GEOG5563-SPR2006

GEOG 5563
Spring 2006
Exercise 1
Brian Finander

One of the long-term research challenges identified by the University Consortium for Geographic Information Science (UCGIS) is that of Spatial and Space/Time Analysis in a GIS Environment.

Main Questions

Large quantities of geographic data are increasingly becoming available due to new technologies such as remote-sensing satellites and new sources of data. This data can be used to help solve problems in the areas of disease distribution, traffic management, the environment, landscape characterization and management, and social, cultural, and economic analysis.

To fully utilize the available data for spatial problem solving, the following questions must be answered:

• How do we handle large spatial data sets?
• What techniques can account for the ways that spatial data influence the type of analysis employed?
• What generic GIS tools are appropriate for spatial and space-time analysis?
• How do we handle questions related to scale, spatial association, spatial heterogeneity, boundaries, and incomplete data?

Research Activities

Research activities related to handling large data sets include developing methods to parse, classify, and manipulate large spatial databases as well as developing computationally intensive procedures that take advantage of increases in the capabilities of computational platforms. Some examples of potential techniques are neural nets, microsimulation, artificial intelligence, natural language processing of textural information, real time data analysis, numeric optimization techniques, and massively parallel algorithms.

Another area of research dealing with large data sets is the study of global versus local effects. This deals with the development of procedures, tests, and local measures, such as window, kernel, and individual, to improve the analysis capability of large data sets.

Other important research areas include:

• Research into the effect of scale upon spatial analysis and the development of scale-independent procedures.
• Extending spatial analysis methods to include space-time data.
• Developing procedures to identify key, extreme, or groupings of observations that could indicate anomalous regions.
• Using econometric modeling for GIS analysis.
• Developing spatial interaction models and visualization techniques in a GIS environment.

These are the key research areas that will allow GIS systems to effectively analyze the increasing amount of complex, spatial and spatial-temporal data for problem solving.

Kevin Johnson
Exercise 1
GEOG 5563

Uncertainty in geographic data and GIS-based analysis

The UCGIS identifies a number of problems associated with “Uncertainty in geographic data and GIS-based analysis�. The problem begins as geographic data is first acquired with its inevitable uncertainty due to measurement error and the fact that it is not possible to know or measure all geographical points. This uncertainty is propagated through any GIS analysis of the data. Further adding to the uncertainty is the practice of treating data as static, while the real geospatial world is not static. Frequently this uncertainty is not stated in the results or in the imagery displaying the results. This uncertainty is a significant issue because decision and policy makers at all levels use geospatial data and uncertainty could have serious consequences.

Discussion

McCaffrey, (McCaffrey, Clegg et al. 2005), suggests that recent and future advances in digital technology will help to reduce uncertainty in geographic data. This advance in technology includes more accurate GPS systems and the use of digital recording devices for digital mapping. The transition away from field notebooks and the errors these hand written records introduce towards the use of digital mapping devices and the real time recording technology that can document uncertainty directly into the data set while in the field. These technological advances can help reduce uncertainty by reducing measurement error (i.e. GPS) and by documenting uncertainty early on so that it is not lost and can remain part of the data set.
Information Fusion is a technique using software and a new algorithm in a process recommended for reducing uncertainty. It works by taking data from different sources or data sets and combining them into one; it is based on reducing inaccuracy and imprecision. (Duckham and Worboys 2005) This process would probably help to reduce the uncertainty midway in the process after data has already been recorded or entered.
Devillers (2005) argues that Metadata is where uncertainty should be addressed and documented. A multidimensional data management approach such as SOLAP would be accessed using a framework such as the Quality Information Management Model (QIMM). This QIMM would manage data quality.
This approach would allow for improved documentation of uncertainty and reduce uncertainty at all stages.

Devillers, R., Y. Bédard, et al. (2005). "Multidimensional management of geospatial data quality information for its dynamic use within GIS." Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing 71(2): 205-215.

Duckham, M. and M. Worboys (2005). "An algebraic approach to automated geospatial information fusion." International Journal of Geographical Information Science 19(5): 537-557.

