INVESTIGATING MULTIMODAL REPRESENTATIONS of SPATIAL ENVIRONMENTS

Fuzzy Geographically Weighted Clustering

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dan Jacobson) — Sun, 16 Oct 2016 23:21:00 +0000

Mason G.A., and Jacobson, R.D. (2007) Fuzzy Geographically Weighted Clustering,
Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Geocomputation, Maynooth, Ireland

Abstract

Geodemographic analysis has been described as “the analysis of spatially referenced geodemographic and lifestyle data” (See and Openshaw, 2001, p.269) It is widely used in the public and private sectors for the planning and provision of products and services. Geodemographic analysis often uses clustering techniques which are used to classify the geodemographic data into groups, making the data more manageable for analysis purposes. Clustering identifies a number of geodemographic groups (clusters), each group having a
particular geodemographic profile. Each geographical area under consideration is then assigned to a group based on its similarity to the group profile. Fuzzy clustering offers a method of clustering that uses the principles of fuzzy logic to calculate a membership value for each subject in each of the groups. So rather than assigning a geographical area to a single group, each area is allocated a membership value in each of the
groups (clusters), thus helping to overcome the issues of ecological fallacy. The fuzzy clustering algorithm typically used in geodemographic analysis is Bezdek's fuzzy c-means clustering algorithm known as FCM (Bezdek et. al., 1984). Fuzzy geodemographic analysis using FCM has been investigated by Feng and Flowerdew (1998, 1999), and See (1999), but has received scant attention since - an exception being the recent investigation by one of the authors (Mason, 2006). This paper proposes a modification to the fuzzy clustering algorithm to incorporate geographical effects, suitable for geodemographic analysis.

[VIEW PDF]

Integrating User-contributed Geospatial Data with assistive Geotechnology Using a localized Gazetteer

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dan Jacobson) — Sun, 16 Oct 2016 23:02:00 +0000

Rice, M.T., Hammill, W.C., Aburizaiza, A.O., Schwarz, S., and Jacobson,R.D. (2011) Integrating User-contributed Geospatial Data with assistive Geotechnology Using a localized Gazetteer, Advances in Cartography and GIScience. Volume 1, 279-291.

Abstract

We present a methodology for using cartographic-based processes to alert the vision-impaired as they navigate through areas with transitory hazards. The focus of this methodology is the use of gazetteer-based georeferencing to integrate existing local cartographic resources with user-contributed geospatial data. User-contributed geospatial data is of high interest because it leverages local geographic expertise and offers significant advantages in dealing with hazard information in real-time. For blind and vision-impaired people, information about transitory hazards encountered while navigating through a public environment can be contributed by end-users in the same public environment, and quickly integrated into existing cartographic resources. For this project, we build collections of user-contributed geospatial updates from email, voice communication, text messages, and social networks. Other necessary technologies for this project include text-to-voice software, global positioning devices, and the wireless Internet. The methodology described in this paper can deliver usable, cautionary reports of hazards, obstacles, or other time-variable concerns along a pedestrian network. Using the George Mason University campus as a study area, this paper describes how transitory events can be presented in usable form to a vision-impaired pedestrian within a usably short period of time after the event is reported. Buildings and other destinations of interest can be registered in a robust, eXtensible Markup Language (XML)-based, localized gazetteer. Walking networks, parking lots, roads, and landmarks are mapped as vector-based digital information. Any events or changes to the base map, whether planned and disseminated through official channels or reported by end-users, can be linked to a location in the network as established by the attributes cataloged in the localized gazetteer, and presented on an existing base map or in an assistive technology environment. For mobile applications, a vision-impaired pedestrian with a Geographic Information System (GIS) and a Global Positioning System (GPS)-enabled assistive device can receive an alert or warning about proximity to reported obstacles. This warning might include other information, such as alternative paths and relative directions to proceed, also referenced through the localized gazetteer. This research provides insight into challenges associated with integrating user-contributed geospatial in-formation into a comprehensive system for use by the blind or vision-impaired.

