2,348 research outputs found
MusA: Using Indoor Positioning and Navigation to Enhance Cultural Experiences in a museum
In recent years there has been a growing interest into the use of multimedia mobile guides in museum environments. Mobile devices have the capabilities to detect the user context and to provide pieces of information suitable to help visitors discovering and following the logical and emotional connections that develop during the visit. In this scenario, location based services (LBS) currently represent an asset, and the choice of the technology to determine users' position, combined with the definition of methods that can effectively convey information, become key issues in the design process. In this work, we present MusA (Museum Assistant), a general framework for the development of multimedia interactive guides for mobile devices. Its main feature is a vision-based indoor positioning system that allows the provision of several LBS, from way-finding to the contextualized communication of cultural contents, aimed at providing a meaningful exploration of exhibits according to visitors' personal interest and curiosity. Starting from the thorough description of the system architecture, the article presents the implementation of two mobile guides, developed to respectively address adults and children, and discusses the evaluation of the user experience and the visitors' appreciation of these application
UK utility data integration: overcoming schematic heterogeneity
In this paper we discuss syntactic, semantic and schematic issues which inhibit the integration of utility data in the UK. We then focus on the techniques employed within the VISTA project to overcome schematic heterogeneity. A Global
Schema based architecture is employed. Although automated approaches to Global Schema definition were attempted
the heterogeneities of the sector were too great. A manual approach to Global Schema definition was employed. The
techniques used to define and subsequently map source utility data models to this schema are discussed in detail. In order to ensure a coherent integrated model, sub and cross domain validation issues are then highlighted. Finally the proposed framework and data flow for schematic integration is introduced
A conceptual framework and a risk management approach for interoperability between geospatial datacubes
De nos jours, nous observons un intĆ©rĆŖt grandissant pour les bases de donnĆ©es gĆ©ospatiales multidimensionnelles. Ces bases de donnĆ©es sont dĆ©veloppĆ©es pour faciliter la prise de dĆ©cisions stratĆ©giques des organisations, et plus spĆ©cifiquement lorsquāil sāagit de donnĆ©es de diffĆ©rentes Ć©poques et de diffĆ©rents niveaux de granularitĆ©. Cependant, les utilisateurs peuvent avoir besoin dāutiliser plusieurs bases de donnĆ©es gĆ©ospatiales multidimensionnelles. Ces bases de donnĆ©es peuvent ĆŖtre sĆ©mantiquement hĆ©tĆ©rogĆØnes et caractĆ©risĆ©es par diffĆ©rent degrĆ©s de pertinence par rapport au contexte dāutilisation. RĆ©soudre les problĆØmes sĆ©mantiques liĆ©s Ć lāhĆ©tĆ©rogĆ©nĆ©itĆ© et Ć la diffĆ©rence de pertinence dāune maniĆØre transparente aux utilisateurs a Ć©tĆ© lāobjectif principal de lāinteropĆ©rabilitĆ© au cours des quinze derniĆØres annĆ©es. Dans ce contexte, diffĆ©rentes solutions ont Ć©tĆ© proposĆ©es pour traiter lāinteropĆ©rabilitĆ©. Cependant, ces solutions ont adoptĆ© une approche non systĆ©matique. De plus, aucune solution pour rĆ©soudre des problĆØmes sĆ©mantiques spĆ©cifiques liĆ©s Ć lāinteropĆ©rabilitĆ© entre les bases de donnĆ©es gĆ©ospatiales multidimensionnelles nāa Ć©tĆ© trouvĆ©e. Dans cette thĆØse, nous supposons quāil est possible de dĆ©finir une approche qui traite ces problĆØmes sĆ©mantiques pour assurer lāinteropĆ©rabilitĆ© entre les bases de donnĆ©es gĆ©ospatiales multidimensionnelles. Ainsi, nous dĆ©finissons tout dāabord lāinteropĆ©rabilitĆ© entre ces bases de donnĆ©es. Ensuite, nous dĆ©finissons et classifions les problĆØmes dāhĆ©tĆ©rogĆ©nĆ©itĆ© sĆ©mantique qui peuvent se produire au cours dāune telle interopĆ©rabilitĆ© de diffĆ©rentes bases de donnĆ©es gĆ©ospatiales multidimensionnelles. Afin de rĆ©soudre ces problĆØmes dāhĆ©tĆ©rogĆ©nĆ©itĆ© sĆ©mantique, nous proposons un cadre conceptuel qui se base sur la communication humaine. Dans ce cadre, une communication sāĆ©tablit entre deux agents systĆØme reprĆ©sentant les bases de donnĆ©es gĆ©ospatiales multidimensionnelles impliquĆ©es dans un processus dāinteropĆ©rabilitĆ©. Cette communication vise Ć Ć©changer de lāinformation sur le contenu