McCaffrey, K. J. W., P. Clegg, et al. (2005). "Unlocking the spatial dimension: Digital technologies and the future of geoscience fieldwork." Journal of the Geological Society 162(6): 927-938.

The research challenge that I have chosen to address is the issue of distributed GIS. As it is described on the UCGIS website (http://www.ucgis.org/priorities/research/research_white/1998%20Papers/distrib.html), “computing is distributed if the data, software, and hardware needed for a project are distributed across several locations but appear to the user as if they were united. “

So, essentially, the questions that are raised in this research area are: 1) How can the use of networks and distributed data be leveraged to effectively include and enhance GIS, and 2) How can GIS leverage the rapidly evolving technologies and architectures to more effectively reach new communities and audiences so that geographic information can play an even larger role in human activities.

In the years since 2002, perhaps nothing in the world has changed as much as the technologies and implementations of distributed computer systems. Thomas Friedman boldly declares in his book “The World is Flat,� that technology and essentially distributed computing has leveled the playing field around the world, enabling people, companies, and countries to be competitive and integrated with any other entity around the world.

While it is a tapestry of circumstances and geopolitical issues that collectively define the reasons behind this rapid shift, it can be argued that distributed computing was the catalyst, enabler, and beneficiary of this movement. The rate of change and innovation are by all accounts astounding. The challenge for GIS is how to keep up. How can the research community stay ahead of or in step with private industry and their insatiable need to move forward?

Companies such as Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft are bringing GIS to the masses. They are providing data and maps to an ever growing and excited developer community. They are also providing new tools and APIs to allow and encourage an organic growth and expansion of GIS. Business systems software is also opening their technology to incorporate spatial analysis to their data. As the genie has now been let out of the bottle, so to speak, the essential research questions are still valid, but the circumstances are more complex. How can disciplined research keep up with and remain relevant in an environment of hyper-evolution?

Anne Wiegand
GEOG 5563
January 23, 2006
Exercise 1

Visualization is a critical area of GIScience because it is the interface between computer processing and the human mind’s ability to process information. Lo and Yeung (2002) identify three main aspects of visualization including: computation, cognition and graphics design (234). Primarily, those three aspects involve capturing the mind’s attention so that decisions about spatial data can be formulated. Each of the three main aspects inspires many different research questions: from increasing the computation abilities of new technologies to collaborative work to understand the human brain to creating new visual design methods. Some of the more explicit questions include:
§ How do we use current technologies in a way that people can improve their understanding of geographic information (PDAs, Internet, 3D)?
§ How to we create interactive and multi-sensory geovisualization?
§ How can geovisualization increase the capacity of scientific visualization, while at the same time benefiting from other scientific advances?

Visualization has improved in the three areas of computation, cognition and graphics design. The GeoVista Center at Penn State has continued to do research in the areas of geovisual analytics, geocollaboration, human interaction, decision support and risk management (GeoVista 2005). Many of their projects work to increase human understanding and comprehension of crisis data and human health issues. Meanwhile, the United States Environmental Protection Agency has taken a national lead in visualization for environmental regulation of air pollutants and water quality models (EPA 2005). Longley, Goodchild, Maguire and Rhind (2005) list several public participation visualization efforts including land use planning opportunities, unlocking the local availability of data, improving the community decision making model and increasing local environmental education through GIScience with effective visualization methods (303).

Since increasing the graphical design abilities of technology to increase the effectiveness of visualization is a relatively new field, many organizations seek to create collaborative scenarios for projects on the cutting edge. For instance, Association for Computing Machinery's Special Interest Group on Graphics (ACM Siggraph) offered a geovisualization workshop at their annual conference on computer graphics and design (Slothower 2004). Utilizing the advancements of other fields, such as entertainment graphics, video games and Internet technologies, geovisualization can continue to improve.

Works Cited:

Buckley, Aileen R., Gahegan, Mark and Clarke, Keith. “Geographic Visualization.�
December 2000. University Consortium for Geographic Information Science.
January 20, 2006 2000%20Papers/emerging/Geographicvisualization-edit.pdf>.

