The book comprises innovative research presented at the 14th Conference of the Association of Geographic Information Laboratories in Europe (AGILE), held in 2011 in Utrecht, The Netherlands. The scientific papers cover a large variety of fundamental research topics as well as applied research in Geoinformation Science including measuring spatiotemporal phenomena, quality and semantics, spatiotemporal analysis, modeling and decision support as well as spatial information infrastructures. The book is aimed at researchers, practitioners and students who work in various fields and disciplines related to Geoinformation Science and technology.
Many of the challenges of the next century will have physical dimensions, such as tsunamis, hurricanes, and climate change as well as human dimensions such as economic crises, epidemics, and emergency responses. With pioneering editors and expert contributors, Advanced Geoinformation Science explores how certain technical aspects of geoinformation
This book focuses on the study of the remarkable new source of geographic information that has become available in the form of user-generated content accessible over the Internet through mobile and Web applications. The exploitation, integration and application of these sources, termed volunteered geographic information (VGI) or crowdsourced geographic information (CGI), offer scientists an unprecedented opportunity to conduct research on a variety of topics at multiple scales and for diversified objectives. The Handbook is organized in five parts, addressing the fundamental questions: What motivates citizens to provide such information in the public domain, and what factors govern/predict its validity? What methods might be used to validate such information? Can VGI be framed within the larger domain of sensor networks, in which inert and static sensors are replaced or combined by intelligent and mobile humans equipped with sensing devices? What limitations are imposed on VGI by differential access to broadband Internet, mobile phones, and other communication technologies, and by concerns over privacy? How do VGI and crowdsourcing enable innovation applications to benefit human society? Chapters examine how crowdsourcing techniques and methods, and the VGI phenomenon, have motivated a multidisciplinary research community to identify both fields of applications and quality criteria depending on the use of VGI. Besides harvesting tools and storage of these data, research has paid remarkable attention to these information resources, in an age when information and participation is one of the most important drivers of development. The collection opens questions and points to new research directions in addition to the findings that each of the authors demonstrates. Despite rapid progress in VGI research, this Handbook also shows that there are technical, social, political and methodological challenges that require further studies and research.
A revision of Openshaw and Abrahart’s seminal work, GeoComputation, Second Edition retains influences of its originators while also providing updated, state-of-the-art information on changes in the computational environment. In keeping with the field’s development, this new edition takes a broader view and provides comprehensive coverage across the field of GeoComputation. See What’s New in the Second Edition: Coverage of ubiquitous computing, the GeoWeb, reproducible research, open access, and agent-based modelling Expanded chapter on Genetic Programming and a separate chapter developed on Evolutionary Algorithms Ten chapters updated by the same or new authors and eight new chapters added to reflect state of the art Each chapter is a stand-alone entity that covers a particular topic. You can simply dip in and out or read it from cover to cover. The opening chapter by Stan Openshaw has been preserved, with only a limited number of minor essential modifications having been enacted. This is not just a matter of respect. Openshaw’s work is eloquent, prophetic, and his overall message remains largely unchanged. In contrast to other books on this subject, GeoComputation: Second Edition supplies a state-of-the-art review of all major areas in GeoComputation with chapters written especially for this book by invited specialists. This approach helps develop and expand a computational culture, one that can exploit the ever-increasing richness of modern geographical and geospatial datasets. It also supplies an instructional guide to be kept within easy reach for regular access and when need arises.
Maps are a fundamental resource in a diverse array of applications ranging from everyday activities, such as route planning through the legal demarcation of space to scientific studies, such as those seeking to understand biodiversity and inform the design of nature reserves for species conservation. For a map to have value, it should provide an accurate and timely representation of the phenomenon depicted and this can be a challenge in a dynamic world. Fortunately, mapping activities have benefitted greatly from recent advances in geoinformation technologies. Satellite remote sensing, for example, now offers unparalleled data acquisition and authoritative mapping agencies have developed systems for the routine production of maps in accordance with strict standards. Until recently, much mapping activity was in the exclusive realm of authoritative agencies but technological development has also allowed the rise of the amateur mapping community. The proliferation of inexpensive and highly mobile and location aware devices together with Web 2.0 technology have fostered the emergence of the citizen as a source of data. Mapping presently benefits from vast amounts of spatial data as well as people able to provide observations of geographic phenomena, which can inform map production, revision and evaluation. The great potential of these developments is, however, often limited by concerns. The latter span issues from the nature of the citizens through the way data are collected and shared to the quality and trustworthiness of the data. This book reports on some of the key issues connected with the use of citizen sensors in mapping. It arises from a European Co-operation in Science and Technology (COST) Action, which explored issues linked to topics ranging from citizen motivation, data acquisition, data quality and the use of citizen derived data in the production of maps that rival, and sometimes surpass, maps arising from authoritative agencies.