de ces bases. Ensuite, dans lāintention dāaider les agents Ć prendre des dĆ©cisions appropriĆ©es au cours du processus dāinteropĆ©rabilitĆ©, nous Ć©valuons un ensemble dāindicateurs de la qualitĆ© externe (fitness-for-use) des schĆ©mas et du contexte de production (ex., les mĆ©tadonnĆ©es). Finalement, nous mettons en Åuvre lāapproche afin de montrer sa faisabilitĆ©.Today, we observe wide use of geospatial databases that are implemented in many forms (e.g., transactional centralized systems, distributed databases, multidimensional datacubes). Among those possibilities, the multidimensional datacube is more appropriate to support interactive analysis and to guide the organizationās strategic decisions, especially when different epochs and levels of information granularity are involved. However, one may need to use several geospatial multidimensional datacubes which may be semantically heterogeneous and having different degrees of appropriateness to the context of use. Overcoming the semantic problems related to the semantic heterogeneity and to the difference in the appropriateness to the context of use in a manner that is transparent to users has been the principal aim of interoperability for the last fifteen years. However, in spite of successful initiatives, today's solutions have evolved in a non systematic way. Moreover, no solution has been found to address specific semantic problems related to interoperability between geospatial datacubes. In this thesis, we suppose that it is possible to define an approach that addresses these semantic problems to support interoperability between geospatial datacubes. For that, we first describe interoperability between geospatial datacubes. Then, we define and categorize the semantic heterogeneity problems that may occur during the interoperability process of different geospatial datacubes. In order to resolve semantic heterogeneity between geospatial datacubes, we propose a conceptual framework that is essentially based on human communication. In this framework, software agents representing geospatial datacubes involved in the interoperability process communicate together. Such communication aims at exchanging information about the content of geospatial datacubes. Then, in order to help agents to make appropriate decisions during the interoperability process, we evaluate a set of indicators of the external quality (fitness-for-use) of geospatial datacube schemas and of production context (e.g., metadata). Finally, we implement the proposed approach to show its feasibility
A Survey of Volunteered Open Geo-Knowledge Bases in the Semantic Web
Over the past decade, rapid advances in web technologies, coupled with
innovative models of spatial data collection and consumption, have generated a
robust growth in geo-referenced information, resulting in spatial information
overload. Increasing 'geographic intelligence' in traditional text-based
information retrieval has become a prominent approach to respond to this issue
and to fulfill users' spatial information needs. Numerous efforts in the
Semantic Geospatial Web, Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI), and the
Linking Open Data initiative have converged in a constellation of open
knowledge bases, freely available online. In this article, we survey these open
knowledge bases, focusing on their geospatial dimension. Particular attention
is devoted to the crucial issue of the quality of geo-knowledge bases, as well
as of crowdsourced data. A new knowledge base, the OpenStreetMap Semantic
Network, is outlined as our contribution to this area. Research directions in
information integration and Geographic Information Retrieval (GIR) are then
reviewed, with a critical discussion of their current limitations and future
prospects
Integrative Environmental Queries Using Geospatial Web Services
The paper explores the use of geospatial web services for querying and analytical functions on distributed heterogeneous biological databases. A case study and web service implementation was tested on biological collections in Australia. Open geospatial specifications for web services were adequate for the test implementation, although some performance issues on XML-encoded data were identified. More significantly, we highlighted the need for domain specific formats to improve their precision and content to support queries that need to determine value-based identity. We also developed analytical functions well suited to geoprocessing web services that utilised statistical summaries and localised searches versus traditional algorithms that require access to the full dataset
