Web Map Research Articles

Angle-Based SLAM on 5G mmWave Systems: Design, Implementation, and Measurement

Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) is a key technology that provides user equipment (UE) tracking and environment mapping services, enabling the deep integration of sensing and communication. The millimeter-wave (mmWave) communication, with its larger bandwidths and antenna arrays, inherently facilitates more accurate delay and angle measurements than sub-6 GHz communication, thereby providing opportunities for SLAM. However, none of the existing works have realized the SLAM function under the 5G New Radio (NR) standard due to specification and hardware constraints. In this study, we investigate how 5G mmWave communication systems can achieve situational awareness without changing the transceiver architecture and 5G NR standard. We implement 28 GHz mmWave transceivers that deploy OFDM-based 5G NR waveform with 160 MHz channel bandwidth, and we realize beam management following the 5G NR. Furthermore, we develop an efficient successive cancellation-based angle extraction approach to obtain angles of arrival and departure from the reference signal received power measurements. On the basis of angle measurements, we propose an angle-only SLAM algorithm to track UE and map features in the radio environment. Thorough experiments and ray tracing-based computer simulations verify that the proposed angle-based SLAM can achieve sub-meter level localization and mapping accuracy with a single base station and without the requirement of strict time synchronization. Our experiments also reveal many propagation properties critical to the success of SLAM in 5G mmWave communication systems.

The Seasonal Migrants Spatially Affect the Park Green Space Accessibility and Equity under Different Travel Modes: Evidence from Sanya, China

The influx of seasonal migrants has a significant impact on public services in destination places and may reshape the spatial accessibility and equity patterns of park green space (PGS). However, the two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA) method and its extended forms neglect discrepancies between the travel behaviors of seasonal migrants and native residents and thus fail to delineate variations in PGS accessibility and equity in areas with seasonal migrants. To avoid this issue, this study drew on the case of Sanya, a city with large numbers of Houniao, who are primarily retirees leading seasonal migration between the north and the south of China. A multi-group, multi-mode Gaussian-based 2SFCA method was also proposed to evaluate the PGS accessibility and equity before and after the Houniao influx. The method considered the changes in the COVID-19 restrictions from a refined perspective, with fine-scale residential areas being the research units and travel time requested from the web map application programming interface. The results showed that most residential areas were found to have relatively low PGS accessibility and equity levels, except for those in the south-central and southwestern urban areas of Sanya. Both the Houniao influx and lifted COVID-19 restrictions affected the spatial patterns of PGS accessibility and equity. PGS accessibility and equity were decreased by the Houniao influx, whereas walking and public transport within a few residential areas outside Houniao gathering spots improved. This study can serve as a basis for the reasonable planning of PGS and other public services in cities receiving seasonal migrants, such as Sanya.

Integrating ArcGIS Online and digital story mapping for active learning in systematic geography courses

ABSTRACT Amid the shift to virtual teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, educators across disciplines were faced with developing new teaching strategies for active learning and significant learning experiences. This paper discusses findings from a case study of integrating ArcGIS Online and StoryMaps for assignments and semester projects in systematic geography courses – health, population, and urban geography. The study assesses the process of incorporating the use of this technology into these upper-division undergraduate courses, with a mix of both geography and non-geography majors, and student perspectives on their learning of and engagement with this technology. With broader applications to different course, discipline, and education contexts, findings suggest increased student engagement, enhanced understanding of course topics and their practical applications, and an appreciation for the opportunity to learn within and work with geospatial technology.

Nature-Based Interventions in the UK: A Mixed Methods Study Exploring Green Prescribing for Promoting the Mental Wellbeing of Young Pregnant Women.

Green prescribing is gaining in popularity internationally for the promotion of mental wellbeing. However, the evidence base is limited, particularly in young pregnant women, a population with known risk factors for anxiety and depression. The aim of this mixed-methods study was to provide insights into the availability, processes, and suitability of nature-based interventions for young pregnant women. First, an online mapping survey of nature-based activities in the East Midlands region of the United Kingdom (UK) was undertaken. Second, focus groups (n = 6) were conducted with nature activity providers and young mothers (n = 11). This study found there were many diverse nature-based activities available to promote mental wellbeing. The organisational challenges highlighted include a lack of sufficient funding for service provision and disappointing experiences with some green prescribing programmes. The young women felt that nature-based activities helped to promote their mental wellbeing, and also offered an opportunity for social support. The facilitators, such as having detailed information and being accompanied to initial sessions to ease anxieties, were found to maximise the women's engagement with nature-based interventions. This study provides new perspectives on nature-based interventions from service providers and young women. Findings on the organisational barriers and facilitators to delivering interventions will inform the design of much needed future experimental research.

