The document discusses usability issues for non-visual interfaces to geographical information. It outlines difficulties non-specialists face using geographic data and how cartographers can help. It proposes that cartographers' focus on data quality, clarity and usability could benefit developers of non-visual interfaces by simplifying complex geographic data. The role of cartographers is to filter and structure geographic information to facilitate its communication and use by non-specialists.

1. The Power
of the
Image
2011
Usability Issues for non-
visual Interfaces to
Geographical Information
Presenter: Dr Paul Kelly
Electrical & Electronic Engineering,
Queen’s University Belfast

2. The Power
of the
Image Outline
2011
• Visual and non-visual interfaces
– “Products”, end users and the role of
the cartographer
• Data requirements for non-visual
interfaces
• Difficulties faced by non-specialists
in using geographical information
• How cartographers can help

3. The Power
of the
Image A Visual Interface to GI
2011
Taken from BCS Website, © Stirling Surveys
What is the product? Who are the users?
What is the role of the cartographer?

4. The Power
of the
Image My Answers…
2011
The Product
The printed (or otherwise rendered) map
The Users
People (walkers) interpreting the
information contained in the map
Role of the Cartographer
To filter and simplify complex
geographical data in order to facilitate its
communication to the users of the map

5. The Power
of the
Image Example non-visual interfaces
2011
Direction Distance Sound –
Vibration Patterns “Geiger Counter”
GeoMobile GmbH

6. The Power
of the
Image Haptic Belt
2011
OFFIS e.V.

7. The Power
of the
Image TactiCycle
2011
• Handlebars vibrate
• Indicates direction
OFFIS e.V.

8. The Power
of the
Image Walking Map: Usage Scenarios
2011
Taken from BCS Website, © Stirling Surveys
1. Cyclist (no hands free)
2. Blind person (accompanied or even alone)
3. Walker in wet weather with no map case

9. The Power
of the
Image Non-Visual Perceptualisation
2011
Cyclist
Upcoming gradients
Distance to destination
Blind Person
Nearby geographical features – streams,
lakes, forests, hills
Perceptualise landscape without seeing it
Path-following if walking alone
Walker in bad weather
Distance, gradients, upcoming turns
No need for anything to get wet

10. The Power
of the For non-visual interfaces, what
Image
2011 is…
The Product?
The perceptualisations, or the software
that provides them
The Users?
Walkers or cyclists, same as before
Role of the Cartographer?
???
Pessimistic View!

11. The Power
of the
Image More optimistically:
2011
The Product
The geographical data that the
perceptualisation software uses
The Users
Human-computer Interface (HCI)
software developers
Role of the Cartographer
Lots of opportunities!
Filter and simplify complex geographical
data for use by HCI developers

12. The Power
of the Data Requirements for non-
Image
2011 visual interfaces
Vector Primitives
Point LineString Polygon
Geometric Queries
– Point-in-Polygon
– Shortest distance to line
– etc.

13. The Power
of the Data actually used by HCI
Image
2011 developers
Anecdotal evidence from the
HaptiMap European project:
Mostly just self-generated GPS points:
the “waypoint” paradigm
Lunds universitet

14. The Power
of the
Image Why? 1 – Unfamiliarity
2011
• Unfamiliar Terminology
What to ask for – a map?
Geographical data?
• Unfamiliar Structure
Point – linestring – polygon model

15. The Power
of the
Image Why? 2 – Data Complexity
2011
• Too many different ways of doing the
same thing – doesn’t force data providers
to consider usability
e.g. ESRI Shapefile has 14 geometry
types: Null Shape, Point, Polyline,
Polygon, MultiPoint, PointZ,
MultiPointZ, etc.
• Datasets often structured with only
cartography in mind
e.g. OS VectorMap Local has
street names in an entirely separate
layer from the streets!

16. The Power
of the
Image OpenStreetMap – any better?
2011
XML interface – inefficient and slow,
but human-readable → logical
structure of data is obvious without
formal documentation
Only two geometry types: nodes &
ways
Simple key/value freeform text
attributes – can nonetheless
describe complex relationships

17. The Power
of the
Image OpenStreetMap again
2011
Not perfect – e.g. latitude & longitude
co-ordinates make geometric
operations unnecessarily complex
Advantages of a projected co-ordinate
system are missed
But gaining acceptance anyway –
convenience of a universal source
of large-scale vector data hard to
overstate

18. The Power
of the
Image Can any lessons be learned?
2011
Strong focus on the XML interface as
the public, usable “face” of OSM
Rendered maps not the only “product”
No need for users to have a GIS in
order to read vector data
Open, usable vector API facilitates
imaginative non-cartographic uses

19. The Power
of the
Image Conclusions
2011
Interface between specialist and non-
specialist has been pushed back
Usability of underlying vector data can
sometimes be just as important as
usability of the map
Cartographers’ knowledge of and
focus on data quality, clarity and
usability could really be of benefit

20. The Power Ideas in this presentation were developed
of the from work in HaptiMap, a large-scale
Image
2011 integrating project funded by the European
Commission under the 7th Framework
Programme (FP7-ICT-224675).