Across a variety of disciplines, data and statistics form the backbone of knowledge. To ensure the reliability and validity of data, appropriate measures must be taken in conducting studies and reporting findings. Research Methods: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications compiles chapters on key considerations in the management, development, and distribution of data. With its focus on both fundamental concepts and advanced topics, this multi-volume reference work will be a valuable addition to researchers, scholars, and students of science, mathematics, and engineering.
This edited volume presents a collection of lessons learned with, and research conducted on, OpenStreetMap, the goal being to promote the project’s integration. The respective chapters address a) state-of-the-art and cutting-edge approaches to data quality analysis in OpenStreetMap, b) investigations on understanding OpenStreetMap contributors and the nature of their contributions, c) identifying patterns of contributions and contributors, d) applications of OpenStreetMap in different domains, e) mining value-added knowledge and information from OpenStreetMap, f) limitations in the analysis OpenStreetMap data, and g) integrating OpenStreetMap with commercial and non-commercial datasets. The book offers an ideal opportunity to present and disseminate a number of cutting-edge developments and applications in the field of geography, spatial statistics, GIS, social science, and cartography.
Advances in high spatial resolution mapping capabilities and the new rules established by the Federal Aviation Administration in the United States for the operation of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) have provided new opportunities to acquire aerial data at a lower cost and more safely versus other methods. A similar opening of the skies for sUAS applications is being allowed in countries across the world. Also, sUAS can access hazardous or inaccessible areas during disaster events and provide rapid response when needed. Applications of Small Unmanned Aircraft systems: Best Practices and Case Studies is the first book that brings together the best practices of sUAS applied to a broad range of issues in high spatial resolution mapping projects. Very few sUAS pilots have the knowledge of how the collected imagery is processed into value added mapping products that have commercial and/or academic import. Since the field of sUAS applications is just a few years old, this book covers the need for a compendium of case studies to guide the planning, data collection, and most importantly data processing and map error issues, with the range of sensors available to the user community. Written by experienced academics and professionals, this book serves as a guide on how to formulate sUAS based projects, from choice of a sUAS, flight planning for a particular application, sensors and data acquisition, data processing software, mapping software and use of the high spatial resolution maps produced for particular types of geospatial modeling. Features: Focus on sUAS based data acquisition and processing into map products Broad range of case studies by highly experienced academics Practical guidance on sUAS hardware, sensors, and software utilized Compilation of workflow insights from expert professors and professionals Relevant to academia, government, and industry Positional and thematic map accuracy, UAS curriculum development and workflow replicability issues This book would be an excellent text for upper-level undergraduate to graduate level sUAS mapping application courses. It is also invaluable as a reference for educators designing sUAS based curriculum as well as for potential sUAS users to assess the scope of mapping projects that can be done with this technology.
This book constitutes the proceedings of the 11th International Symposium on Web and Wireless Geographical Information Systems, W2GIS 2012, held in Naples, Italy, in April 2012. The 13 full and 4 short papers presented in this book were carefully reviewed and selected from 32 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections named: 3D and multimodal spatial interaction; positioning; spatial human-computer interaction; trajectory analysis; geo semantics; and sensor networks.
This book provides an extensive review of three interrelated issues: land fragmentation, land consolidation, and land reallocation, and it presents in detail the theoretical background, design, development and application of a prototype integrated planning and decision support system for land consolidation. The system integrates geographic information systems (GIS) and artificial intelligence techniques including expert systems (ES) and genetic algorithms (GAs) with multi-criteria decision methods (MCDM), both multi-attribute (MADM) and multi-objective (MODM). The system is based on four modules for measuring land fragmentation; automatically generating alternative land redistribution plans; evaluating those plans; and automatically designing the land partitioning plan. The presented research provides a new scientific framework for land-consolidation planning both in terms of theory and practice, by presenting new findings and by developing better tools and methods embedded in an integrated GIS environment. It also makes a valuable contribution to the fields of GIS and spatial planning, as it provides new methods and ideas that could be applied to improve the former for the benefit of the latter in the context of planning support systems. “From the 1960s, ambitious research activities set out to observe regarding IT-support of the complex and time consuming redistribution processes within land consolidation – without any practically relevant results, until now. This scientific work is likely to close that gap. This distinguished publication is highly recommended to land consolidation planning experts, researchers and academics alike.” – Prof. Dr.-Ing. Joachim Thomas, Münster/ Germany "Planning support systems take new scientific tools based on GIS, optimisation and simulation and use these to inform the process of plan-making and policy. This book is one of the first to show how this can be consistently done and it is a triumph of demonstrating how such systems can be made operational. Essential reading for planners, analysts and GI scientists." – Prof. Michael Batty, University College London