Mapping European Digital Heritage Politics: An Empirical Study of Europeana as a Web-based Network

ABSTRACT Europeana is a cultural heritage initiative financed by the European Union (EU) with the primary scope of curating a platform aggregating digital collections of European cultural heritage. Among other tasks, Europeana designs best practices and digital tools aligned with the EU’s digital cultural policy to support the digitization of cultural heritage institutions in the member states. Therefore, it can be considered a socio-political actor building an international network. Nevertheless, it has mainly been studied as a digital service. To investigate Europeana’s impact on the European cultural sector, this work proposes a three-level methodology combining web mapping, close reading of websites, and statistical analysis. This methodology offers a comprehensive picture of the Europeana platform’s role on the web, providing evidence of its action as a social hub gathering a network of national and local actors in the European cultural environment.

Advancing spatial decision-making in a transboundary catchment through multidimensional ecosystem services assessment

Global change has led to significant impacts on ecosystem services, posing a threat to the livelihoods of local communities worldwide. It is essential to assess these services to integrate them into regional planning, and policy design. We conduct ecosystem services assessments to inform spatial decision-making in a transboundary catchment. We focus on Mira-Mataje (11617 km2) transboundary catchment as an example of a natural unit, rich in natural resources that hosts an important cultural heritage of Indigenous and Afro-descendant ethnic groups.We utilize three dimensions to evaluate ecosystem services: Firstly, the monetary dimension; secondly, the biophysical relevance, including current pressures and future threats; and thirdly, the social dimension. We combine globally available economic and remotely sensed datasets with the spatial ecosystem services modeling and mapping tool, Co$tingNature, and local knowledge and worldviews from community leaders.Our results show that the total valuation of ecosystem services in the catchment is USD 2013344397 per year, with pixel values ranging from 3.7 to 4905783. High values concentrated near cities and main roads. We found that monetary values and current pressures on ecosystems services are correlated to total potential services for the entire catchment (-0.58 and −0.4 respectively). In addition, with our multidimensional assessment, we distinguish areas that require different types of management due to their specificities. For instance, the Awá territories hosts the largest total potential services, and will face greater threats in the future. This demonstrates the community's capacity to maintain the natural resources, but a more efficient control of illegal and unsustainable external activities is necessary. Afro-descendant territories on the highlands show overexploitation of its natural resources. Territories and land ownership must be recognized and to promote the transition to sustainable production. We provide advances in the research on the services valuation for potential integration into differentiated regional planning and sustainable policies.

Strategies for reducing pain at dressing change in chronic wounds: protocol for a mapping review

IntroductionAlthough pain experienced at dressing change has been reported as the worst aspect of living with chronic wounds, UK guidance for their management is primarily tailored to wound healing and...

Web Mapping for Farm Management Information Systems: A Review and Australian Orchard Case Study

A web mapping XYZ Tile Layer Service, such as Google Earth (GE), provides an amazing resource for the visualization of spatial data against aerial and satellite imagery with global coverage, typically at a resolution finer than 5 m. However, the increasing requirement on spatial accuracy in farm information requires a greater appreciation of the issues involved in the use of such services. Position errors can be created in the georeferencing and orthorectification of images, transformation between reference frames (datums) in map projection, e.g., using a spheroid as compared to an ellipsoid earth model, and tectonic shifts. A review is provided of these issues, and a case study is provided of the horizontal positional accuracy of web map imagery for Australian mango orchards. Positional accuracies varied from 1.804 to 6.131 m across four farms using GE 2021 imagery, between 1.556 and 3.365 m in one farm for the most recent imagery available from each of four web map providers, and from 0.806 m (in 2016) to 10.634 m (in 2003) in one farm for the period of 2003 and 2021 using the historical GE imagery resource. A procedure involving the estimation of four transformation parameters was demonstrated for the alignment of GNSS data with GE imagery. However, as the scale factor was unity and the rotational value was near zero, the use of a simple horizontal mean shift vector was recommended. Further recommendations are provided on (i) the use of web mapping services, with a comparison of the use of UAV survey imagery, and (ii) the need for metadata, particularly the date of collection, on collected position data, in the context of use in farm management information systems.

