Interactive topographic web mapping using scalable vector graphics

Large scale topographic maps portray detailed information about the landscape. They are used for a wide variety o f purposes. USGS large scale topographic maps at 1:24,000 have been traditionally distributed in paper form. With the advent of the Internet, these maps can now be distributed electronically. Instead of common raster format presentation, the solution presented here is based on a vector approach. The vector format provides many advantages compared to the use of a raster-based presentation. This research shows that Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) is a promising technology for delivering high quality interactive topographic maps via the Internet, both in terms o f graphic quality and interactivity. A possible structure for the SVG map document is proposed. Interactive features such as toggling thematic layers on and off, UTM coordinate readout for x, y, and z (elevation) were developed as well. Adding this type of interactivity can help to better extract information from a topographic map. A focus group analysis with the online SVG topographic map shows a high-level of user acceptance

Developing Android Mobile Map Application with standard navigation tools for pedestrians

Advanced features of modern mobile devices have made it possible to develop and use maps and map based applications for navigation purposes. Since most mobile map applications nowadays are developed for motor vehicles, there is a demand for portable pedestrian navigation applications. In this thesis the Android mobile map application with standard navigation tools for pedestrian navigation was developed, as a platform for facilitating the Lund Challenge location based demonstrator of the HaptiMap project. The pivotal aim of the Lund Challenge demonstrator is to make the sights of Lund city more accessible. The mobile phone application is being designed as a touristic, historical location based game which will also assist tourists to navigate themselves in the city. To enable exploration of historical and current sites of Lund the demonstrator should contain basic components of exploring and way finding. Prior to the development the OpenStreetMap (OSM) road network data and Swedish National Road Database (NVDB) were introduced. The main advantage of using the OSM data over the NVDB dataset is the completeness of the OSM data in terms of pedestrian paths. The datasets were imported to PostgreSQL spatially extended PostGIS database, where different routing algorithms provided by pgRouting were used for routing calculations. As the Lund Challenge demonstrator is intended not only for general users but also for visually impaired users, the problem of user navigation in the parks and open areas were also discussed and the feasibility study was performed. The limitation of the developed application was the problem of the user navigation in the parks and open areas. It is therefore necessary to upgrade the road database with possible path in the open areas and parks in order to implement this application.Advanced features of modern devices have made it possible to develop and use maps and map-based applications for navigation purposes. Since most mobile map applications are currently developed for motor vehicles, there is a demand for portable pedestrian navigation applications. In this thesis, a mobile map application was developed with standard navigation tools for pedestrians, which can be used with mobile phones running Android Operating System. The application will be used as a platform for facilitating the Lund Challenge location based demonstrator. Lund Challenge location based demonstrator is designed to make historical and actual maps of Lund more accessible and is a part of the HaptiMap project. This project aims to create maps and develop location-based services for all users, including elderly and visually impaired. The goal of the Lund Challenge location based demonstrator (also known as The Lund Time Machine) is to minimize the efforts of pedestrians, especially tourists, with finding interesting sites around the city. Initially, it is being designed as a historical location based game which will assist tourists to navigate themselves around the city. In order to further explore historical and current sites, the Lund Challenge should be enhanced with the basic features of exploration and navigation included in this thesis. The road network data was chosen from two available sources: 1) data from OpenStreetMap (OSM) project which provides free geographic data, and 2) The Swedish National Road Database (NVDB) authorized by the Swedish government, which includes all Swedish road network and selected cycle paths. For this thesis, analysis was performed on the datasets using different shortest path algorithms for routing calculations. A primary advantage of using OSM over NVDB is the completeness of data relating to pedestrian paths. As a result, the determination was made that the OSM option was more appropriate for the purpose of this thesis. Since the Lund Challenge location based demonstrator is intended for both general and visually impaired users, the problem of user navigation in parks and open areas was also discussed and a feasibility study was performed. This study revealed a limitation in the application with user navigation in parks and open areas. To resolve this, it is necessary to upgrade the road network with all possible pedestrian paths for parks and open areas

RADGIS - an improved architecture for runtime-extensible, distributed GIS applications

