Evolution of Concepts in Cartography in Internet and Ubiquitous Environments

Takashi MORITA (Hosei University)

Proposition of the Creation of the Commission on ubiquitous mapping was adopted at the

general assembly of ICA Durban 2003, and the author became a chairperson of the commission.

Since then the commission has developed researches not only on theoretical field but also to

collect examples including cross culture effect. In this paper, we discuss the direction of this

domain in the future by tracing the evolution of concepts and technological environments since

its foundation. The concepts may be described by the following key terms; communication

model, map and mapping, mapping world, key elements of ubiquitous environment, GIS and

ubiquitous mapping, cross cultural issues, real scale map, egocentric mapping, sideoblique and

vertical view, spatial reasoning, cartographic discourse, data input issues, non-geographical

coordinate, and quality issues. Before the start of the commission, there was the ICA report discussing the difference between

map, cartography and GIS. There, it was mentioned that map should be dynamic and

interactive in digital era, which conduct to the notion of ubiquitous mapping. At that time

people had begun to talk about the notion of ubiquitous computing while not few people had

already begun to use mobile phone and car navigation system with small screen capable to

show digital maps in mobile environment (especially in Japan). American semiotician C. Morris

(1901-1979)’s three types of relation; syntactics, semantics, and pragmatics can be adopted to

mapping world. Syntactics corresponds to the

representation types of map, 2D - multiple

dimensions. Semantics corresponds to the

degree of personalization, official - individual.

Pragmatics corresponds to the flexibility of

media, fixed - flexible. Any kind of map could

be placed in the cube using these three axes. In

this framework we may talk about the context

and the cross culture issues (Fig.1).

In 2004, the first international workshop was

held in Tokyo (UPIMap2004) and basic characteristics of ubiquitous mapping were discussed.

Fig.1 Mapping World

The International Symposium on Cartography in Internet and Ubiquitous Environments 2015 17th - 19th March, Tokyo

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Ubiquitous mapping is composed of four key

elements, real world, map, user, and ICT

infrastructure. It is different from GIS because

GIS is data handling oriented while

ubiquitous mapping considers the interaction

between map, spatial image (mental), and the

real world (Fig.2).

Around 2005, we begun to discuss on the topics

related to cross cultural issues because the

worldwide web mapping system, such as

Google map, has no consideration on the

diversity of cultural difference in case of way

finding, for example. In use of such system, the

sign system set in real space is very important

because it connects real space and map, which

conducts to the notion of a real scale map (Fig.3).

Thanks to the GPS, we can place one’s position

on the map in the screen, which is egocentric

mapping. This is more critical if the view is

perspective where the viewpoint should be

given. In mobile environment we look side view

in real world and then search the

correspondence between the feature in real

world and the symbol in a map. Thus, the side

and oblique views using polar coordinate

system are also the cartographic issues (Fig.4.)

In case of way finding using mobile device in

real space, people has to make spatial decision

which way to be taken related to spatial

cognition, spatial deduction and abduction,

which may be summarized as spatial reasoning.

Matching between map and the real world is

Fig.2 GIS and UbiMap

Fig.3 Real scale map

Fig.4 Side and oblique views

Fig.5 Spatial reasoning

The International Symposium on Cartography in Internet and Ubiquitous Environments 2015 17th - 19th March, Tokyo

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rather difficult especially in urban area where shapes of things are very similar. Importance of

spatial articulation and structuration was discussed with the notion of real scale map because

spatial reasoning depends on much to the definition and classification to each spatial element

(Fig.5).

At the very beginning of map making, there

might be a discourse when one makes a map.

Modern cartography invites the specialization of

technique and cartographer becomes technician

where people do not demand a discourse to

cartographer. The complete cartographer might

represent a map with a discourse as a holistic

communicator (Fig.6).

Today, we recognize briefly that the ubiquitous mapping is the context based mapping to solve

a problem. Thus, a map receives complementary elements such as directive symbol (arrow) in

form of diagram, audio guide in conjunction with real space, or adopting specific users, such as

the visualization for physically handicapped

people, children, etc. Non-homogeneous

coordinate system, with exaggeration and

suppression, is sometime more easy to

understand and useful. The digitization of map

invites very often the degradation of map

quality and human interface issues. We should

continue to consider about them.

Thus finally, we reached to the notion of quality

in relation to space. It is difficult to discuss on

this subject but it might be worth to be

developed (Fig.7).

Recently, Novel prize was awarded to the subject of inner map of the brain. But it is more

interesting that this map is connected to other part of the brain consisting of the network of

huge number of neuron to get somewhat spatial recognition. In ubiquitous mapping, we have

to consider the relationships between many different elements. May the brain be our analogical

model in this domain?

Fig.6 Cartographic discourse

Fig.7 Quality issues

The International Symposium on Cartography in Internet and Ubiquitous Environments 2015 17th - 19th March, Tokyo

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