EPA High Performance Computing and Scientific Visualization. 2005. Environmental
Protection Agency. January 20, 2006 index.html>.

GeoVista Center. 2005. Penn State. January 20, 2006 .

Lo, C.P. and Yeung, Albert K.W. 2002. Concepts and Techniques of Geographic
Information Systems. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Longley, Paul A., Goodchild, Michael F., Maguire, David J., Rhind, David W. 2005.
Geographic Information Systems and Science. England: John Wiley and Sons.

Slothower, Dena. “Advance Program�. August 2004. Siggraph. January 20, 2006
.

Ina
Exercise 1, GEOG 5563, Spring 2006

Location-Based Services – GIS for Personal Productivity

Location-based services (LBS) are services provided to a user based on geographical locations. It helps the user to find a certain location or find out something about a location. LBS has been an emerging field over the past few years and still has a huge market potential. Some of the research challenges in LBS that have been put forward in the 2002 Research Topics are: the efficient and cost-effective ways of collecting and utilizing real time data, handling large volume of data and developing heuristic solution algorithms. In addition, interoperability among systems and technologies has also been a challenge. (Kim, 2002)

Due to technological limitations, it used to be a challenge to determine the accurate positions of indoor and outdoor locations. However, the position determination performance has been significantly improved and now it is possible to establish a location within a few meters. Moreover, by integrating LBS with WiFi or RFID systems, the indoor accuracy has also been improved (Zlatanova & Verbree, 2005). The latest trend within the field is to combine this with and intelligent agent that knows the requirements of an individual user. The LBS is then able to provide user-tailored information that might for instance benefit wheelchair users or blind people when finding their way around.

Location based services is a lucrative area of business. Hence, a number of companies compete in different areas with varieties of technologies – devices, networks and location sensors. For this all to work together, interoperability is important. There are two major ways to get around this problem. First, by using certain kinds of middleware that allows different systems to talk to each other. Second, implement certain kind standardization so that different technologies can comply with one another (Chen, 2004). Although both of these methods have been adopted and led to higher degree of interoperability, this is still a challenge today.

References:
Chen, A. (2004). Open Standards Will Evolve Location-Based Services. E-week.com.

Kim, T.J. (2002). Location-Based Services – GIS for Personal Productivity. The University Consortium for Geographic Information Science. Research Priorities.

Zlatanova, S & Verbree, E. (2005) The third dimension in LBS: the steps to go. Section GISt, research institute OTB, Delft University of Technology.

Clay Cottingim January 24, 2006
Geog 5563
Exercise #1

Research Challenge: Space and Space/Time Analysis and Modeling

Main Questions: This UCGIS research challenge was outlined with the intention of emphasizing key research objectives concerning the use of GIS for performing spatial analyses. The consortium expects to determine what methodologies and techniques are currently being developed within this specialization in order to solve an array of environmental, social, and economic issues. There is a strong emphasis on how we may take full advantage of the massive amounts of both spatial and spatio-temporal data that are becoming available. It also seeks to discover how models could be further developed to take make full use out of emerging technologies and available data. Research in this field should also be concerned with how to best utilize powerful new technologies developed for spatial data analysis and management.

Relevant Activities: The Twin Cities metropolitan area has been the focus for a lot of work concerning the use of GIS towards community revitalization efforts. An appropriate text, written in part by Helga Leitner at our own university, is entitled GIS and Spatial Knowledge Production for Neighborhood Revitalization. This work provides regional examples of how GISs are being used to enhance current community revitalization efforts. One of the more strongly emphasized goals of the UCGIS for this challenge was for society to take full advantage of the understanding that the use of a GIS can provide in solving problems of a social nature. Due to limited resources and funds, the gathering and maintenance of relevant spatial data is not a small matter for these community revitalization organizations and there is still plenty of room for improvement in this area.
The second text chosen reflecting advancements in the areas outlined by this challenge was Agent-based modeling and genetic programming for modeling land change in the Southern Yucatan Peninsular Region of Mexico, written by our own Geography departments Steven M. Manson. The article describes in detail how research methodologies from multiple fields are being combined to develop an "integrated land-change science (47)" in order to solve problems of land use change. The Challenge described the need to take full advantage of advancements in computing power, and that is done here through the use of genetic programming, cellular modeling, and agent based modeling.