A number of GIS architectures and technologies have emerged recently to facilitate the visualisation and processing of geospatial data over the Web. The work presented in this dissertation builds on these efforts and undertakes to overcome some of the major problems with traditional GIS client architectures, including application bloat, lack of customisability, and lack of interoperability between GIS products. In this dissertation we describe how a new client-side GIS architecture was developed and implemented as a proof-of-concept application called RADGIS, which is based on open standards and emerging distributed component-based software paradigms. RADGIS reflects the current trend in development focus from Web browser-based applications to customised clients, based on open standards, that make use of distributed Web services. While much attention has been paid to exposing data on the Web, there is growing momentum towards providing “value-added” services. A good example of this is the tremendous industry interest in the provision of location-based services, which has been discussed as a special use-case of our RADGIS architecture. Thus, in the near future client applications will not simply be used to access data transparently, but will also become facilitators for the location-transparent invocation of local and remote services. This flexible architecture will ensure that data can be stored and processed independently of the location of the client that wishes to view or interact with it. Our RADGIS application enables content developers and end-users to create and/or customise GIS applications dynamically at runtime through the incorporation of GIS services. This ensures that the client application has the flexibility to withstand changing levels of expertise or user requirements. These GIS services are implemented as components that execute locally on the client machine, or as remote CORBA Objects or EJBs. Assembly and deployment of these components is achieved using a specialised XML descriptor. This XML descriptor is written using a markup language that we developed specifically for this purpose, called DGCML, which contains deployment information, as well as a GUI specification and links to an XML-based help system that can be merged with the RADGIS client application’s existing help system. Thus, no additional requirements are imposed on object developers by the RADGIS architecture, i.e. there is no need to rewrite existing objects since DGCML acts as a runtime-customisable wrapper, allowing existing objects to be utilised by RADGIS. While the focus of this thesis has been on overcoming the above-mentioned problems with traditional GIS applications, the work described here can also be applied in a much broader context, especially in the development of highly customisable client applications that are able to integrate Web services at runtime

Establishing fundamental theories for internet atlas realisation with application in the Brazilian primary education system

This thesis addresses a research programme that aimed to provide an open standard methodology for publishing Brazilian local primary school atlases on the World Wide Web. It also aims to contribute to the use of computer laboratories provided to Brazilian primary schools by the Brazilian government. Using a local school atlas as the source of information, a Web-based prototype of the School Atlas of Rio Claro (SP) was developed in SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics). SVG is a vector-based standard for publishing interactive graphics on the Web validated by the Web Consortium. This prototype was tested with a group of Brazilian primary school teachers. The test was conducted with fourteen teachers, all of them were familiar with the paper version of the School Atlas. During weekly meetings, the participants took notes to discuss and reflect about the practices held in school with loca l maps. The main test carried out with teachers was to prepare a paper activity based on the atlas content. The idea behind this activity was to foster teachers to leave a passive role as mere users and interact with the product in a more active fashion. In order to enable them to take full advantage of simple digital tools they were briefly trained to capture screen, use image editing software (they were instructed on the use of Paint, an image editing application available in Windows), and to copy text from the atlas. The results demonstrated that the teachers were keen to interact with the product and, although reproducing some common practices of paper atlas use, they revealed a deep interest on the use of the Internet as a medium for education and the prototype itself. A second test was carried out with a group of atlas developers. They were given a time frame of two weeks to develop an SVG-based atlas using the methodology proposed in this research. They completed the task within the time frame propose d however they indicated that more specific training should be desirable; this finding indicates the need to introduce digital map publishing as a subject to be taught in geosciences undergraduate courses in Brazil. It is believed that open standard methodology proposed here can be applied to other cities also developing local atlases for early geographical education

Automated Indoor Mapping with Point Clouds

This dissertation examines the current state of automated indoor mapping and modeling using point cloud data produced by close range remote sensing systems. The first part looks at reality capture techniques that convert the physical form of indoor spaces into point clouds of millions of measured points, each with an (x,y,z) coordinate value. The second part examines methods for teasing out geometries from these point clouds -- often complicated by noise and voids -- and converting them into 3D geometric models. The final part examines techniques for merging the coordinate reference systems of these indoor maps and models with those of the outdoor world, resulting in a seamless representation of space. Lessons learned in this study revealed that theories, techniques, and practices in indoor mapping remain relatively elementary compared to those for the outdoors, yet they also present significant opportunities for future research propelled by emerging developments in remote sensing and a growing demand for indoor maps

