Cartography Applications Research Articles

Shortcut hulls: Vertex-restricted outer simplifications of polygons

Let P be a polygon and C a set of shortcuts, where each shortcut is a directed straight-line segment connecting two vertices of P. A shortcut hull of P is another polygon that encloses P and whose oriented boundary is composed of elements from C. We require P and the output shortcut hull to be weakly simple polygons, which we define as a generalization of simple polygons. Shortcut hulls find their application in cartography, where a common task is to compute simplified representations of area features. We aim at a shortcut hull that has a small area and a small perimeter. Our optimization objective is to minimize a convex combination of these two criteria. If no holes in the shortcut hull are allowed, the problem admits a straight-forward solution via computation of shortest paths. For the more challenging case in which the shortcut hull may contain holes, we present a polynomial-time algorithm that is based on computing a constrained, weighted triangulation of the input polygon's exterior. We use this problem as a starting point for investigating further variants, e.g., restricting the number of edges or bends. We demonstrate that shortcut hulls can be used for the schematization of polygons.

Excursion into the history of relief imagery on geographic maps

The purpose of this article is to acquaint geographers with the history of transforming the ways depicting the relief on geographical maps in different countries of the world in order to optimize the choice of methods and techniques for working with old maps. Basic material. An unequivocal, balanced and objective representation of the terrain is one of the main tasks of cartography. However, the representation of a three-dimensional element, which is a relief on a horizontal plane, is a problem that for centuries caused scientific controversy among geographers, cartographers, mathematicians and required new and new attempts to improve the image of this element on the maps. The article examines the retrospective of relief visualization development over the past thousand years. The authors highlight advantages and disadvantages of each of the applied methods of depicting the relief on geographical maps over the centuries. First of all, such as conditional-prospective and profile-silhouette ones. The article gives examples of these methods application in cartography. The study considers a place and role of Kharkiv scientists in the process of forming the doctrine of digital relief models. Conclusions. Having analyzed the history and modernity in the field of relief visualization, it is possible to extrapolate its prospects for the future. Thus, the prospects may include improved resolution and detailing of input and output information, as well as the further development of techniques and methods for dynamic visualization of the terrain, which changes under the influence of adverse anthropogenic and natural (exo- and endogenous) processes and phenomena in real time

Creating orthophotos with unmanned aerial vehicles and examining its accuracy and usability in geodetic applications

SummaryUnmanned aerial vehicles, one of the technologies that aim to produce data in many scientific studies, has widespread use in many engineering applications, especially in cartography applications. UAV, which can meet the high accuracy required in many studies, offer users the opportunity to produce point cloud and maps for various aims. It is aimed to produce a high‐resolution orthophoto map of the study area in this study. In addition, the accuracy of the orthophoto map produced for the areas classified according to topographic structures in the study area has been checked with GNSS measurements, and its compliance with the standards specified in the regulation has been examined. According to the results; Considering the root square mean error values of three axes, it has been searched whether the accuracy values of the products obtained are suitable according to the regulation and it has been determined that these values are within the limits. Then, the application of testing the accuracy of the orthophoto map has been started. When all checkpoints have been examined, the maximum error values in x, y, and h directions have been found to be 5.9, 4.5, and 4.9 cm, respectively.

Deep Graph Convolutional Networks for Accurate Automatic Road Network Selection

The selection of road networks is very important for cartographic generalization. Traditional artificial intelligence methods have improved selection efficiency but cannot fully extract the spatial features of road networks. However, current selection methods, which are based on the theory of graphs or strokes, have low automaticity and are highly subjective. Graph convolutional networks (GCNs) combine graph theory with neural networks; thus, they can not only extract spatial information but also realize automatic selection. Therefore, in this study, we adopted GCNs for automatic road network selection and transformed the process into one of node classification. In addition, to solve the problem of gradient vanishing in GCNs, we compared and analyzed the results of various GCNs (GraphSAGE and graph attention networks [GAT]) by selecting small-scale road networks under different deep architectures (JK-Nets, ResNet, and DenseNet). Our results indicate that GAT provides better selection of road networks than other models. Additionally, the three abovementioned deep architectures can effectively improve the selection effect of models; JK-Nets demonstrated more improvement with higher accuracy (88.12%) than other methods. Thus, our study shows that GCN is an appropriate tool for road network selection; its application in cartography must be further explored.