Manson, S.M. (2005). Agent-based modeling and genetic programming for modeling land change in the Southern Yucatan Peninsular Region of Mexico. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 111(1): 47-62.

Elwood, S., Leitner, H. (2003). GIS and Spatial Knowledge Production for Neighborhood Revitalization: Negotiating State Priorities and Neighborhood Visions. Journal of Urban Affairs 25(2): 139-157.

Ben Butzow
GIS 5563
Exercise 1

GIS and Society

The main questions asked in the GIS and Society article request that there needs to be further research on the relationship between GIS and society due to the fact that geographic information systems co-evolve with societies that they are a part, much like other technologies. The overall concern in this field at the time of the article is in the societal use of GIS. In other words, how GIS technology will influence – and be influenced by – the structures of society. In addition to research concerns, the social (who are the users, who do the users affect) and economic (mainly for GIS adoption) range of costs and benefits of GIS should be considered. In addition, the ways geographic information technology is fundamentally different from other information technology becomes an essential question which must be placed in it societal context. Lastly, due to the availability of GIS software, what are the ethical implications of GI Technologies?

GIS technology can be found in almost all federal and state government agencies, educational institutions, and private firms. However, it is increasingly being implemented into local governments, environmental organizations, neighborhood groups, and smaller firms. The availability of GIS software and the reduction in the cost of hardware have leveled the playing field in the accessibility of GIS. Most recently, the introduction of Google Earth permitted non-GIS professionals to become acquainted with GIS software. This leveled technology playing field that is described by Thomas Friedman in his book, “The World is Flat,� has empowered smaller groups to collect and use (free) data all over the world.

Some people believe that this raises security concerns from within our borders, and others think that there should be a GIS Code of Ethics. For example, the URISA Board (2003) approved of a Code of Ethics that is intended to provide guidelines for GIS professionals, and it should help professionals make appropriate and ethical choices. If heeding by this deontological code, GIS professionals will help preserve and increase the trust of the public (http://www.urisa.org/ethics/code_of_ethics.htm).

In conclusion, if GIS affects society and society affects GIS then shouldn’t a Code of Ethics include all users of GIS and not just the professional? Nevertheless, if a code is accepted, the how do we govern not only ourselves but each other? Does a code mean a set of “laws�, and if so, what penalties should be enforced to an individual or group for an infraction? Societal GIS raised several questions in the research I read from the UCGIS 2002 Research Agenda. To answer the questions presented in the article, I believe that there needs to be the implementation of a GIS Code of Ethics that administers all users of GI technologies.

GEOG 5563: Advanced GIS
Student: Yongli Xu
Date: January 24, 2006
Exercise 1: GIScience Topics
Research challenge: Geographic Visualization
Main questions:
ï?¬ Short-term visualization research challenges: interactivity, cognitive issues, computer interface design, media issues, multi-user/collaborative visualization, differences between users, visual design issues, non-conventional graphics.
ï?¬ Medium-term visualization research challenges: multisensory GeoVE, effectiveness of visualization, sensory limitations and variations, abstracting away from reality, displaying more data, displaying more pixels, displaying fewer pixels, user interfaces for 3-D creativity.
ï?¬ Long-term visualization research challenges: imaginative information visualization, automated creation of information and information visualizations, and unified graphics.
Example Research Projects for short-term challenges:
Combining Usability Techniques to Design Geovisualization Tools for Epidemiology, Department of Geography, Pennsylvania State University, USA. – This project has employed a wide range of techniques in the design of ESTAT (Exploratory Spatio – Temporal Analysis Toolkit) for epidemiology. These techniques include: verbal protocol analysis, card-sorting, focus groups, and an in-depth case study. ESTAT is the result of a user-centered design process that incorporates end-users throughout. http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/a/c/acr181/ACR_Auto_Carto_2005.pdf
(Development of evaluation methods to test the effectiveness of visualization tools)