OGRS2012 Symposium Proceedings

Do you remember the Open Source Geospatial Research and Education Symposium (OGRS) in Nantes? "Les Machines de l’Île", the Big Elephant, the "Storm Boat" with Claramunt, Petit et al. (2009), and "le Biniou et la Bombarde"? A second edition of OGRS was promised, and that promise is now fulfilled in OGRS 2012, Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland, October 24-26, 2012. OGRS is a meeting dedicated to sharing knowledge, new solutions, methods, practices, ideas and trends in the field of geospatial information through the development and the use of free and open source software in both research and education. In recent years, the development of geospatial free and open source software (GFOSS) has breathed new life into the geospatial domain. GFOSS has been extensively promoted by FOSS4G events, which evolved from meetings which gathered together interested GFOSS development communities to a standard business conference. More in line with the academic side of the FOSS4G conferences, OGRS is a rather neutral forum whose goal is to assemble a community whose main concern is to find new solutions by sharing knowledge and methods free of software license limits. This is why OGRS is primarily concerned with the academic world, though it also involves public institutions, organizations and companies interested in geospatial innovation. This symposium is therefore not an exhibition for presenting existing industrial software solutions, but an event we hope will act as a catalyst for research and innovation and new collaborations between research teams, public agencies and industries. An educational aspect has recently been added to the content of the symposium. This important addition examines the knowledge triangle - research, education, and innovation - through the lens of how open source methods can improve education efficiency. Based on their experience, OGRS contributors bring to the table ideas on how open source training is likely to offer pedagogical advantages to equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in tomorrow’s geospatial labor market. OGRS brings together a large collection of current innovative research projects from around the world, with the goal of examining how research uses and contributes to open source initiatives. By presenting their research, OGRS contributors shed light on how the open-source approach impacts research, and vice-versa. The organizers of the symposium wish to demonstrate how the use and development of open source software strengthen education, research and innovation in geospatial fields. To support this approach, the present proceedings propose thirty short papers grouped under the following thematic headings: Education, Earth Science & Landscape, Data, Remote Sensing, Spatial Analysis, Urban Simulation and Tools. These papers are preceded by the contributions of the four keynote speakers: Prof Helena Mitasova, Dr Gérard Hégron, Prof Sergio Rey and Prof Robert Weibel, who share their expertise in research and education in order to highlight the decisive advantages of openness over the limits imposed by the closed-source license system

Technological framework for ubiquitous interactions using context–aware mobile devices

This report presents research and development of dedicated system architecture, designed to enable its users to interact with each other as well as to access information on Points of Interest that exist in their immediate environment. This is accomplished through managing personal preferences and contextual information in a distributed manner and in real-time. The advantage of this system architecture is that it uses mobile devices, heterogeneous sensors and a selection of user interface paradigms to produce a sociotechnical framework to enhance the perception of the environment and promote intuitive interactions. The thrust of the work has been on software development and component integration. Iterative prototyping was adopted as a development method in order to effectively implement the users’ feedback and establish a platform for collaboration that closely meets the requirements and aids their decision-making process. The requirement acquisition was followed by the system-modelling phase in order to produce a robust software prototype. The implementation includes component-based development and extensive use of design patterns over native programming. Conclusively, the software product has become the means to evaluate differences in the use of mixed reality technologies in a ubiquitous scenario. The prototype can query a number of context sources such as sensors, or details of the personal profile, to acquire relevant data. The data (and metadata) is stored in opensource structures, so that they are accessible at every layer of the system architecture and at any time. By proactively processing the acquired context, the system can assist the users in their tasks (e.g. navigation) without explicit input – e.g. by simply creating a gesture with the device. However, advanced interaction with the application via the user interface is available for requests that are more complex. Representations of the real world objects, their spatial relations and other captured features of interest are visualised on scalable interfaces, ranging from 2D to 3D models and from photorealism to stylised clues and symbols. Two principal modes of operation have been implemented; one, using geo-referenced virtual reality models of the environment, updated in real time, and second, using the overlay of descriptive annotations and graphics on the video images of the surroundings, captured by a video camera. The latter is referred to as augmented reality. The continuous feed of the device position and orientation data, from the GPS receiver and the digital compass, into the application, makes the framework fit for use in unknown environments and therefore suitable for ubiquitous operation. This is one of the novelties of the proposed framework, because it enables a whole range of social, peer-to-peer interactions to take place. The scenarios of how the system could be employed to pursue these remote interactions and collaborative efforts on mobile devices are addressed in the context of urban navigation. The conceptual design and implementation of the novel location and orientation based algorithm for mobile AR are presented in detail. The system is, however, multifaceted and capable of supporting peer-to-peer exchange of information in a pervasive fashion, usable in various contexts. The modalities of these interactions are explored and laid out in several scenarios, but particularly in the context of user adoption. Two evaluation tasks took place. The preliminary evaluation examined certain aspects that influence user interaction while being immersed in a virtual environment, whereas the second summative evaluation compared the utility and certain usability aspects of the AR and VR interfaces

