Cartographic limitations and possibilities on mobile devices

The fields of geoinformation technology and cartography have seen dramatic changes in the last decade. The dissemination of digital geospatial data is no longer bound by desktop platform. It is now monitored on mobile devices such as Palmtops, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), and Smart phones. The map display on a handheld device is a challenge to cartography due to the limiting factors of screen size, colors, resolution, processing power, memory and power supply. Though with technological advancements, these limiting factors are improving at a great pace, the small size display of devices still remains the same. Technological developments in the field of mobile computing are significant and more research is directed towards the use of mobile devices in geoinformation applications. However, new methods for location-based information, symbolization, data formats, context-based generalization and server-based real-time rendering are being explored for better cartographic visualization on the small display devices. Most of the present approaches are technology-driven, and have neglected the basic cartographic visualization aspects. This paper aims to present the limitations, and possibilities of map design for mobile applications with design recommendations for improving visualization. Recent developments in cartography have shown that procedures of making and using maps have changed significantly. The fields of acquiring, managing, analyzing, interactivity and visualizing large amounts of geospatial data have witnessed highly vibrant and important development over the last two decades and these are continuing (Kraak, 2002). Cartographers have been modifying the design rules for screen maps using new technologies like multimedia, animation and anamorphosis, because the design rules for printed maps that deal with the map field, typography, color management, piece composition, legend, title, margin decoration and back side, etc., are not suitable for screen reading anymore (Meng, 2003). In this changing environment, the World Wide Web (WWW) is one of the latest new media to present and disseminate geospatial data (Kraak, 2002). The basic principles of map design do not change due to the new web environment, though it offers some new interesting possibilities like multimedia and animation, along with a few limitations (Kraak, 2002; and Kraak and Ormeling, 2003). While designing the Web maps, the physical design in terms of file size and display size (Kraak, 2002) also has to be considered. Web map design requires extra attention due to the constraints of media, resolution, and bandwidth problems. Just scanning paper maps or using default GIS maps for the web is not a good practice