[VIEW PDF ]

Design Considerations for Haptic and Auditory Map Interfaces

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dan Jacobson) — Fri, 30 Sep 2016 20:16:00 +0000

Rice, M., Jacobson, R.D., Golledge, R.G., and Jones, D. (2005) Design Considerations for Haptic and Auditory Map Interfaces. Cartography and Geographic Information Science, 32 (4), 381-391http://dx.doi.org/10.1559/152304005775194656

Abstract

Communicating spatial information to the blind and visually impaired using maps and graphics presents many difficulties. Past research has offered advice to cartographers on topics such as tactile areal, point, and line symbolization; on perceptual problems related to dense linear features on tactile maps; and on the relationship between categorical data, measurement theory, and tactile discrimination. With this previous work as a foundation, we describe our research efforts with haptic and auditory maps - the Haptic Soundscapes Project. Haptic Soundscapes maps allow blind and visually-impaired individuals to feel map features through force feedback devices and hear auditory cues that add both redundant and complementary information. Recent experimental work by the authors has led to several recommended practices for cartographic data simplification, object size discrimination, shape identification, and general interface navigation. The authors also present haptic and auditory mapping examples to illustrate design ideas, algorithms, and technical requirements. Future prospects for automated haptic and auditory map creation are discussed and presented in the context of the past work in generating maps for the blind and visually impaired from cartographic data.

[VIEW PDF]

Mapping the location, design and decline of London's psychiatric asylums (1831–2012)

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dan Jacobson) — Fri, 30 Sep 2016 15:57:00 +0000

Jacobson, R. D. (2015). Mapping the location, design and decline of London's psychiatric asylums (1831–2012). Journal of Maps, 12(4), 684-694. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17445647.2015.1061302

Abstract

This research analyses the location of psychiatric hospitals, previously known as ‘mental asylums’ built in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century in London, UK. Twenty of the largest facilities are geo-referenced using a mixed-methods approach including the use of archival documents, historical Ordnance Survey mapping, and a variety of recent digital datasets. The hospital locations are plotted on Ordnance Survey© [2013. Retrieved July 26, 2013, fromhttp://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/opendata/viewer/] Meridian™2 vector data. Inset maps provide comparative mapping of historic and current hospital sites using historic Ordnance Survey©, and recent Google™ Satellite data. Two of the largest former asylums of the ‘Epsom Cluster’ are explored in detail, Long Grove Hospital and West Park Hospital. Architectural design details and on-site photographs from 2007 and 2011 are used to demonstrate changes to luxury housing and of hospital decay. Of the 20 hospital sites mapped, 14 were converted into luxury housing, while only 2 remain as mental health facilities.

[VIEW PDF]

[VIEW MAP]

Crowdsourcing techniques for augmenting traditional accessibility maps with transitory obstacle information

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dan Jacobson) — Mon, 12 Aug 2013 17:24:00 +0000

Jacobson, R.D., Caldwell, D.R., McDermott, S.D., Paez. F. I., Aburizaiza, A.O., Curtin K.M., Stefanidis A, and Qin, H. (2013) Crowdsourcing techniques for augmenting traditional accessibility maps with transitory obstacle information Cartography and Geographic Information Science 40 (3): 210-219. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15230406.2013.799737

Abstract

One of the most scrutinized contemporary techniques for geospatial data collection and production is crowdsourcing. This inverts the traditional top-down geospatial data production and distribution methods by emphasizing on the participation of the end user or community. The technique has been shown to be particularly useful in the domain of accessibility mapping, where it can augment traditional mapping methods and systems by providing information about transitory obstacles in the built environment. This research paper presents details of techniques and applications of crowdsourcing and related methods for improving the presence of transitory obstacles in accessibility mapping systems. The obstacles are very difficult to incorporate with any other traditional mapping workflows, since they typically appear in an unplanned manner and disappear just as quickly. Nevertheless, these obstacles present a major impediment to navigating an unfamiliar environment. Fortunately, these obstacles can be reported, defined, and captured through a variety of crowdsourcing techniques, including gazetteer-based geoparsing and active social media harvesting, and then referenced in a crowdsourced mapping system. These techniques are presented, along with context from research in tactile cartography and geo-enabled accessibility systems.

