Geographic information retrieval in a mobile environment: evaluating the needs of mobile individuals

This paper describes research that aims to define the information needs of mobile individuals, to implement a mobile information system that can satisfy those needs, and finally to evaluate the performance of that system with end-users. First a review of the emerging discipline of geographic information retrieval (GIR) is presented as background to the more specific issue of mobile information retrieval. Following this, a user needs study is described evaluating the requirements of potential users of a mobile information system; the study finds that there is a strong geographic component to users' information needs. Next, four geographic post-query filters are described which attempt to represent the region of space associated with an individual's query made at some specific spatial location. These filters are spatial proximity (distance in space), temporal proximity (travel time), speed-heading prediction surfaces (likelihood of visiting locations) and visibility (locations that can be seen). Two of these filters — spatial proximity and speed-heading prediction surfaces — are implemented in a mobile information system and subsequently evaluated with users in an outdoor setting. The results of evaluation suggest that retrieved information to which post-query geographic filters have been applied is considered more relevant than unfiltered information, and that users find information sorted by spatial proximity to be more relevant than that sorted by a prediction surface of likely future locations. The paper closes with a discussion of the wider implications of these results for developers of mobile information systems and location-based services

Motorcyclists Using Hocman - Field Trials on Mobile Interaction

We have performed an ethnographic study that reveals the importance of social interaction, and especially traffic encounters, for the enjoyment of biking. We summarized these findings into a set of design requirements for a service supporting mobile interaction among motorcyclists. The Hocman prototype is designed to meet these requirements. It is an application for handheld devices equipped with wireless ad hoc networking interfaces. It uses a peer-topeer architecture to accomplish sharing of HTML documents with peers in the immediate proximity. The aim of sharing is to spark social interaction among motorcyclists during brief encounters. We report a field trial on the prototype service in its naturalistic setting. Despite the unmanageable setting, e.g. the vast area, the speed, and unacquainted users, we demonstrate field trials as an effective approach to get feedback on how well a prototype service fulfils the design requirements. The results indicate that the conceptual idea of Hocman was appreciated, which suggest that the focus on interaction in traffic encounters fit with current practice of motorcycling

Evaluation photocolorimetrique des palettes de couleurs proposees pour les futurs ecrans de controle aerien

Available at INIST (FR), Document Supply Service, under shelf-number : RP 13054 / INIST-CNRS - Institut de l'Information Scientifique et TechniqueSIGLEFRFranc