Mobile Mapping Applications Research Articles

Beyond Navigation: Exploring Users' Contextual Information Needs and Concerns When Interacting with Mobile Map Apps

ABSTRACTMobile map applications greatly facilitate users' everyday information practices and provide them with real‐time and accurate information in different contexts. However, few studies have explored the contextual information needs of users in their interactions with mobile maps. Semi‐structured interviews with 18 participants revealed that users present diverse and rich information needs in their everyday use of map applications, and in addition to the most common information needs for situ navigation, users' contextual information needs varied. Particularly, mobile map applications are increasingly characterized by serious leisure while highlighting their utility. In addition, with the evolution of the platformization of map applications, users are also demanding more autonomy, visibility, and security. This study contributes to the literature on human‐information interaction in mobile maps and sheds light on the user experience design of mobile map applications.

Collective interactions, collaborative inhibition, and shared spatial knowledge

ABSTRACT Research on spatial mental representations focuses on individual mental maps and spatial knowledge. This exploratory study investigates instead collective interactions, collaborative memory, and the sharing of spatial knowledge. Based on the principle of collaborative inhibition (i.e., people recall information less effectively in groups), we posed the following research question: How do collective interactions, occurring during environmental exploration and group drawing sessions, affect collaborative inhibition, and the quality of sketch maps designed collectively? We conducted in situ explorations in Plaine St-Denis (France) with real-time tracking, followed by individual and group drawing sessions. This experiment involved 118 participants divided into three groups: (1) solo explorations without devices; (2) solo explorations with a mobile mapping application; (3) collective explorations using the same application enhanced with interaction features (viewing collective routes and photos of visited places). The comparison of the total number of entities found on individual mental maps with those included in collective sketch maps reveals that collaborative inhibition applies to spatial memory. Additional findings indicate that the use of a map, combined with collective interactions, mitigates collaborative inhibition and increases the accuracy of the sketch maps. However, the effect of such interactions on group dynamics remains unclear as of now.

Users’ Visual Experience During Temporal Navigation in Forecast Weather Maps on Mobile Devices

This study investigated the impact of graphical user interface (GUI) design on the efficiency and effectiveness of map-based tasks on mobile devices, using time-based weather data as a case study. Three different GUI designs (button-type, circle-type, and slidebar) were tested in a between-subjects design, with 50 participants completing a set of map-based tasks on each GUI design. The results showed that GUI design significantly affected the effectiveness of map-based tasks. Participants performed better at tasks involving the search for the highest and lowest temperature amplitudes on the button-type GUI whereas the circle-type GUI showed lower effectiveness for tasks involving the search for day temperatures. Analysis of the visual attention distribution based on fixation count revealed that different GUI designs led to different patterns of visual attention. The study highlights the importance of considering GUI design in the development of mobile map applications, particularly for map-based tasks involving time-based data. The study shows that separating the date from the time navigation panel reduces necessary visual focus on the GUI itself and is a valuable insight for future GUI design.

Unscented Kalman filter for a low-cost GNSS/IMU-based mobile mapping application under demanding conditions

For the last two decades, low-cost Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers have been used in various applications. These receivers are mini-size, less expensive than geodetic-grade receivers, and in high demand. Irrespective of these outstanding features, low-cost GNSS receivers are potentially poorer hardwares with internal signal processing, resulting in lower quality. They typically come with low-cost GNSS antenna that has lower performance than their counterparts, particularly for multipath mitigation. Therefore, this research evaluated the low-cost GNSS device performance using a high-rate kinematic survey. For this purpose, these receivers were assembled with an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) sensor, which actively transmited data on acceleration and orientation rate during the observation. The position and navigation parameter data were obtained from the IMU readings, even without GNSS signals via the U-blox F9R GNSS/IMU device mounted on a vehicle. This research was conducted in an area with demanding conditions, such as an open sky area, an urban environment, and a shopping mall basement, to examine the device's performance. The data were processed by two approaches: the Single Point Positioning-IMU (SPP/IMU) and the Differential GNSS-IMU (DGNSS/IMU). The Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF) was selected as a filtering algorithm due to its excellent performance in handling nonlinear system models. The result showed that integrating GNSS/IMU in SPP processing mode could increase the accuracy in eastward and northward components up to 68.28% and 66.64%. Integration of DGNSS/IMU increased the accuracy in eastward and northward components to 93.02% and 93.03% compared to the positioning of standalone GNSS. In addition, the positioning accuracy can be improved by reducing the IMU noise using low-pass and high-pass filters. This application could still not gain the expected position accuracy under signal outage conditions.

