ABSTRACT:

>A major challenge for individuals navigating with maps on mobile computers is the small screen size. Zooming and panning to view a large area can be disorienting and time-consuming. Level of detail is a primary concern; while a realistic map, such as an aerial photograph, resembles the actual environment in color and texture, the level of detail can overwhelm the user or make the map impossible to read. A generalized map can reduce visual processing load and computational load, but may not be as effective a tool for navigation. In this project Julie Dillemuth seeks to determine and measure factors that contribute to the effectiveness of blending realism with abstraction in maps for small screen displays on mobile devices, while Nhat Vu will focus on automatic extraction of vegetation from a set of aerial photographs of the UCSB campus. Preliminary experiments involve navigation tasks on foot with a handheld computer to evaluate particular blends of realism and abstraction.

Results of the research can inform design decisions for map display on mobile computers, with implications for field data collection and location based services.