[VIEW PDF]

Health and Geospatial Information

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dan Jacobson) — Fri, 31 May 2013 18:15:00 +0000

Collaborators at the Faculty of Medicine are using GIS and geospatial techniques to investigate associations between variables in the geographic environment, such as access to green space, with characteristics of the health of a population.

Publications
Potestio M.L., Patel A.B., Powell C.D., McNeil D.A. Jacobson R.D. and McLaren L. (2009) Is there an association between spatial access to parks/green space and childhood overweight/obesity in Calgary, Canada? International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 6:77 doi:10.1186/1479-5868-6-77

Community Responses to Tourism Development in the Canadian Arctic

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dan Jacobson) — Fri, 31 May 2013 17:56:00 +0000

Community Action GIS in the Arctic

Dr. Emma Stewart's project explores how to achieve tourism development in the Canadian Arctic that is both sustainable and acceptable to local communities, and how to engage citizens effectively in the public planning process. Given predictions that Arctic waters could be substantially free of ice by 2050, the research focuses on the effects of increased tourism and shipping activity on Arctic communities. Her research aims to explore community responses to cruise tourism using a modified Public Participation Geographic Information Systems approach.

Study sites in the Canadian High Artic

Overview of a Community Action GIS

Partners
Department of Geography, University of Calgary
Arctic Institute of North America
Trudeau Foundation

Publication
Stewart, E. Jacobson, R.D. and Draper D. (2008) Public participation geographicinformation systems (PPGIS): challenges of implementation in Churchill,Manitoba. The Canadian Geographer / Le G´eographe canadien, 52(3), 351–366.

Press
CAG member profile The Canadian Association of Geographers Newsletter, Jan 2006 [PDF]

Multimodal speech interfaces to GIS

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dan Jacobson) — Fri, 31 May 2013 17:47:00 +0000

Multimodal speech interfaces to GIS

Ken Sam's project invloves leveraging existing commercial off the shelf (COTS) web-GIS component and open specification Speech Application Language Tags (SALT) as building blocks for creating a multimodal web-GIS application. In this paper, we will address how the different technology components were applied for creating a multimodal interfaces for the navigation, interaction and feedback for the web-based GIS application.

Speech driven GIS interface

In most computing and information technology environment, data is presented in either text or graphic format as a means of conveying information to the end users. This has been the traditional paradigm of data display and visualization in the computing world. Efforts have been made in the software industry to design better navigation interfaces for software products and improve on the overall user-friendliness of the products. With geospatial data, additional dimensions are introduced in the presentation and display of the data. Because of the added complexity of geospatial data, there are a number of researches that are still on-going in trying to improve on the interface, visualization and interpretation of geospatial data. One can normally expect geospatial data to be viewed or interpreted by a normal-vision user without much challenge. Yet, visualization and navigation of map is a huge challenge for people who are visually impaired. The design and usability of GIS applications has traditionally been tailored to keyboard and mouse interaction in an office environment. To help with the visualization of geospatial data and navigation of a GIS application, this project presents the result of a prototype application that incorporates voice as another mode of interacting with a web-GIS application. While voice is not a replacement for the mouse and keyboard interface, it can act as an enhancement or augmentation to improve the accessibility and usability of an application. The multimodal approach of combining voice with other user interface for navigation and data presentation is beneficial to the interpretation and visualization of geospatial data and make GIS easier to use for all users.

Publications
Jacobson, R.D., and Sam, K. (2006) Multimodal Web-GIS: AugmentingMap Navigation and Spatial Data Visualization with Voice Control, AutoCarto 2006, June 26-28, Electronic Proceedings.

Multimodal zooming in digital geographic information

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dan Jacobson) — Fri, 31 May 2013 17:36:00 +0000

As a basic research issue, how well can people integrate and reconcile spatial information from various modalities, and how useful is such integration?