Toward an Understanding of Geovisualization with Dynamic Displays: Issues and Prospects, Department of Geography, University of California Santa Barbara, U.S.A. – This paper has outlined a series of empirical experiments to empirically evaluate the effectiveness of interactive and dynamic geographic visualization displays for knowledge discovery and knowledge construction. The author tackle this research agenda by first systematically addressing the relationship between visual saliency and thematic relevance in graphic displays, employing a neurobiologically inspired, preattentive vision model to quantify visual salience in static and dynamic scenes. The planned studies aim to assess the roles of thematic relevance and modeled perceptual salience, by recording human viewing behavior. A focus of interest is how novices’ viewing patterns are modified when thematically relevant items are made perceptually more salient through design. http://www.geog.ucsb.edu/~sara/html/research/pubs/SS805FabrikantS.pdf.
(Cognitive issues)

Communicating Vague Spatial Concepts in Human-GIS Interactions: A Collaborative Dialogue Approach, School of Information Sciences and Technology, Pennsylvania State University, USA. – Natural language requests vague spatial concepts are not easily communicated to a GIS because the meaning of spatial concepts depends largely on the contexts (such as task, spatial contexts, and user’s personal background) that may or may not be available or specified in the system. To address such problems, we developed a collaborative dialogue approach that enables the system and the user to construct shared knowledge about relevant contexts. The system is able to anticipate what contextual knowledge must be shared, and to form a plan to exchange contextual information based on the system’s belief on who knows what. To account those user contexts that are not easily communicated by language, direct feedback approach is used to refine the system’s belief so that the intended meaning is properly grounded. The approach is implemented as a dialogue agent, GeoDialogue, and is illustrated through an example dialogue involving the communication of the vague spatial concept near.
http://www.geovista.psu.edu/publications/2003/Cai_COSIT_03.pdf
(Interactivity)

References:
Fabrikant, S. I. (2005). Towards an understanding of geovisualization with dynamic displays: Issues and prospects. Proceedings, American Association for Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) 2005 Spring Symposium Series: Reasoning with Mental and External Diagrams: Computational Modeling and Spatial Assistance. Stanford University, Stanford, CA, Mar. 21-23, 2005. Retrieved from the World Wide Web at http://www.geog.ucsb.edu/~sara/html/research/pubs/SS805FabrikantS.pdf

Robinson, A. C., Chen, J. Lengerich, E. J., Meyer, H. G., MacEachren, A. M. (2005). Combining usability techniques to design geovisualization tools for epidemiology. Retrieved from the World Wide Web: http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/a/c/acr181/ACR_Auto_Carto_2005.pdf

Cai, G, Wang, H, MacEachren, A. M. (2003). Communicating vague spatial concepts in human-GIS interactions: A collaborative dialogue approach. Presented at COSIT 2003: Conference on Spatial Information Theory, Ittingen, Switzerland. Retrieved from the World Wide Web at http://www.geovista.psu.edu/publications/2003/Cai_COSIT_03.pdf.

Andy Gelatt

Summary

GIS technology has many different challenge aspects. One such challenge is “Emergency Data Acquisition and Analysis�. The University consortium For Geographic Information Science made the above challenge into a research priority. The main priority in this challenge is to develop geospatial programs in order get help to those in need, in the shortest interval of time with taking the most effective rout to the scene. Questions that Authors Michael E. Hodgson, Thomas J. Cova, and Michael F. Goodchild wish to address are, “How can a framework for rapid spatial data identification, access, and analysis be developed?

