Current Research Issues in GIS

1. Current Research Issues in GIS Michael F. Goodchild University of California Santa Barbara

2. Three major points • The speed of problem solving • Digital libraries • Location-based services

3. Data acquisition Design Integration Analysis Interpretation Presentation Stages of problem solving Problem definition

4. Why does it take so long? • Analysis at the speed of light • Why can't we do GIS in real time? • How can we make it faster?

5. Delays in acquisition and integration • Recent progress • Internet, WWW • much faster than mailing tapes • We're organized horizontally • we need to be organized vertically

6. Digital libraries • Major sources of geospatial data • Alexandria Digital Library • Geography Network • National Geospatial Data Clearinghouse • DOQ site • searchable by geographic location

8. Horizontal organization • Each layer has its own production process • often its own agency • its own standards, formats, servers • Framework coverages • DOQ, DRG, DLG, DEM,...

10. Thinking vertically • It should be easier to get 2 layers for 1 place • than 1 layer for 2 places • There should be no problems of compatibility • formats, standards • goodness of fit • Dan Gustafson's Graphical Locater • chasm.msu.montana.edu/gl/index.html

25. Conflation: what and why • Two representations of the same phenomena over the same area will not agree • it is impossible to determine location perfectly, so positions will vary • there will be variation between measuring instruments, spatial resolution, observers, interpreters, definitions, etc.

26. Conflation • Combination of multiple views of the same phenomena • For the purposes of: • averaging • consensus improves on individual views • even in the absence of a definable “truth” • correction • one data set used to correct the other • concatenation • conflation combines content

27. Location-based services • Technologies that know where they are • and provide information accordingly • move with the user • the cellphone, PDA, laptop, … • Major applications • emergency calls • commercial uses

28. CharmIT™ Developer's Kit • CharmIT™ is built on the PC/104 specification, which has been an industry standard for embedded computing for nearly ten years • hundreds of companies manufacture a wide variety of PC/104 hardware • majority of components are low power and ruggedized • CharmIT™ Developer's Kit is lower cost (approximately $2000), low power (approximately 7 watts with Jumptec 266) and offers enough computing power for most everyday wearable tasks

29. Typical CharmIT™ kit configuration: • Customizable, lightweight aluminum case • Jumptec Pentium 166 or 266 Mhz core board - includes on-board 10/100 ethernet • USB and SVGA • PCMCIA board with two slots or SoundBlaster-compatible sound card • Power conversion/distribution board • Two Sony NP-F960 batteries (approx 5.5 hours runtime each) • All necessary cables and connectors

30. Head-mounted displays Integrated Eyeglassisplays ($5000) ClipOn Display ($2500) -evaluation kit comes with a belt-worn, VGA interface box connected to the display by a 4’ cable Display format: 640x480, 24-Bit color, 60 Hz refresh rate Field of View: Approximately 16 degrees horizontal

31. Text input • The Twiddler2 chorded keyboard is designed for one-handed input with an array of 12 finger keys and six thumb keys. • Frequent users can enter text at close to two-hand touch-typing speeds.

33. Version 0 of the UCSB self-contained wearable computer • Consisting of: • CharmIT™ Developer's Kit with a PC/104 platform • GPS module • head-mounted, see-through visual display • Twiddler2 as text input device • Fanny-pack or vest • Version 2 will be web-enabled

34. Wearable computing • Wearable computers have the potential to influence the life of the user • The computer is working even when the user is not giving explicit commands (e.g. health monitors, communication systems) • The user is doing something besides interacting with the computer

35. Future applications… Eyetracker is essentially an eye driven cursor or "visual mouse" that positions the cursor in the direction that the eye is looking. The eye's ability to rapidly shift gaze in a changing environment makes it an ideal input device for computer and video applications. Nogatech Video Capture Products CaptureVision™ Imagine real-time full motion video capture and display plus high resolution still frame capture on a notebook… USB Digital Video Camera

36. Geospatial information as reference • Settings • Locating sample outlets & households • Locating unmarked field points • Questions • Strategies for using map & GPS info in planning, navigation, locating • Role & effectiveness of alternative geospatial info resources • Appropriate materials, formats • Impact of screen size, interface mode

37. Context awareness • Context (non-explicit user input) is gathered through “sensing” the person's environment, state, task • Use context (e.g., where the person is, what they are doing) to create systems that proactively support, anticipate, and facilitate the person's task • Key spatial context is from GPS

38. User interface for augmented vision Augmented: see-through map plus locator Viewed reality

39. View options

40. Adaptive and progressive sampling • Where to take the n+1th sample? • estimation of uncertainty (variance) as a function of location • with a covariate • select the location of maximum variance • and minimize travel cost/time • Search for anomalies and clusters • Soil sampling • Species range mapping

41. Summary points • Exogenous technology is a major driver of GIS • The challenge is to recognize and develop new applications, and to understand their weaknesses • A stimulating symbiosis of computer science and geography

42. Some Web sites • www.ncgia.ucsb.edu • www.alexandria.ucsb.edu • www.ucgis.org • www.giscience.org