Researcher Challenges: Create Maps for the 21st Century

1. Researcher Challenges:Create Maps for the 21st Century Werner Kuhn Institute for Geoinformatics University of Muenster

2. Today GIS Specialists Maps for Users

3. Tomorrow Models for Users

4. Thesis Today’s GI and GIS models misbehave EC-GIS Workshop Stresa

5. What does this mean? (1) • Interaction models imitate behaviour of paper maps overlay, buffering • Data models map storage behaviour to applications vector, raster • Behaviour of geometry models is too primitive crisp boundaries, simple graphs, single geometries, no process models • Behaviourof features is implemented in word processors featurecatalogues are on bookshelves rather than in systems EC-GIS Workshop Stresa

6. What does this mean? (2) • Application models are not interoperable with GIS analysis and visualisation occurs outside GIS • Data transfer models contain no behaviour at all exchange formats strip operations away from data • Economic models reflect behaviour of producers rather than users cost-based rather than value-based pricing EC-GIS Workshop Stresa

7. The General Challenge Produce models for GI and GIS based on behaviour-preserving maps EC-GIS Workshop Stresa

8. Structure-preserving maps (morphisms) Changes in the world modelling modelling Operations in the model EC-GIS Workshop Stresa

9. Characteristics of such maps • They preserve structure (= behaviour) • can be optimised for human and machine resources • can be combined to achieve complex from simple maps • can be formalised as functions (morphisms) • can be prototyped in functional languages. EC-GIS Workshop Stresa

10. Examples from 4 domains 1. Interaction 2. Ontologies 3. Distributed data models 4. Semantic interoperability EC-GIS Workshop Stresa

11. 1. Exploit human experience with space for interaction with GIS EC-GIS Workshop Stresa

12. Example: Intuitive zoom and pan Today’s situation: 10% of the time in routine tasks (e.g., digitizing) is spent in unnecessary and disorienting manipulations for zoom and pan operations Challenge: Map structure of visual experience to human-computer interaction visual experience interaction EC-GIS Workshop Stresa

13. 2. Design ontologies to support workflows EC-GIS Workshop Stresa

14. Example: Feature Catalogues Today’s situation: Feature catalogues are often derived from existing data collections. This fails to support user needs and causes unnecessary update costs. Challenge: Map structure of work flows to ontologies User decisions Ontologies EC-GIS Workshop Stresa

15. 3. Manage complex data models in distributed systems EC-GIS Workshop Stresa

16. Example: Hierarchies Today’s situation: Complex conceptual data models get mapped to simple object-relational databases in application software. Challenge: Map common structure of applications through middleware Hierarchies ORDB+mediator EC-GIS Workshop Stresa

17. 4. Achieve Semantic Interoperability EC-GIS Workshop Stresa

18. Example: Semantics of road data Today’s situation: Navigation data like GDF and NMA data lead to conflicting interpretations of where one can drive. Challenge: Map polymorphic driving behaviour to mobile services. Polymorphism Interoperable Services EC-GIS Workshop Stresa

19. Conclusions • Today’s GI and GIS models lack behaviour • This makes them hard to use • The general research challenge: Define and prototype structure-preserving maps • Some instances: • interaction models (metaphors) • ontologies and data models • service models • Consequences for modelling procedure. EC-GIS Workshop Stresa