Geospatial images in the acquisition of spatial knowledge for wayfinding

Abstract

Geospatial images, such as maps and aerial photographs, are important sources of spatial knowledge that people use for wayfinding. The rapid development of geodata acquisition and digital graphics has recently led to rather complete geographic coverage of both traditional and novel types of geospatial images. Divergent types of geospatial images vary in their support of human acquisition of spatial knowledge. However, evaluative studies about the acquisition of spatial knowledge from the diversity of geospatial images have been rare. In this article, we review a variety of literature about the acquisition of spatial knowledge while paying particular attention to the role of geospatial images. Based on the literature, we present a framework of image parameters that characterize the acquisition of spatial knowledge from geospatial images: vantage point, number of visible vertical features, and visual realism. With the help of the framework, we evaluate commonly used geospatial images. In concordance with the previous experiments, our evaluation shows that the different types of geospatial images have large differences in the types of spatial knowledge they support and to what extent. However, further experimentation is needed in order to better understand the human cognitive needs for geospatial images and to develop more useful geospatial images for wayfinding

Effects of Cartographic Elevation Visualizations and Map-reading Tasks on Eye Movements

“…Maps that include a comprehensive representation of a terrain together with a landform relief (such as topographic maps) have been studied much less, although their importance remains high in many common tasks, necessitating a high-level understanding of the terrain. At the same time, modern digital terrain models enable different kinds of visualizations, from static two-dimensional maps to dynamic and interactive three-dimensional models of environments with realistic visualizations of landforms (Kettunen et al, 2013).…”

An Exploratory Study Investigating Gender Effects on Using 3D Maps for Spatial Orientation in Wayfinding

“…In contrast, 3D representations can support landmark recognition and provide landmark knowledge and route knowledge, which is also crucial for wayfinding [34]. A benefit of combining the two types of representations for wayfinding is that their combination offers every type of spatial knowledge simultaneously [34]. We aim to explore this potentially promising approach by designing a 3D map that combines salient 3D landmarks and 2D layouts.…”

“…Evidence shows that this global understanding can be more accurate in spatial relations than learning from direct experience [33]. In contrast, 3D representations can support landmark recognition and provide landmark knowledge and route knowledge, which is also crucial for wayfinding [34]. A benefit of combining the two types of representations for wayfinding is that their combination offers every type of spatial knowledge simultaneously [34].…”

Implications of smartphone usage on privacy and spatial cognition: academic literature and public perceptions

“…These cognitive maps are developed procedurally, building configurational understandings of a landscape over time (Kitchin 1996;Kitchin and Dodge 2007). Imparting configurational knowledge while providing adequate navigational visualizations and direction is a well-known challenge filled with tradeoffs in terms of mobile map and user interface design (Kitchin 1996;Kettunen et al 2012;Münzer et al 2012;Roth 2013).…”