Underwater Survey for Oil and Gas Industry: A Review of Close Range Optical Methods

In both the industrial and scientific fields, the need for very high-resolution cartographic data is constantly increasing. With the aging of offshore subsea assets, it is very important to plan and maintain the longevity of structures, equipment, and systems. Inspection, maintenance, and repair (IMR) of subsea structures are key components of an overall integrity management system that aims to reduce the risk of failure and extend the life of installations. The acquisition of very detailed data during the inspection phase is a technological challenge, especially since offshore installations are sometimes deployed in extreme conditions (e.g., depth, hydrodynamics, visibility). After a review of high resolution mapping techniques for underwater environment, this article will focus on optical sensors that can satisfy the requirements of the offshore industry by assessing their relevance and degree of maturity. These requirements concern the resolution and accuracy but also cost, ease of implementation, and qualification. With the evolution of embedded computing resources, in-vehicle optical survey solutions are becoming increasingly important in the landscape of large-scale mapping solutions and more and more off-the-shelf systems are now available. The issues raised in this review are mainly related to the qualification of the results produced by optical systems and their limitations to cover all the needs expressed by the oil and gas industry field. Interesting qualification works of these solutions are presented in this paper as well as the use of online processing tools such as visual odometry or VSLAM to guide the data acquisition and pre-qualified survey. Finally, it seems interesting to combine acoustic and optical technologies in order to extend the field of application of these methods to low visibility conditions, which remains one of the main limiting factors in the generalization of the use of optical sensors in high resolution underwater cartography applications.

ИСТОРИЯ ДОПОЛНЕННОЙ РЕАЛЬНОСТИ И ПЕРСПЕКТИВЫ ЕЕ ПРИМЕНЕНИЯ В КАРТОГРАФИИ

The article is devoted to the application of augmented reality (Augment Reality, AR) technologies in cartography. A review of the main stages of the formation of technologies and significant achievements in various spheres of human activity is carried out. An overview of the manufacturers of devices and technologies holding leading positions in the augmented reality market is made. Two main directions of AR application in cartography are highlighted: expansion of analog maps and improvement of navigation applications. A comparative analysis of navigation cartographic applications with augmented reality from the point of view of their functionality is given. A scheme of the use of AR technology in cartography is given, in which marker-based, markerless and spatial variants of augmented reality technology are considered. The conclusion about the need for wider introduction of augmented reality technologies into thematic cartography is made.

Optimización de la enseñanza de la Geografía mediante la estandarización de la Cartografía Táctil

La enseñanza de la Geografía dispone actualmente de un apoyo conceptual, teórico, metodológico y tecnológico extraordinario, sin embargo, en el contexto de una sociedad cada día más inclusiva, un significativo número de estudiantes de todos los niveles y edades, así como personas con discapacidad visual, han ido quedando al margen del conocimiento de la geografía de su país, cuestión fundamental para desarrollar autonomía y seguridad en el manejo y movimiento de las personas en el espacio local y general.
 El Centro de Cartografía Táctil (CECAT) de la Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana de Chile se ha preocupado durante los últimos años por investigar y desarrollar propuestas de optimización de la cartografía táctil, considerando que este instrumento es hasta hoy día la única forma de proporcionar a las personas ciegas o con baja visión un acercamiento, aunque sea parcial, del conocimiento de sus espacios locales y regionales y la posibilidad que generen mapas mentales de su entorno y de su país.
 Desde la experiencia adquirida en el proyecto de investigación IPGH NºCART01/GEOG02 2017: “Propuesta de estandarización de simbología táctil para Latinoamérica: Aplicación en cartografía turística”, se acordó avanzar en el perfeccionamiento y estandarización de la dispersa y cuantiosa simbología usada en los mapas táctiles que se generan en los diferentes países de América Latina. La utilización de símbolos convencionales en la cartografía topográfica y regular de los países, ha facilitado en gran medida el uso y buen manejo de dicha cartografía y si bien es cierto, la cartografía táctil es fundamentalmente temática, estamos seguros que un esfuerzo tendiente a estandarizar la multiplicidad de símbolos usados actualmente, ayudará a los personas con discapacidad visual a internalizar dichos símbolos y por tanto a facilitar su decodificación durante el proceso de manipulación táctil de los modelos cartográficos.