As an applied issue, what is the potential for haptic and auditory navigation within geographic information systems? Can visual information be augmented by the presentation of information via other modalities, namely, haptics and audition, and if so, to what extent?

The research will investigate a particular form of navigation within geographic information systems, namely, zooming. The research aims to investigate non-visual methods of representing or augmenting a visual zoom through the auditory and haptic senses, creating a multimodal zooming mechanism.

Transcending the Digital Divide

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dan Jacobson) — Fri, 31 May 2013 17:23:00 +0000

The purpose of this research is to develop, evaluate, and disseminate a non-visual interface for accessing digital information. The aim is to investigate the perceptual and cognitive problems that blind people face when trying to interpret information provided in a multimodal manner. The project also plans to provide touch sensitive and sound based network interface and navigation devices that incorporate cognitive wayfinding heuristics. Haptic (force feedback) interfaces will be provided for exploring web pages that consist of map, graphic, iconic or image products. Sound identifiers for on-screen windowed, map, and image information will also be provided. These tasks will contribute to transcending the Digital Divide that increasingly separates blind or vision impaired people from the growing information-based workplace. Recent research at UCSB has begun to explore how individuals identify features presented through sound and touch. Other research (e.g. O'Modhrrain and Gillespie, 1998; McKinley and Scott, 1998) have used haptics to explore screen objects such as windows, pulldown menus, buttons, and sliders; but map, graphic and other cartographic representations have not been explored. In particular, the potential of auditory maps of on-screen phenomena (e.g. as would be important in GIS applications) has barely been examined and few examples exist of combining audio and touch principles to build an interface. While imaginative efforts to build non-visual interfaces have been proceeding. there is a yet little empirical evidence that people without sight can use them effectively (i.e. develop a true representation of the experienced phenomena). Experiments will be undertaken to test the ability of vision impaired and sighted people from different age groups to use these new interface or features such as: (i) the haptic mouse or a touch window tied to auditory communication displays; (ii) digitized real sounds to indicate environmental features at their mapped locations; (iii) "sound painting" of maps, images, or charts to indicate gradients of phenomena like temperature, precipitation, pressure, population density and altitude. Tests will be developed to evaluate (i) the minimum resolvable area for the haptic interpretation of scenes; (ii) the development of skills for shape tracing in the sound or the force-feedback haptic domain, (iii) the possibility of using continuous or discreet sound symbols associated with touch sensitive pads to learn hierarchically nested screen information (e.g. locations of cities within regions within states within nations); (iv) to evaluate how dynamic activities such as scrolling, zooming, and searching can be conducted in the haptic or auditory domain, (v) to evaluate people's comprehension and ability to explore, comprehend, and make inferences about various non-visual interpretations of complex visual displays (e.g. maps and diagrams), and (vi) to explore the effectiveness of using a haptic mouse with a 2" square motion domain to search a 14" screen (i.e. scale effects).

Off-Route Strategies in Non-Visual Navigation

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dan Jacobson) — Fri, 31 May 2013 17:13:00 +0000