MOBILE MAPPING SOLUTIONS FOR THE UPDATE AND MANAGEMENT OF TRAFFIC SIGNS IN A ROAD CADASTRE FREE OPEN-SOURCE GIS ARCHITECTURE

Abstract. The adoption of open-source mobile mapping applications in public administration has risen over the last decade due to their interdisciplinary vocation and flexibility in adapting to existing Geographic Information System (GIS) software architectures. This facilitates complex procedures of data collection and management required for transportation and environmental models, emergency management, and maintenance operations. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport in Italy requires road-owning agencies to build and maintain a mapping inventory of their road networks, including georeferenced information about streets and ancillary elements, such as traffic signs. Innovative and integrated street-level approaches for the rapid mapping of road entities using open-source mobile mapping tools represent a valuable low-cost solution for the periodical update of road entities inventory. The adoption of these tools allows public administrators to easily consult the road inventory even outside the office, conducting in situ validation and quality evaluation. This work presents a case study focused on the update and management of traffic sign entities of the Road Cadastre of the Province of Piacenza (Italy) using Qfield and Open Data Kit (ODK) Collect as alternatives to the previous traditional survey method that consisted in the use of field papers. A comparison between the adoption of the two mobile apps is conducted, identifying benefits and limitations in terms of both data accuracy and usability. Validation scripts, project and form structure were developed with the perspective of making the entire workflow as reproducible and transparent as possible, sharing details in a dedicated GitHub repository.

Environmental activism in the platform society: Spatial agency in digital maps

Digital maps structure how we understand and interact with space while simultaneously affording agency and the potential for an alternative use of space. This article investigates how digital maps exercise data and spatial agency. Our empirical object is the environmental mobile mapping application water refill map (WRM, Hong-Te/ Fengcha Action奉茶行動) in Taiwan. Drawing on the walk-through method and semi-structured interviews with WRM’s founders, we examine how the app leverages the power of digital mapping to encourage participation in environmental activities. We argue that by facilitating data and spatial agency, digital maps enable placemaking at the cognitive and hermeneutic levels. They also turn closed spaces into public ones, thus aiding place-shaping. Meanwhile, this digital environmental activism takes place in a field of contestation and negotiation between agency and structure, apps and infrastructural platforms, collective action and individual power, and environmentalism and (adjusted) commercialism.

A Framework for Co‐designing and Developing Participatory Storymaps with Aboriginal Communities

AbstractThe research reported in this paper is part of an ongoing project on promoting Aboriginal cultural storytelling using mobile participatory mapping applications and web‐based interactive storymaps. This paper presents a conceptual framework for developing a co‐designed participatory storymap. The storymap aims to ubiquitously collect location‐based knowledge and stories in both online and offline modes, as well as present an interactive web map that dynamically integrates information recorded as georeferenced texts, images, audios, and videos. The participatory mapping has a potential to allow Aboriginal communities to capture and preserve their cultural heritage on their own using a smartphone or tablet. Ethical co‐designing process of implementing the storymaps is also discussed.

MOLISENS: MObile LIdar SENsor System to exploit the potential of small industrial lidar devices for geoscientific applications

Abstract. We propose a newly developed modular MObile LIdar SENsor System (MOLISENS) to enable new applications for small industrial lidar (light detection and ranging) sensors. The stand-alone modular setup supports both monitoring of dynamic processes and mobile mapping applications based on SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) algorithms. The main objective of MOLISENS is to exploit newly emerging perception sensor technologies developed for the automotive industry for geoscientific applications. However, MOLISENS can also be used for other application areas, such as 3D mapping of buildings or vehicle-independent data collection for sensor performance assessment and sensor modeling. Compared to TLSs, small industrial lidar sensors provide advantages in terms of size (on the order of 10 cm), weight (on the order of 1 kg or less), price (typically between EUR 5000 and 10 000), robustness (typical protection class of IP68), frame rates (typically 10–20 Hz), and eye safety class (typically 1). For these reasons, small industrial lidar systems can provide a very useful complement to currently used TLS (terrestrial laser scanner) systems that have their strengths in range and accuracy performance. The MOLISENS hardware setup consists of a sensor unit, a data logger, and a battery pack to support stand-alone and mobile applications. The sensor unit includes the small industrial lidar Ouster OS1-64 Gen1, a ublox multi-band active GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) with the possibility for RTK (real-time kinematic), and a nine-axis Xsens IMU (inertial measurement unit). Special emphasis was put on the robustness of the individual components of MOLISENS to support operations in rough field and adverse weather conditions. The sensor unit has a standard tripod thread for easy mounting on various platforms. The current setup of MOLISENS has a horizontal field of view of 360∘, a vertical field of view with a 45∘ opening angle, a range of 120 m, a spatial resolution of a few centimeters, and a temporal resolution of 10–20 Hz. To evaluate the performance of MOLISENS, we present a comparison between the integrated small industrial lidar Ouster OS1-64 and the state-of-the-art high-accuracy and high-precision TLS Riegl VZ-6000 in a set of controlled experimental setups. We then apply the small industrial lidar Ouster OS1-64 in several real-world settings. The mobile mapping application of MOLISENS has been tested under various conditions, and results are shown from two surveys in the Lurgrotte cave system in Austria and a glacier cave in Longyearbreen on Svalbard.

