, the problem lies with map authors who are not skilled in cartographic design and who would probably never produce a map by conventional means, but would contract a cartographer to produce it. What is required are programs to be used by naive map authors that are better able to produce reasonably well designed maps, or at least maps which do not break the most fundamental rules of map design. The area of computer science devoted to producing programs that include knowledge of how an expert solves a problem is that of Expert Systems. An Expert System is essentially a program which includes a codified form of the rules that an expert uses to solve a problem. Thus a cartographic design expert system would include the rules a cartographer uses when designing a map. This study examines the fields of artificial intelligence and expert system to assess how they may best be applied to the map design problem. A comprehensive review of the application of expert systems in design, mapping generally and map design in particular is also provided. In order to develop an expert system, the problem or 'domain' must be defined in a relatively formal manner. A structure for describing geographic information and cartographic representation is developed and a model of the cartographic design process for application in expert systems is also described. Based on the models developed, a functional specification for a cartographic design expert system for small scale maps is produced, with the rules required for each stage in the design process being set out. The development of an expert system, written in Prolog, incorporating these rules is then described in some detail. Details of how the Prolog language can be applied to a specific problem, colouring the political map, are also given. It has been found that as long as realistic goals are set and that the system is limited either in scale or range of topics, it is possible to develop an operational cartographic design expert system. However, it must be recognised that a considerable amount of further development will be needed to bring such a system to market with the support structures and robustness that this entails

From Conventional to Knowledge Based Geographical Information Systems

Artificial intelligence (Al) has received an explosion of interest during the last five years in various fields. There is no longer any question that expert systems and neural networks will be of central importance for developing the next generation of more intelligent geographic information systems. Such knowledge based geographic information systems will especially play a key role in spatial decision and policy analysis related to issues such as environmental monitoring and management, land use planning, motor vehicle navigation and distribution logistics. This paper sketches briefly the major characteristics of conventional geographic information systems, and then looks at some of the potentials of Al principles and techniques in a GIS environment where emphasis is laid on expert systems and artificial neural networks technologies and techniques. (author's abstract)Series: Discussion Papers of the Institute for Economic Geography and GIScienc

Expert systems in computer cartography

The purpose of this paper is to describe the application of expert system concepts to cartographic problems. Expert systems, a subfield of artificial intelligence, are computer programs based on knowledge and symbolic reasoning. The basic principles of expert systems will be explained. Areas of cartography that are most suitable for this new approach of computer-assisted cartography will be identified. Examples of cartographic expert systems will be discussed, problems identified, and future research efforts in the area of cartographic expert systems suggested