The project addresses the effects of learning method on route comprehension of visually impaired people, and it will determine if changes in geographic scale alter the effectiveness of selected learning media. An understanding of how different methods of learning affect route comprehension will allow current spatial knowledge acquisition theory and orientation and mobility training to be assessed and, if necessary, improved. Traversing space is one of the most cognitively demanding tasks faced by visually impaired people, and often invokes fear of being lost or disorientated. For these reasons there is a need to identify effective strategies of spatial learning that can contribute to the mobility and quality of life of visually impaired people. In the first experiment 24 visually impaired people will learn three short routes across a University campus (in counterbalanced order). Each route will be learned using a different learning method. The 24 subjects will be divided into 4 groups who will learn the route in a different order. The 3 conditions will be (1) pointing to places along the route, (2) making a map of the route, and (3) verbally describing the route. A further (control) group of ten visually impaired subjects will learn the route without any given strategy. Each trial will be video recorded. The three strategies selected are "off-route" strategies. Participants' route learning performance will be measured in several ways: the number of trials required to achieve successful route learning; number of errors made; types of errors; self-reported confidence measures; and assessment by independent judges of performance, hesitancy, and confidence. In the second experiment, 16 participants will learn a route 1.4 miles long through a complex urban environment. Participants will be divided into two conditions. In the first condition, they will learn the route using the most successful strategy from Experiment 1. In the second condition, they will learn the route using no given strategy. Sample sizes in both experiments are relatively small due to the difficulty of recruiting visually impaired participants, but the number of participants and number of trials will be greater than in previous experiments of way-finding and therefore should provide definitive results. By collecting data in a small-scale (university campus) and a large-scale environment (suburban neighborhood) we may find that spatial knowledge acquisition focuses on different cognition tasks at different scales. For the development of an effective orientation and mobility training program, these tasks may be operationalized via one or more simple geographic-based environmental learning procedures. The research addresses important theoretical questions relating to spatial learning and cognition, providing further insights into how visually impaired people construct, store, and utilize spatial knowledge. In so doing, it will address practical issues relating to the improvement of current orientation and mobility training.

PUBLICATIONS

Blades, M., Lippa, Y., Golledge, R.G., Jacobson, R.D., and Kitchin, R.M. (2002) Wayfinding by people with visual impairments: The effect of spatial tasks on the ability to learn a novel route. Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness 96, 407-419.
Link here

Jacobson, R.D., Lippa, Y., Golledge, R.G., Kitchin, R.M., and Blades, M. (2001) Rapid development of cognitive maps in people with visual impairments when exploring novel geographic spaces. IAPS Bulletin of People-Environment Studies (Special Issue on Environmental Cognition) 18, 3-6.
Link here

Golledge, R.G., Jacobson, R.D., Kitchin, R.M., and Blades, M. (2000). Cognitive maps, spatial abilities, and human wayfinding. Geographical Review of Japan, ser. B: The English journal of the Association of Japenese Geographers, 73 (Ser.B) (2), 93-104.
Link Here

PARTNERS

Department of Geography, University of California at Santa Barbarba, USA
Department of Psychology, University of California at Santa Barbarba, USA
Department of Geography, Florida State University, USA
Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, UK
Department of Geography, National University of Maynooth, Ireland

Book Publication: Mining and Natural Hazard Vulnerability in the Philippines: Digging to development or digging to disaster?

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dan Jacobson) — Tue, 21 May 2013 21:53:00 +0000

Details at Anthem Press

Holden, W. N. Jacobson, R.D. (2012) Mining and Natural Hazard Vulnerability in the Philippines: Digging to development or digging to disaster? Anthem Press: London, New York, Delhi, pp. 286

LINK to AMAZON.CA

Back Cover Information

_____________________

"This text provides an exhaustive and engaging review of the literature surrounding issues of development in the Philippines. Holden and Jacobson leave no stone unturned as they uncover some of the most detrimental effects of modern mining practices on the surrounding natural environment and human communities."

- Professor Kathleen Nadeau, California State University, San Bernardino

____________________

"This book speaks well of mining disasters that are accelerated and amplified by natural hazards in the Philippines such as typhoons, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. I recommend this superb work to the general public and readers of specific interest on mining especially those with similar situations in their own countries."
— Dr Emelina Regis, Director of the Institute for Environmental Conservation
and Research, Ateneo de Naga University

_______________

"Empirically grounded and theoretically informed, Holden and Jacobsen provide a compelling and powerful study of the hazards of neoliberalism and of environmental politics more broadly." — Dr James Tyner, Professor of Geography, Kent State University

________________

The archipelago of the Philippines is well endowed with nonferrous mineral resources, and in recent years the Filipino government, acting under the influence of the dominant and seemingly ubiquitous neoliberal development paradigm, has liberalized its mining laws in order to accelerate economic development. Yet the Philippines is also a country highly prone to a variety of natural hazards - including earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, typhoons and El Nino-induced droughts - that have the ability to interact adversely with mining's potential for environmental degradation. Thus, there are great dangers inherent in pursuing such a development paradigm: earthquakes can destabilize tailings storage facilities, typhoons can flood tailings ponds, and mine-pit dewatering can enhance the competition for groundwater resources during droughts. This study explores how these hazards amplify the environmental harm prevalent in mining, and reveals the substantial threat they pose to the livelihoods of the archipelago's poor - who are dependent upon subsistence agriculture and subsistence aquaculture - as well as the inadequacies of the institutions designed to protect their environment.