The SSN ontology of the W3C semantic sensor network incubator group
The W3C Semantic Sensor Network Incubator group (the SSN-XG) produced an OWL 2 ontology to describe sensors and observations ? the SSN ontology, available at http://purl.oclc.org/NET/ssnx/ssn. The SSN ontology can describe sensors in terms of capabilities, measurement processes, observations and deployments. This article describes the SSN ontology. It further gives an example and describes the use of the ontology in recent research projects
Using SCXML to integrate semantic sensor information into context-aware user interfaces
This paper describes a novel architecture to introduce automatic annotation and processing of semantic sensor data within context-aware applications. Based on the well-known state-charts technologies, and represented using W3C SCXML language combined with Semantic Web technologies, our architecture is able to provide enriched higher-level semantic representations of userās context. This capability to detect and model relevant user situations allows a seamless modeling of the actual interaction situation, which can be integrated during the design of multimodal user interfaces (also based on SCXML) for them to be adequately adapted. Therefore, the final result of this contribution can be described as a flexible context-aware SCXML-based architecture, suitable for both designing a wide range of multimodal context-aware user interfaces, and implementing the automatic enrichment of sensor data, making it available to the entire Semantic Sensor We
Semantically-Enabled Sensor Plug & Play for the Sensor Web
Environmental sensors have continuously improved by becoming smaller, cheaper, and more intelligent over the past years. As consequence of these technological advancements, sensors are increasingly deployed to monitor our environment. The large variety of available sensor types with often incompatible protocols complicates the integration of sensors into observing systems. The standardized Web service interfaces and data encodings defined within OGCās Sensor Web Enablement (SWE) framework make sensors available over the Web and hide the heterogeneous sensor protocols from applications. So far, the SWE framework does not describe how to integrate sensors on-the-fly with minimal human intervention. The driver software which enables access to sensors has to be implemented and the measured sensor data has to be manually mapped to the SWE models. In this article we introduce a Sensor Plug & Play infrastructure for the Sensor Web by combining (1) semantic matchmaking functionality, (2) a publish/subscribe mechanism underlying the SensorWeb, as well as (3) a model for the declarative description of sensor interfaces which serves as a generic driver mechanism. We implement and evaluate our approach by applying it to an oil spill scenario. The matchmaking is realized using existing ontologies and reasoning engines and provides a strong case for the semantic integration capabilities provided by Semantic Web research
Bridging the Gap Between Traditional Metadata and the Requirements of an Academic SDI for Interdisciplinary Research
Metadata has long been understood as a fundamental component of any Spatial Data Infrastructure, providing information relating to discovery, evaluation and use of
datasets and describing their quality. Having good metadata about a dataset is fundamental to using it correctly and to understanding the implications of issues such as missing data or incorrect attribution on the results obtained for any analysis carried out.
Traditionally, spatial data was created by expert users (e.g. national mapping agencies), who created metadata for the data. Increasingly, however, data used in spatial analysis comes from multiple sources and could be captured or used by nonexpert users ā for example academic researchers ā many of whom are from nonāGIS disciplinary backgrounds, not familiar with metadata and perhaps working in geographically dispersed teams. This paper examines the applicability of metadata in this academic context, using a multiānational coastal/environmental project as a case study. The work to date highlights a number of suggestions for good practice, issues and research questions relevant to Academic SDI, particularly given the increased levels of research data sharing and reuse required by UK and EU funders
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