地学における先端テクノロジー デジタル地理情報の現状と課題

Abstract

This paper briefly summarizes the current status of the development and the distribution of digital geographic information in Japan and new emerging technologies associated with geographic information. Rapid improvements to computer hardware and software, together with the dissemination of computer networks, especially the Internet, have had enormous impact on the development and use of geographic information. Paper maps, which used to be the most commonly used media for communicating geographic information, have been digitized and used with a geographic information system (GIS) for many different applications. Although the digital geographic information thus acquired still has some characteristics inherited from paper maps, new technologies including Web GIS, GPS, and 3D GIS are considered to further expand the domain and enhance the potential of geographic information. Digital geographic information has been standardized by ISO, which will also streamline data exchanges between different GISs and hence reduce the cost of GIS development.Despite these new developments related to GIS, actual implementation of GIS in government offices has not been accelerated due to organizational problems associated with conventional business customs and lack of employees' knowledge and experience of IT. Although it may take some time to overcome these problems, the author sees a further expansion of the use of geographic information as Japan and its people accept new concepts and lifestyles introduced by IT.