The impact of user characteristics of smallholder farmers on user experiences with collaborative map applications.

In the future, farmers will have increasing opportunities to use collaborative smartphone applications for agricultural management. Geospatial information in combination with agricultural-relevant information is a great source of knowledge for farmers. Including maps in collaborative mobile agriculture applications benefits communication processes related to agricultural-relevant questions. Ensuring a positive user experience with map interfaces depends on their design. To develop design guidelines for map-oriented mobile agricultural applications, this study evaluates 24 different map design variations (varying in their elements and degrees of complexity) and characterizes their user experience with 72 coffee farmers as study participants. Our findings show that the most crucial factors for a positive user experience were restricted interactivity, simple tasks to conduct (selecting single point features), and a simplified base map style, highlighting relevant landmarks. Since our farmers consisted primarily of less-experienced smartphone and map users, our findings may also be helpful for users in general, sharing similar user characteristics. While empirical, in-situ studies pose many challenges, they provide relevant insights into the real use situation and user behavior of mobile map applications. Our findings help establish some basic principles for designing map adaptations, serving as a guideline for creating effective mapping applications, which adapt to the farmers’ contextual factors. Based on our study results, we suggest future research for continuing conceptualizing principles of map design adaptation and support this effort through empirical, in-situ studies for relating contextual user factors to the adaptation behavior of map applications.

Leveraging the Design Thinking Model to address campus accessibility challenges and assess perceptions of disability awareness

ABSTRACT An estimated 19% of students enrolled in postsecondary education in the US have a disability. However, students with disabilities often face barriers, including accessibility challenges, that result in lower attendance and graduation rates. It is therefore critical that universities take action to ensure campuses are fully inclusive and accessible. Using the Design Thinking Model, a workshop was conducted at a large Southeastern University to bring together a diverse group of stakeholders (n = 32) to brainstorm innovative solutions to accessibility challenges. Four potential solutions were generated that aimed to improve campus infrastructure, the mobile map application, and general advocacy of people with disabilities, and to establish a task force to ensure that addressing accessibility concerns remains a long-term priority. After the workshop, participants reported having greater knowledge of accessibility policies, awareness of accessibility issues on campus, and an increased ability to address accessibility issues when they arise. Participants without disabilities also reported being more likely to notice accessibility challenges on campus and felt more confident talking to individuals with disabilities. Workshops that leverage the Design Thinking Model show promise in generating solutions that could tackle accessibility challenges on postsecondary campuses and increase knowledge of university policies and procedures related to accessibility.

Adapting mobile map application designs to map use context: a review and call for action on potential future research themes

ABSTRACT The increased use of mobile maps in our highly mobile digital culture has resulted in a large variety of map users and map use situations. For mobile map applications that engage a broad user base and feature diverging map usage contexts, one-size-fits-all map interface designs might result in significant usability tradeoffs. To respond to this challenge, changing the map design based on map use context attributes, such as increasing icon sizes for people with impaired vision or using the user’s position to highlight information on the map are only a few of the many ways mobile map applications can be designed and adapted to respond to the needs of users and their map use situations. However, there remains a clear need for research on the intersections between map use contexts and mobile map application design and adaptation. Therefore, this article reviews and synthesizes literature on map use context research and design adaptation of mobile map applications. To push forward efforts in these areas, we propose future research themes and approaches. We first evaluate options for modeling map use context, which plays a significant part in map adaptations for detecting relevant context attributes on which to base adaptation decisions. We then consider dynamic possibilities to assess the usability of these adaptations by reviewing the HEART framework. We conclude by offering ways to move the suggested approaches from concepts closer to practice.