Improvement of photogrammetric accuracy by modeling and correcting the thermal effect on camera calibration

This paper presents a new method for improving the geometric accuracy of photogrammetric reconstruction by modeling and correcting the thermal effect on camera image sensor. The objective is to verify that when the temperature of image sensor varies during the acquisition, image deformation induced by the temperature change is quantifiable, modelisable and correctable. A temperature sensor integrated in the camera enables the measurement of image sensor temperature at exposure. It is therefore natural and appropriate to take this effect into account and to finally model and correct it after a calibration step. Nowadays, in cartography applications performed with UAV, the frame rate of acquisitions is continuously increasing. A high frame rate over a long acquisition time can result in an important temperature increase of the image sensor and thus introduces image deformations. The correction of the above-mentioned effect can improve the measurement accuracy. We present three methods to calibrate the thermal effect and experiments on two datasets are carried out to verify the improvement in terms of the photogrammetric accuracy.

The Impact of 1980s and 1990s Video Games on Multimedia Cartography

The video game industry revolutionized the game market from the 1970s onwards. Stationary video game machines, such as “coin-ops” and, later, consoles for home entertainment made it possible to experience and interact with new virtual environments. Based on technical innovations, early video games already included different graphic and auditory effects that were used to present and emphasize the spatial dimension of game stories. One of the most famous and successful video game series that “told” spatial stories and included many visualizations of virtual topographies was Nintendo's Super Mario series. Nintendo developed diverse video game topographies including different interactive and animated cartographic media throughout the Super Mario series. These maps were early and fundamental examples that were user-friendly and suitable for children. Moreover, they established a basis for future video game spaces, and the techniques used to create, animate, and visualize these maps have also found their ways into other applications of cartography and geomatics. It seems that the early worlds of Super Mario animated cartographers to animate cartographic visualizations. This article presents the characteristic spatial structures and cartographic techniques found in early Super Mario games, from the arcade classic Donkey Kong (1981) to the Super Nintendo classic Super Mario Kart (1992). The meaning of these structures and techniques for other cartographic applications is discussed.

An Impressionistic Cartographic Solution for Base Map Land Cover with Coarse Pixel Data

Several everyday cartography applications do not require sharply precise base maps, and in fact benefit from their generalization or deliberate obscuration, such as tourist or transit maps. Additionally, raster data fine enough for a given map scale are not always available. We present a method of creating an impressionistic land cover base map for topographic mapping in which the above two conditions are true, using the National Land Cover Database (NLCD) of the US Geological Survey (USGS). The method is based on reclassification, upsampling, constrained randomization at class boundary edges, and deliberate use of colors with very similar lightness values. The method spans both scientific geospatial data treatment and artistic cartographic design, and both generalizes and enhances the data. The processing, automated in ArcGIS™, is detailed, and examples of the product are provided.

Картографическое обеспечение рекреационной и туристской деятельности

Purpose: to rotting the expedient necessity of the wide use of cartographic methods of estimation of recreations territories, that promotes their value for rest and tourism. Material and Methods: theoretical analysis, generalization of information of the special literature. Results: the questions of application of cartography are considered in recreations and sporting tourism. Conclusions: cartographic methods allow to conduct researches in different directions and in combination with descriptive-comparative and mathematical methods it is possible to get valuable material for recreation, tourism and ecology.

Remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as the applied public health and environmental epidemiology

The public health epidemiology is the study of horizontal and vertical structure of the disease infection state, and health related events and attempt to explain the environmental risk factors (biological, physical, and chemical agents); social settings and factors affecting human contact with these agents, and socioeconomic and environmental condition. GIS has been used to mapping the epidemiological information which includes the burden of disease epidemic transmission, spatial distribution and the determinants of health related states or events in specified population with reference to space and time. Perhaps, remote sensing and GPS has been integrated under the GIS umbrella for disease surveillance, situation analyze and the spatial modelling of disease transmission. The first application of cartography was used in the public health epidemiology for mapping diarrhea disease in London, during 1854 by Jonson Snow, UK physician. However, the applied GIS and remote sensing have not only become essential tool in mapping the both vertical and horizontal epidemiological information, disease surveillance, health monitoring, surveying, sampling design, disease control programs, predicting the disease transmission, and most importantly, incorporated the ge0spatial epidemiological analysis of proximity, similarity, geometry, and cognitive of the disease incidence and the socioeconomic and the ecological variables. It has also become significant decision making tool in heath monitoring, health care management and public health epidemiology. The ERDAS Imagine image processing software and the ARC GIS, Map INFO, Geovariogram+, SPSS are used to mapping, spatial analysis and image processing of the both non-spatial and spatial data. The illustrations are used in the present study based on the data generated from the source of author’s research works and publications, which has relevant information on the public health epidemiological aspects of vector borne disease transmission and GIS for epidemic control and management in India.

Using RPC Block Adjustment models for the accuracy of environmental research, cartography and geomarketing: a new concept of cartography

This paper presents rational polynomial coefficients (RPC) block adjustment model and its application as a new concept for the accuracy of environmental research, cartography and geomarketing. With the influence of information technology (IT) rapid development, Geographic Information Systems and remote sensing, the application of cartography, has gradually evolved from the form of paper into digitized and computerized data, from traditional formats such as vector maps into Satellite Image Maps (SIM). Particularly, remotely sensed images are a major data source to observe the earth and; have been extensively integrated into spatial–temporal analysis in environmental research. To effectively use high resolution satellite images for use in environmental monitor research, cartography and geomarketing, the accuracy of the satellite image photogrammetric process is an important issue. The aim of this paper is to apply the block adjustment of RPC models to evaluate the precision of satellite image for the use of environmental research, cartography and geomarketing, which is not found in previous literature. To verify the effectiveness of RPC Block Adjustment, this study also adapted Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to develop a questionnaire for conducting the implementation investigation. The results showed the method is useful and powerful for the various applications and research.

Optimizing map labeling of point features based on an onion peeling approach

Map labeling of point features is the problem of placing text labels to correspond- ing point features on a map in a way that minimizes overlaps while satisfying basic rules for the quality. This is a critical problem in the application of cartography and geographical information systems (GIS). In this paper we study the fundamental issues related to map labeling of point features and develop a new genetic algorithm to solve this problem. We adopt a method called convex onion peeling and utilize it in our proposed convex onion peeling genetic algorithm (COPGA )t o efficiently manage map labels of point features. The proposed algorithm takes advantage of a convex onion peeling structure to achieve better map label initialization and to enhance the evolutionary process. The performance of the proposed algorithm was evaluated through extensive experiments on both synthetic and real datasets. In experiments with an implementation of our algorithm using OpenMap, the results show that our genetic algorithm, based on convex onion peeling, is an efficient, robust, and extensible algorithm for automated map labeling of point features.