Geospatial dataset for hydrologic analyses in India (GHI): a quality-controlled dataset on river gauges, catchment boundaries and hydrometeorological time series

Abstract. Streamflow gauging stations not only track the pulse of rivers but also act as common reference points for hydrologic and other environmental analyses. As such, streamflow data and metadata on gauging stations – Geographic Information System (GIS) data on station locations, their upstream catchment boundaries and river flow networks – are critical for analyses. However, for India's river basins, the availability of such data is limited; when available, data are not in an analysis-ready format and can have substantial errors. Studies often use available information from India's water agencies as is, without checking its validity. This study addresses the above limitations by building a new dataset using existing metadata (from the Central Water Commission, CWC, and the Water Resources Information System, WRIS) and checking it against publicly available information from global data sources (e.g., World Wildlife Fund, Multi-Error-Removed Improved-Terrain Hydro and Copernicus) and online maps (e.g., Google Maps). The quality control process categorizes existing metadata based on their consistency with these sources; also, existing metadata are supplemented with additional information where needed. The new dataset developed here is called the “Geospatial dataset for Hydrologic analyses in India” (GHI) and uses Hydrological data and maps based on Shuttle Elevation Derivatives at multiple Scales (HydroSHEDS) data as the underlying template. GHI has both geospatial and time series information. In this initial version of GHI, the spatial domain includes only the river basins of Peninsular India where daily streamflow data are publicly available. Following the quality control process, the CWC's 645 stations in Peninsular India were categorized into three groups: Group 1 (reliable metadata and adequate daily streamflow data; 213 stations), Group 2 (reliable metadata and inadequate or no daily streamflow data; 259 stations) and Group 3 (missing or unreliable metadata; 173 stations). For each of the 472 stations falling into groups 1 and 2, catchment-specific annual and monthly time series spanning 71 water years (1950–2020) of the following were compiled: observed precipitation from the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD); observed streamflow from WRIS; estimated precipitation, evapotranspiration (ET) and streamflow from ERA5-Land; and ET from the Global Land Evaporation Amsterdam Model (GLEAM). A preliminary analysis of catchment-scale time series of data indicates that, while the compiled data appear reasonable over most of the study domain, spurious runoff–precipitation ratios were observed in the hilly coastal regions of Western India. This adds to yet another data-related obstacle faced by the hydrologic community. In order to quantify historical changes and reconcile them with anticipated future changes, the community needs robust and reliable hydrographic and hydrometeorological datasets as well as unrestricted access to such datasets. The goal of this study is to highlight the limitations of existing datasets and pave the way for a community-led effort towards building the needed datasets. GHI serves as a placeholder until such datasets become available. Potential improvements to GHI are discussed. GHI is publicly available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7563599 (Goteti, 2023).

Mapping hazardous locations on a road network due to extreme gross vehicle weights

This study investigates the application of hazard maps in identifying critical locations associated with extreme vehicle load events. Examining extreme vehicle loads can offer valuable insights into the reliability of road infrastructure. Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) systems are commonly employed for this purpose; however, their limited availability often necessitates the use of less-sophisticated traffic counters (LSTCs). Unfortunately, LSTCs are unable to measure vehicular axle loads, posing a significant drawback. To overcome this limitation, we propose a methodology that utilizes data from LSTCs to estimate axle loads and map extreme gross vehicle weights. To demonstrate the feasibility of this approach, we present a case study concentrating on the major highway corridors in Mexico. While WIM stations are absent, data from a network of 1,777 counting stations and origin–destination surveys are available. By quantifying Gaussian copula-based Bayesian networks using the existing information, we generate synthetic site-specific axle loads. Subsequently, we calculate gross vehicle weights for selected return periods. These study findings facilitate the identification of hazardous locations. Additionally, we provide an interactive web map and a graphical user interface to generate synthetic axle loads. These tools, along with the proposed methodology, can serve as the foundation for maintenance strategies for existing roads and bridges.

Introducing Research Through Oral Surveys: French Students Meet Witnesses of the Holocaust by Bullets