Census Mapping in India and Role of GIS: A Look Ahead at Census 2021

The 2021 Census of India for over 1.3 billion population deploying 3 million enumerators, has significant evidence value for 71 countries where census is scheduled during 2021. Census mapping plays a major role in accurate, complete and timely census. It delineates the exact and correct boundaries of all the administrative units. The Indian census has been using Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies over the last three censuses. In this study, we focus on the applications and methodologies being adopted for the census mapping in Census 2021 in India which is going to be the first digital Census of India. Five mobile apps have been developed for data collection and for map-related work. The 2021 Indian census utilises the latest census mapping techniques, namely standardisation of GIS spatial database design, geo-referencing of administrative units and latest mobile mapping application (Arc GIS Quick Capture) for field operations and built-up area digitisation work. We also discuss the various challenges and their solutions for census mapping in India, most prominently a high quality, updated, comprehensive and geo-referenced address registry for accurate data collection and mapping, and the use of geo-referenced high-resolution satellite images at village level for covering the gaps in rural boundary maps.

Towards spherical robots for mobile mapping in human made environments

Spherical robots are a format that has not been thoroughly explored for the application of mobile mapping. In contrast to other designs, it provides some unique advantages. Among those is a spherical shell that protects internal sensors and actuators from possible harsh environments, as well as an inherent rotation for locomotion that enables measurements in all directions. Mobile mapping always requires a high-precise pose knowledge to obtain consistent and correct environment maps. This is typically done by a combination of external reference sensors such as Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) measurements and inertial measurements or by coarsely estimating the pose using inertial measurement units (IMUs) and post processing the data by registering the different measurements to each other. In indoor environments, the GNSS reference is not an option. Hence many mobile mapping applications turn to the second option. An advantage of indoor environments is that human-made environments usually have a certain structure, such as parallel and perpendicular planes. We propose a registration procedure that exploits this structure by minimizing the distance of measured points to a corresponding plane. Further, we evaluate the procedure on a simulated dataset of an ideal corridor and on an experimentally acquired dataset with different motion profiles. We show that we nearly reproduce the ground truth for the simulated dataset and improve the average point-to-point distance to a reference scan in the experimental dataset. The presented algorithms are required to work completely autonomously.

Modeling Patterns in Map Use Contexts and Mobile Map Design Usability

Mobile map applications are increasingly used in various aspects of our lives, leading to an increase in different map use situations and, therefore, map use contexts. Several empirical usability studies have identified how map design is associated with and impacted by selected map use context attributes. This research seeks to expand on these studies and analyzes combinations of map use contexts to identify relevant contextual factors that influence mobile map design usability. In a study with 50 participants from Colombia, we assessed in an online survey the usability of 27 map design variations (consisting of three map-reading tasks, three base map styles, and three interactivity variants). We found that the overall map design is critical in supporting map-reading activities (e.g., identifying a location on a map was supported by a simplified base map, whereas selecting points on the map was supported by a more detailed base map). We then evaluated user patterns in the collected data with archetypal analysis. It was possible to create archetypal representations of the participants with a corresponding map design profile and establish a workflow for modeling patterns in usability and context data. We recommend that future research continues assessing archetypal analysis as it provides a means for context-based decision-making on map design adaptation and transferability.

The role of user context in the design of mobile map applications

ABSTRACT Mobile map applications are typically used by a broad range of users. Users can be diverse in their context attributes (e.g. map use experience, activities during map use), and several previous user experience (UX) studies have focused on understanding how some contextual factors influence the UX for designing maps that satisfy users’ needs. A need for research remains to evaluate the relationship between user context, UX, and variants of mobile map element design. In this article, we present our research investigating the interplay of these factors through an empirical user study with citizens in Austria. We created an online survey and generated 84 map variations, combining seven map-related tasks, three base map styles, two map detail densities, and two time-pressure variants. We tested these map variations with 107 survey participants and related their UX to user context. Map-related tasks emerged as a dominant factor modifying the map design UX. Further results showed that interactivity loaded map-related tasks were aided when paired with low detail-dense base maps, contrasting overlay features. We recommend future research to analyze an extended set of context attributes with additional participant data, to evaluate dynamic variations in context, and to find ways to dynamically monitor mobile map design UX.