Optimizing map labeling of point features based on an onion peeling approach

Map labeling of point features is the problem of placing text labels to correspond- ing point features on a map in a way that minimizes overlaps while satisfying basic rules for the quality. This is a critical problem in the application of cartography and geographical information systems (GIS). In this paper we study the fundamental issues related to map labeling of point features and develop a new genetic algorithm to solve this problem. We adopt a method called convex onion peeling and utilize it in our proposed convex onion peeling genetic algorithm (COPGA )t o efficiently manage map labels of point features. The proposed algorithm takes advantage of a convex onion peeling structure to achieve better map label initialization and to enhance the evolutionary process. The performance of the proposed algorithm was evaluated through extensive experiments on both synthetic and real datasets. In experiments with an implementation of our algorithm using OpenMap, the results show that our genetic algorithm, based on convex onion peeling, is an efficient, robust, and extensible algorithm for automated map labeling of point features.

Regular use of entropy for studying dissimilar geographical phenomena

The concept of entropy connected with GIS is relatively new. Its mathematical background was defined after World War II by Claude E. Shannon, well-known mathematician, electronic engineer and founder of information theory. Information theory deals with entropy as measure of information which every single message has. And thus entropy quantifies the amount of information in a message. The paper is based on entropy applications in cartography and demonstrates its usage as a measure of information in GIS. The authors provide an algorithm for setting number of intervals in thematic maps with using entropy calculations. Finally, the obtained knowledge is applied to sample datasets for creating climatic maps within GIS environment.

POINT SET LABELING WITH SPECIFIED POSITIONS

Motivated by applications in cartography and computer graphics, we study a version of the map-labeling problem that we call the k-Position Map-Labeling Problem: given a set of points in the plane and, for each point, a set of up to k allowable positions, place uniform and non-intersecting labels of maximum size at each point in one of the allowable positions. This version combines an aesthetic criterion and a legibility criterion and comes close to actual practice while generalizing the fixed-point and slider models found in the literature. We present a general heuristic that given an ∊ > 0, runs in time O(n log n + n log (R*/ ∊) log (k)), where R* is the size of the optimal label, and guarantees a constant approximation for any regular labels. For circular labels, our technique yields a (3.6 + ∊)-approximation, improving in the case of arbitrary placement over the previous bound of approximately 19.5 obtained by Strijk and Wolff.28 We then extend our approach to arbitrary positions, obtaining an algorithm that is easy to implement and also substantially improves the best approximation bounds. Our technique combines several geometric and combinatorial properties, which may be of independent interest.

Synthetic aperture radar interferometry

Synthetic aperture radar interferometry is an imaging technique for measuring the topography of a surface, its changes over time, and other changes in the detailed characteristic of the surface. By exploiting the phase of the coherent radar signal, interferometry has transformed radar remote sensing from a largely interpretive science to a quantitative tool, with applications in cartography, geodesy, land cover characterization, and natural hazards. This paper reviews the techniques of interferometry, systems and limitations, and applications in a rapidly growing area of science and engineering.

Guidelines for Selecting Colors for Diverging Schemes on Maps

Results from research on the consistent use of basic color names, on colors that look the same with impaired color vision, and on changes in color appearance caused by surrounding colors have application in cartography. These results are synthesized to recommend the following pairs of hues for use on thematic maps suited to diverging color schemes: red/blue, orange/blue, orange/purple, and yellow/purple. These recommendations are robust because they may be communicated verbally and require no particular color charts or color measurements for use. These color pairs will aid in producing maps of differences and of changes that can be read accurately by all map users.

Guidelines for Selecting Colors for Diverging Schemes on Maps

Results from research on the consistent use of basic color names, on colors that look the same with impaired color vision, and on changes in color appearance caused by surrounding colors have application in cartography. These results are synthesized to recommend the following pairs of hues for use on thematic maps suited to diverging color schemes: red/blue, orange/blue, orange/purple, and yellow/purple. These recommendations are robust because they may be communicated verbally and require no particular color charts or color measurements for use. These color pairs will aid in producing maps of differences and of changes that can be read accurately by all map users.