Abstract French students in the third and final year from the Humanities and Social Sciences license A license is the first national university degree and it is completed in six terms. degree course traveled to Ukraine and Belorussia between 2017 and 2020, in order to carry out surveys of eyewitnesses to the so-called “Holocaust by Bullets.” The subject-matter stands out in the French scholarly scene, as the Holocaust usually attracts little attention at this level of studies. Students registered in the course hail from license degrees in History, Social Sciences or Geography, and have chosen to attend the course labeled “European Historical Heritage and Citizens’ Thoughts” as a complement to a more classical curriculum, and as a way of enhancing their own university curriculum. The research professors involved have also volunteered to participate as authors of the aforementioned multidisciplinary program, with the aim to raise awareness to research practices on the Holocaust. University professors and teams from the Yahad-in-Unum Since its foundation in 2004 by Father Patrick Desbois (2007), having researched Soviet and Nazi Second World War records, the organization has been tirelessly surveying all Eastern European locations associated with the Holocaust by Bullets. It has been collecting villagers’ testimonies supporting the evidence of a genocide, documenting the locations of mass graves, and at times identifying victims. The results of such meticulous research have been made public on an interactive online map displaying the locations of all the mass graves recorded – over 2000 to date – and making the information and testimony relevant to each of the sites available to web users. See [online] https://www.yahadmap.org/%20-%20map/#map/ NGO take turns leading the two-hour weekly sessions. The professors help establish theoretical focus and provide methodological tools, develop lines of investigation on various areas of interest (e.g., mode of operation used in the shootings, collaboration and rescue operations, and neighbors of the crime scene), as well as the context (anti-Semitism, racism, local geopolitics, regional history, culture and society, etc.), while Yahad-in-Unum participants describe actual cases based on records, maps and filmed testimonies. They had the task to provide documents from Soviet and Nazi archives translated from Russian, or from German, and act as translators during fieldwork. Students are encouraged to participate as often as possible and have to prepare analytical reports and presentations following each session, while adopting the position of a researcher.

GeoAcademy: web platform and algorithm for automatic detection and location of geographic coordinates and toponyms in scientific articles

The following study relates the qualities and uses of the GeoAcademy Project, a program designed with the aim of geolocating scientific articles automatically, such articles would be found in Scopus, Web of Science, or similar databases. An algorithm has been developed with the intention of capturing geographical coordinates or toponyms contained within the documents in order to perform reliable geolocation. In the methodology, we describe the stages of the project that have been necessary so as to build a sample database concerning the Sierra Nevada (Spain), as well as the development of the algorithm. The technical data regarding the employment of the algorithm on the sample documents and its levels of success are included in the results, as is an explanation of the platform containing web maps which can be utilised to show the texts which have been geolocated. In conclusion we outline the obstacles faced, potential bibliometric uses and the advantages it offers as a reference resource and source of information.

Large-scale Generation of Transit Maps from OpenStreetMap Data

ABSTRACT We investigate the automatic generation of transit map overlays (either geographically correct or schematic) for the entire planet from OpenStreetMap (OSM) data. To achieve this, we first extract relevant transit line geometries (together with their line name, and, if present, colour) from OSM using SPARQL queries against an RDF version of the OSM data. The queries are run against our SPARQL engine QLever. In the second step, we build a global line network graph where every edge is labelled with the lines travelling through it. The components of this network graph are then rendered as a transit map using tools and methods developed in previous work. Final maps are delivered as vector tiles to an interactive web map, from which individual network graphs (in a GeoJSON format proposed in this work) can be downloaded for research purposes. The vector tiles are also freely available. We briefly describe the methods used in each pipeline step, evaluate the speed and quality of our approach and discuss possible shortcomings.

Consideration for Solving Problems Related to Volcanic Disaster Prevention by Real-Time Grasping of Climber Movement

We carry out experiments to grasp the movement of climbers as well as an experiment to share the disaster situation with related organizations in real time, at Nasudake in 2020 and Ontakesan in 2022. In the experiments, small beacons are distributed to many climbers, and their movements are detected by receivers installed on mountain trails in advance. We build an online viewer to visualize the monitoring results on a web map in real time, and share them with the related organizations, and exchange opinions with them about the use of the acquired data for disaster prevention. Based on the results of the experiments, we consider how to solve problems related to volcanic disaster prevention. It is shown that the systems used in the experiments leads to solutions to problems related to volcanic disaster prevention during not only disasters but also normal times, such as updating drills and revising evacuation plans.

Integrated Framework for Virtual Tours and 3D Visualization of Cultural Tourism in Pattani, Thailand Based on WebGIS Platform

This paper presents a framework for developing a lightweight WebGIS platform as a web map service for publishing and servicing cultural tourism information. The archaeological sites, history, and cultural arts in Pattani Province were used as case studies in this article. It incorporates various digital technologies to create digital archives in providing web-based information services, including geospatial databases, virtual tours and virtual reality, 3D models, and online cultural maps for tourism. The framework describes the necessary infrastructure based on open-source code that is specially developed and provides libraries with free software interoperability, which can be considered as a real-time data management facility and simple completion. It is a relatively low-cost but a reasonably efficient system that is very useful and suitable for local authorities and small organizations with budget constraints to be able to implement practical cultural heritage management for a digital tourism experience that can be displayed on computer equipment, smartphones, and VR headgear efficiently. Furthermore, it also offers a conceptual framework in disclosing future research directions.