__________________

Supporting Accessibility for Blind and Vision-impaired People With a Localized Gazetteer and Open Source Geotechnology

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dan Jacobson) — Tue, 21 May 2013 21:29:00 +0000

Rice, M.T., Aburizaiza, A.O, Jacobson,R.D, Shore , B.M., and Paez. F I. (2012). Supporting Accessibility for Blind and Vision-impaired People With a Localized Gazetteer and Open Source Geotechnology. Transactions in GIS 16 (2):177-190. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9671.2012.01318.x

Abstract

Disabled people, especially the blind and vision-impaired, are challenged by many transitory hazards in urban environments such as construction barricades, temporary fencing across walkways, and obstacles along curbs. These hazards present a problem for navigation, because they typically appear in an unplanned manner and are seldom included in databases used for accessibility mapping. Tactile maps are a traditional tool used by blind and vision-impaired people for navigation through urban environments, but such maps are not automatically updated with transitory hazards. As an alternative approach to static content on tactile maps, we use volunteered geographic information (VGI) and an Open Source system to provide
updates of local infrastructure. These VGI updates, contributed via voice, text message, and e-mail, use geographic descriptions containing place names to describe changes to the local environment. After they have been contributed and stored in a database, we georeference VGI updates with a detailed gazetteer of local place names including buildings, administrative offices, landmarks, roadways, and dormitories. We publish maps and alerts showing transitory hazards, including location-based alerts delivered to mobile devices. Our system is built with several technologies including PHP, JavaScript, AJAX, Google Maps API, PostgreSQL, an Open Source database, and PostGIS, the PostgreSQL’s spatial extension. This article provides insight into the integration of user-contributed geospatial information into a comprehensive system for use by the blind and vision-impaired, focusing on currently developed methods for geoparsing and georeferencing using a gazetteer.

[VIEW PDF]

Ecclesial Opposition to Nonferrous Metals Mining in Guatemala and the Philippines: Neoliberalism Encounters the Church of the Poor

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dan Jacobson) — Tue, 21 May 2013 21:19:00 +0000

Holden, W. N. and Jacobson, R.D. (2011) Ecclesial Opposition to Nonferrous Metals Mining in Guatemala and the Philippines: Neoliberalism Encounters the Church of the Poor. In Brunn S. (ed.) Engineering Earth, Volume 3 pp 383-411, Springer Netherlands.

Abstract

In recent years, as a result of the prevailing neoliberal development paradigm and the influence of the World Bank, many countries in the developing world have liberalized their mining laws to attract investment into their economies. In both Guatemala and the Philippines, governments have revised mining laws in an attempt to encourage more investment. This chapter discusses the opposition of the Roman Catholic Church to the neoliberal policies enacted by the governments of those countries to encourage the extraction of nonferrous metals by multinational corporations. The chapter begins with a discussion of the countries’ mineral
resources (and efforts of the respective governments to encourage mining), and then discusses the ecclesial opposition to mining in the two countries; the chapter concludes with a discussion of how neoliberalism is encountering the church of the poor. This research finds its home within the discipline of geography, as one of
human geography’s core areas is the relationship between people and their environment, and conflicts about mining are conflicts about different understandings of human-nature relationships.

[VIEW PDF]

Exemplifying Accumulation By Dispossession: Mining And Indigenous Peoples In The Philippines.

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dan Jacobson) — Tue, 21 May 2013 20:30:00 +0000

Holden, W., Nadeau, K., and Jacobson, R.D. (2011) Exemplifying Accumulation By Dispossession: Mining And Indigenous Peoples In The Philippines. Geografiska Annaler: Series B, Human Geography 93 (2), 141-161.