Discussion

According to Cutter and Hodgson, Geo-technologies are used in many different areas in the emergency response application. They mention applications such as damage assessments, mapping the event and a measure of the damage so that search and rescue may be implemented, as well as risk assessment and risk perception of the area. They tested their technologies at the world Trade Center in the first 21 days of the disaster. The technologies used in the event where primarily GIS and remote sensing. “GIS was used to re-map the changed geography of Manhattan. This included the creation of base maps of Lower Manhattan and affected buildings, as well as search and rescue grids, utility outages, and the altered nature of the transportation system. These maps were not only used to document the impacts of the hazard and identify affected people and places, but they also aided in resource allocation for rescue worker deployment and getting affected people to the proper services.� (Hodgson and Cutter 2001) After the implementation of Geo-technologies during the September 11th bombing, they found that GIS components do support emergency response efforts but there are also questions to be addressed to reach the level of efficiency desired. Such questions or problems that still need refining are Having “alternative plans� or being prepared before the event, the need for “technical expertise� or in other words having trained GIS users at hand, and having data “accessibility and quality� which says having the data easily accesses as well as reliable.

References

http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/qr/qr153/qr153.html

Adam Maleitzke
GEOG 5563
Exercise 1
1.24.2006

Visualization is increasingly becoming a staple of GIScience research. In the early days of GIS, most applications were oriented exclusively towards technicians and professionals, who relied on their training to analyze spatial data. Today, visualization has come to include a broad array of topics, including virtual reality/immersive environments, better navigational tools, ways to display more data and multi-user/collaborative environments. This is a result of the increased use of GIS by general users, or people with little technical GIS or GIScience training. For example, better visualization shows much promise in the field of urban planning, where planners can use more intuitive 3D modeling to present ideas and propose alternatives in consort with a public participation process.

Perhaps the most influential visualization software in recent times has been Virtual Reality Modeling Language, or VRML. Although not developed specifically for geographic purposes, VRML has been used to present 3D data over a network or the Internet. This goes far to address some of UCGIS’ visualization research priorities, including collaborative environments and operability. One research team at the University of Leicester has used VRML to create a training module, which will serve as a virtual environment for novice field researchers. Called a Virtual Field Course (VFC), researchers can become familiar with a site’s components before conducting field studies through a combination of 3D models, pictures, animations and other media. (Moore, Dykes, Wood)

In the ongoing development of visualization technologies for the general public, a research team at the University of Hong Kong is using VRML for a major capital improvement project. Hong Kong is proposing an infill project for Victoria Bay, to which many people are opposed. With the prospect of relaying technical reports to the public, the research team believes that this is not an effective means to make the government’s case. Using a Java environment, the team has created a system that includes DEM, viewsheds, animations and photographs, all of which can be packaged and disseminated via the Internet. (Shuk-han Mak, Lai, Kwong, Kim-Hung, Tsui-Shan Leung) With this approach, it is purported that the public will be able to make more informed decisions through improvements in visualization.

References:
-Moore, Kate; Dykes, Jason; Wood, Jo. “Using Java to interact with geo-referenced VRML within a Virtual Field Course�. Internet. http://www.geog.le.ac.uk/mek/usingjava.html. Access date: 1/23/2006.

-Shuk-han Mak, Ann; Lai, Poh-Chin; Kwong, Kim-Hung, Richard; Tsui-Shan Leung, Sharon. “A Public Learning and Web-based GIS System for Analysing Visual Impacts of Reclamation Works in the Victoria Harbour of Hong Kong� Internet. http://t05.cgpublisher.com/proposals/311/index_html. Access date: 1/23/2006.

I think, this is the best!

[url=][/url]

Great stuff!!!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/admin/search/google?keywords=site%3Aforumlivre.com%20biagra
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/admin/search/google?keywords=site%3Aforumlivre.com%20biagra >biagra [url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/admin/search/google?keywords=site%3Aforumlivre.com%20biagra]biagra[/url]

Hello! Good Site! Thanks you! qkgfhstgbglln

You actually make it seem very easy with your presentation but I've found this topic to become actually something which I think I would never understand.

Very nice blog post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have truly enjoyed surfing around your website blogposts. After all I will be subscribing to your rss feed and I hope you write again soon! Candis Costales

Hey, Thanks a lot for this amazing blog post! All the best, Bonnie Deleston