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES IN TEACHING GEOGRAPHY

This abstract discusses the use of innovative technologies in geography teaching. It highlights how these technologies have transformed the learning experience and deepened students' understanding of the subject. The abstract mentions specific examples such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), drones, online mapping platforms, data visualization tools, mobile applications, and online collaborative platforms. It emphasizes the benefits of using these technologies, including enhanced engagement, experiential learning, spatial analysis, and collaboration. The article concludes by noting that the integration of innovative technologies in geography teaching enables students to develop critical thinking, spatial reasoning, and a holistic understanding of the world.

Web Mapping Applications Urban land uses in the city of Kirkuk-Iraq (Case study on Hay al Askari)

The research presents a study on how to prepare an advanced database and employ web maps available on the Internet through the application of the (GIS Online) system in the city of Kirkuk, a case study through designing effective maps on a website that allows the data to be displayed effectively in order to encourage the user to make a decision. This application was used to prepare land use maps (health, educational, recreational, religious, other, land area) over the research area, adopting open source data, and drawing spatial layers of land use on an individual basis through the use of spatial symbols available in the application interface. Then compiled into a final map that can be made available to decision makers.

Technology for Internet mapping of the ecological and magnetic state of soils in urban areas

The paper describes the technology of Internet mapping of the ecological and magnetic state of soils on the example of the soil cover of the town of Chusovoi in Perm Region. The ecological and magnetic state of soils reflects the results of the long-term impact of industry and transport on the urban ecosystem, and the presentation of such data in the form of maps is generally accepted in ecological soil science. However, there is a problem of availability of spatial data characterizing soil pollution, caused, on the one hand, by the placement of materials in specialized literature and reports, and, on the other hand, by digital inequality due to the specificity of geographic information. In this regard, today the process of integration of geoinformation technologies and web technologies is actively taking place. The purpose of the research is to develop the technology for creating a typical web map of the ecological and magnetic state of soils in an urbanized area. The creation of a web map of the ecological and magnetic state of soils was carried out according to the standard stages of soil mapping: preparatory, field, and final cameral. Maps of magnetic susceptibility and content of heavy metals in soils were made using the ordinary kriging. Web application development is implemented using the qgis2web module and the Brackets code editor. The web application is hosted on the GitHub Pages platform. The results of the work represent a combination of geostatistics and visualization methods based on Internet mapping technologies, which makes it possible to present a whole set of geoecological maps dedicated to the ecological and magnetic state of soils in the form of a website. The presented geotechnology greatly simplifies the development of a soil-ecological web GIS application – the work is mainly carried out in a GIS environment and therefore does not require advanced competencies of a soil-cartographer in web programming

Developing a mapping procedure for urban forests using online map services and Sentinel-2A images

Accurate area statistics at the local government level are important for the scientific management of urban forests. A more consistent and robust mapping of urban forests can enable a comparison of the size and quality management guidelines at major cities in Asia. However, few administrative statistics have employed these scientific techniques. Therefore, a cover map of urban forests focusing on their types is needed for the quantitative and qualitative estimation and evaluation of urban forests. This study presents an approach for mapping urban forest cover for 2021 using Sentinel remote sensing images and aerial photographs from commercial maps. Cover maps of urban forests at a city scale were developed for three pilot study areas in Korea’s capital area. Labeling was performed for deciduous forests, coniferous forests, grasslands, wetlands, bare land, croplands, urban areas, and water bodies. The land cover classification was performed using machine learning models, including random forest (RF), support vector machines (SVM), and gradient tree boost classifier (GBT), and a comparison was made among them. All three methods performed well in the three study areas; the RF model was simple to use, and the SVM was better at detecting forest connections. The proposed mapping method, which focuses on forest types in cities, can be used to compare the area and connection of urban forests in cities.

Estimation of solar resource for vehicle-integrated photovoltaics in urban environments using image-based shade detection.

Vehicle-Integrated Photovoltaics (VIPV) in urban environments face challenges in accurately estimating solar resource due to dynamic shading effects. This research presents a methodology for evaluating VIPV solar resource by analyzing imagery and detecting shade conditions along driving routes. Street image mapping services and obstacle detection algorithms are utilized to determine the shaded or sunny condition of the vehicle at each point. The approach enables the calculation of solar irradiance, considering direct and diffuse components, and identifies energetically optimal driving routes. The methodology provides valuable insights for optimizing MPPT algorithms and assessing VIPV performance in urban settings. It offers a practical tool for sustainable mobility and renewable energy integration.