Abstract

Using a case study from the Philippines, this article applies David Harvey’s theory of accumulation by dispossession to show how neoliberal policies enable mining corporations to locate, lay claim to, and develop mineral resources in formerly inccessible areas, which for centuries have provided safe haven for indigenous peoples and their cultures. It explains why these factors are leading to an increase in armed conflict between military forces and guerrilla groups, which recruit their members from displaced indigenous people. The article concludes that the theory of accumulation by dispossession offers an appropriate analytical tool for understanding these processes.

[VIEW PDF]

Comparing Tactile Maps and Haptic Digital Representations of a Maritime Environment

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dan Jacobson) — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:16:00 +0000

Simonnet, M., Vieilledent, and Tisseau, J. (2011) Comparing Tactile Maps and Haptic Digital Representations of a Maritime Environment. Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness, 105 (4), 222-234.

Abstract

A map exploration and representation exercise was conducted with participants who were totally blind. Representations of maritime environments were presented either with a tactile map or with a digital haptic virtual map. We assessed the knowledge of spatial configurations using a triangulation technique. The results revealed that both types of map learning were equivalent.

Non-Visual Geographies

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dan Jacobson) — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:12:00 +0000

Jacobson, R.D. (2010) Non-Visual Geographies In: Warf, B. (ed.) Encyclopedia of Geography, Sage: London.

Abstract

The construction, interpretation, and meaning of non-visual landscapes explores the role of sensory and perceptual modes other than vision in the construction of geographic space. It positions itself at the boundary between social theory and behavioral geography by examining the ways in which non-visual modes of information acquisition and processing reflect geographic environments and in turn shape those same places by structuring the subjective understanding and behavior of people and their symbolic understanding of space. This understanding and representation of geographic space, occurs from several diverse conceptual perspectives, including behavioral geography and post-structuralism. At the individual level we gather
information in an environment, from all our senses other than vision: including hearing, smell, taste, and touch including kinesthesia (muscle memory). Our spatial behaviour is informed by these other sense modalities facilitating an understanding of space and place.

Tactile maps

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dan Jacobson) — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:05:00 +0000

Jacobson, R.D. (2010) Tactile maps, In: Goldstein, B. (ed) Encyclopedia of Perception, pp.950-952. Sage: London

Abstract

Extracting meaningful information from a tactile map, that is a map elevated in the third dimension, designed to be read by the sense of touch, is far more problematic than reading a conventional map with the use of vision. Tactile maps are widely used in educational settings and in orientation and mobility training for vision impaired individuals. Maps and graphics are the most fundamental and primary mechanism for communicating spatial arrangements to blind people that is any representation of spatial features their arrangement and intra relationships. Tactile graphics are used as diagrams in school text books, and portable maps when traveling. Just as Braille is often used as a substitute for the written word, tactile graphics are the equivalent for maps and diagrams. These are an essential tool for providing independence and education to people without vision.

The assessment of non visual maritime cognitive maps of a blind sailor: a case study

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dan Jacobson) — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:07:00 +0000

Simonnet, M., Vieilledent, S., Jacobson, D. and Tisseau, J. (2010) The assessment of non visual maritime cognitive maps of a blind sailor: a case study, Journal of Maps, v2010, 289-301. 10.4113/jom.2010.1087.

Abstract

Nowadays, thanks to the accessibility of GPS, sighted people widely use electronic charts to navigate through different kinds of environments. In the maritime domain, it has considerably improved the precision of course control. In this domain, blind sailors can not make a compass bearing, however they are able to interact with multimodal electronic charts. Indeed, we conceived SeaTouch, a haptic (tactile-kinesthetic) and auditory virtual environment that allows users to perform virtual maritime navigation without vision. In this study we attempt to assess if heading or northing “haptic” views during virtual navigation training influences non-visual spatial knowledge. After simulating a navigation session in each condition, a blind sailor truly navigated on the sea and estimated seamark bearings. We used the triangulation technique to compare the efficiency of northing and heading virtual training. The results are congruent with current knowledge about spatial frames of reference and suggest that getting lost in heading mode forces the blind sailor to coordinate his current “view” with a more global and stable representation.