Uma aplicação WEBGIS para a participação pública no âmbito do projecto MARGOV

Tese de mestrado, Sistemas de Informação Geográfica (Tecnologias e Aplicações), Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, 2010O objetivo geral do projeto a realizar no âmbito da presente dissertação consistiu no desenvolvimento de uma plataforma WEBGIS e a discussão sobre a interação entre a participação pública e os sistemas de informação geográfica (PPGIS). Tendo como base o projeto MARGov, que visa a criação de um canal de diálogo entre os atores locais, buscando fomentar o envolvimento e a colaboração de todos para uma gestão sustentável do Parque Marinho Luiz Saldanha, a plataforma WEBGIS desenvolvida surge como uma forma de auxiliar na coleta do conhecimento dos atores locais e abre uma via de comunicação georreferenciada acerca dos assuntos relacionados ao Parque Marinho. Com vista ao enquadramento dos assuntos discutidos durante o trabalho, foi feita uma revisão bibliográfica acerca dos conceitos e metodologias adotadas, bem como um breve levantamento de tecnologias existentes e projetos já desenvolvidos sobre o tema. A abordagem proposta faz o uso de metodologias de sistemas de informação geográfica aplicadas à participação pública, tecnologias de desenvolvimento WEBGIS, bem como a adoção de um processo de desenvolvimento de software que se adequou aos prazos do projeto MARGov. Ao fim, se apresentam alguns resultados do uso desta plataforma WEBGIS no âmbito do projeto, assim como a discussão dos pressupostos levantados no início e algumas conclusões gerais acerca do trabalho.The overall objective of the project to be undertaken within the framework of this thesis was to develop a WEBGIS platform and discussion on the interaction between public participation and geographic information systems (PPGIS). Based on the MARGov project, which aims to establish a communication channel between local users, aiming to fostering the participation and collaboration of all community for the sustainable management of Marine Park Luiz Saldanha, the developed WEBGIS platform emerges as a way to assist in knowledge capturing from local users and opening a georeferenced communication channel focused on Marine Park subject matters. A literature review about issues, concepts and methodologies discussed during the work was undertaken. Also a brief survey of existing technology and projects developed on this work’s subject. The proposed approach makes use of methods for geographic information systems applied to public participation, WEBGIS development technologies, as well as the adoption of a software developing process according to MARGov project deadlines. Finally, results on the use of this WEBGIS platform under the project scope are presented, discussions are made on the assumptions mentioned in the introduction and some general conclusions about the work are drawn

Enhancing land use planning in Kuala Lumpur through the interaction of formal and informal spatial representations

The Southeast Asian region, as any other regions in the world, has experienced significant impact of globalisation for the past few decades. This development scenario is evident in Southeast Asian mega cities such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Bangkok and Manila. Kuala Lumpur in particular has developed into a center of economic growth activities for its Klang Valley and the country. The development of Kuala Lumpur has the pattern of a definite concentration of physical and economic activities in the center with ribbon development happening along the major arterials leading into the city. Development control is very important for Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan, especially in the Commercial Central Area. The existence of a good formal spatial representation such as land use map will enhance the development process in Kuala Lumpur. The thesis focuses on the land use planning process and development in Kuala Lumpur. The aim is to improve land use planning in Kuala Lumpur and the image and identity of Kuala Lumpur through the interaction between formal and informal spatial representations. Thus, the first step is to study the existing formal spatial representation implemented in Kuala Lumpur City Hall. The scope and limitation of the GIS system and its customised SKP application is investigated to identify the potential of enhancing its database. The thesis also looks into the informal spatial representation in Kuala Lumpur. Kampung Baru and Jalan TAR shopping district were identified as the appropriate cases study in investigating the land use planning related issues, informal spatial representation available and public perception in relation to land use planning. The investigation was carried out through observation and random interview using survey questionnaire. Findings from the investigations in Kuala Lumpur City Hall and the two case study areas are compiled to form the basis of integration of the formal and informal spatial representations. Recommendations are then put forward for the possibility of integrating both types of spatial representation in one database