TRENDS AND PERSPECTIVES AR/VR TECHNOLOGIES IN MOBILE MAPPING APPLICATIONS FOR TOURISTS

This article discusses the use of VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality) technologies in mobile applications for the tourism sector. The basic concepts of the technologies under consideration are given. The analysis of mobile mapping applications using virtual and augmented reality technologies is performed. The trends and perspectives of using AR and VR technologies for tourism are revealed. The differences in the methods and scenarios of using these technologies, the feasibility of their implementation in cartographic applications created for tourism purposes, as well as their advantages of using them in combination with maps are revealed. The limiting factors of the development of these areas are considered. A scheme of interaction of a tourist mobile application has been developed, which is based on a map with external services (navigation, booking, virtual tours, etc.). The scheme can be a useful tool in the development of cartographic mobile applications for the tourism sector. It is based on an experimental interactive web-application, considered on the example of the "Hotels" layer.

Visualization of user interactions with a pressure mapping mobile application for wheelchair users at risk for pressure injuries

ABSTRACT Pressure injuries for individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI) are correlated with mortality and are a leading cause for rehospitalizations. The Assisted Weight Shift (AW-Shift©) is a mobile pressure mapping application designed to provide users with a live map view and reminders to perform weight shifts. Novel visualization techniques were used to understand daily distributions of user interaction with AW-Shift©. The date and time of system interactions were recorded for six participants with SCI over 7 days (five males/one female, five manual users/one power user, 55.3 ± 17.3 years old, 10.6 ± 6.5 years since injury). Circular frequency plots were created to visualize the time and frequency participants brought the app to the foreground of their phone and received alerts and reminders to complete weight shifts. While some participants used the system regularly throughout the day, others primarily used it before 8am; highlighting the system’s importance for regular spot checks and morning wheelchair setup. Participant adherence to weight shift reminders was low suggesting the live pressure map may be more useful. Circular frequency plots can be used by clinicians to more easily review large amounts of patient data. Future work will investigate raw pressure mat data and create a closed-loop weight shift detection algorithm.

Kinematic In Situ Self-Calibration of a Backpack-Based Multi-Beam LiDAR System

Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) remote sensing technology provides a more efficient means to acquire accurate 3D information from large-scale environments. Among the variety of LiDAR sensors, Multi-Beam LiDAR (MBL) sensors are one of the most extensively applied scanner types for mobile applications. Despite the efficiency of these sensors, their observation accuracy is relatively low for effective use in mobile mapping applications, which require measurements at a higher level of accuracy. In addition, measurement instability of MBL demonstrates that frequent re-calibration is necessary to maintain a high level of accuracy. Therefore, frequent in situ calibration prior to data acquisition is an essential step in order to meet the accuracy-level requirements and to implement these scanners for precise mobile applications. In this study, kinematic in situ self-calibration of a backpack-based MBL system was investigated to develop an accurate backpack-based mobile mapping system. First, simulated datasets were generated for the experiments and tested in a controlled environment to inspect the minimum network configuration for self-calibration. For this purpose, our own-developed simulator program was first utilized to generate simulation datasets with various observation settings, network configurations, test sites, and targets. Afterwards, self-calibration was carried out using the simulation datasets. Second, real datasets were captured in a kinematic situation so as to compare the calibration results with the simulation experiments. The results demonstrate that the kinematic self-calibration of the backpack-based MBL system could improve the point cloud accuracy with Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of planar misclosure up to 81%. Conclusively, in situ self-calibration of the backpack-based MBL system can be performed using on-site datasets, reaching the higher accuracy of point cloud. In addition, this method, by performing automatic calibration using the scan data, has the potential to be adapted to on-line re-calibration.

Mobile UX design: learning from the Flyover Country mobile app

ABSTRACT Technology has transformed maps into interactive tools for exploring and understanding the world. In this article, we present the user experience (UX) design process for Flyover Country (http://flyovercountry.io), a mobile mapping application that visualizes information about the Earth’s geology and history, allowing users to save and then access the information offline while flying, driving, or hiking. Specifically, the paper presents a UX design study that tracks the conceptualization, implementation, and revision of Flyover Country, and employs scenario-based design to walk through a pair of use case scenarios that informed our UX design: science outreach to the general public and field trip guides for geoscience education. In the paper, we note UX design insights that are potentially transferable to other mobile mapping contexts, organizing insights by mobile representation design (scale, projection, symbolization, and typography) versus mobile interaction design (map entry point, bottom navigation, floating action button, and pull-up information panel).

Outdoor Navigation System by AR

Mobile map applications such as Google Maps often don’t provide detailed information about facility areas such as amusement parks and university campuses. In addition, there are some people who cannot reach their destination just by reading a flat map. Therefore, in this research, we have developed an AR (Augmented Reality) navigation application for facilities to solve these problems. In addition, by using Kalman filtering to estimate user position, we could improve the accuracy of AR objects display.