Map - data Publication

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dan Jacobson) — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:02:00 +0000

Simonnet, M., Vieilledent, S., Jacobson, D. and Tisseau, J. (2010) Published Map. In Simonnet, M., Vieilledent, S., Jacobson, D. and Tisseau, J. (2010) The assessment of non visual maritime cognitive maps of a blind sailor: a case study, Journal of Maps, v2010, 289-301. 10.4113/jom.2010.1087.

[VIEW PDF]

A Haptic and Auditory Maritime Environment for Non Visual Cognitive Mapping of Blind Sailors

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dan Jacobson) — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:57:00 +0000

M. Simonnet, R.D. Jacobson, S. Vieilledent and J. Tisseau. (2009) SeaTouch: A Haptic and Auditory Maritime Environment for Non Visual Cognitive Mapping of Blind Sailors. In K. Stewart Hornsby et al. (Eds.): COSIT 2009, LNCS 5756, pp. 212–226, 2009. Springer-Verlag Berlin, Heidelberg.

Abstract

Navigating consists of coordinating egocentric and allocentric spatial frames of reference. Virtual environments have afforded researchers in the spatial community with tools to investigate the learning of space. The issue of the transfer between virtual and real situations is not trivial. A central question is the role of frames of reference in mediating spatial knowledge transfer to external surroundings, as is the effect of different sensory modalities accessed in simulated and real worlds. This challenges the capacity of blind people to use virtual reality to explore a scene without graphics. The present experiment involves a haptic and auditory maritime virtual environment. In triangulation tasks, we measure systematic errors and preliminary results show an ability to learn configurational knowledge and to navigate through it without vision. Subjects appeared to take advantage of getting lost in an egocentric “haptic” view in the virtual environment to improve performances in the real environment.

Haptic or Touch-Based Knowledge

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dan Jacobson) — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:48:00 +0000

Jacobson R. D. (2009) Haptic or Touch-Based Knowledge. In Kitchin R, Thrift N (eds) International Encyclopedia of Human Geography, Volume 5, pp. 13–18. Oxford Elsevier

Abstract

Haptics is a term relating to touch, and active touch in its widest context, and how we are able to gain information about objects by manipulating them. Haptic perception involves the sensing of the movement and position of joints, limbs, and fingers, and also the sensing of information through the skin. The word ‘haptics’ is derived from the Greek term haptikos, from haptesthai, meaning ‘to grasp, touch, or perceive’, which is equivalent to hap(tein) to grasp, sense, or perceive.

Naturalistic Testing

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dan Jacobson) — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:43:00 +0000

Jacobson, R.D. (2009) Naturalistic Testing, In: In: Kitchin, R., Thrift, N (eds.) International Encyclopedia of Human Geography, Volume 7, pp. 269-274. Oxford: Elsevier.

Abstract

Naturalistic inquiry or testing aims to leverage the benefits of conducting research in a natural setting in order to provide a rigorous contextual evaluation of the problem or phenomena under research scrutiny. It therefore is a predominantly qualitative research methodology. This is in contrast with controlled experiment inquiry in which the researcher manipulates the independent variables with some explicit control over other factors in order to observe the effects on the dependent variables.

Is there an association between spatial access to parks/green space and childhood overweight/obesity in Calgary, Canada?

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dan Jacobson) — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:35:00 +0000

Potestio M.L., Patel A.B., Powell C.D., McNeil D.A. Jacobson R.D. and McLaren L. (2009) Is there an association between spatial access to parks/green space and childhood overweight/obesity in Calgary, Canada? International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 6:77 doi:10.1186/1479-5868-6-77

Abstract

Background: The recent increase in childhood obesity is expected to add significantly to the prevalence of chronic diseases. We used multivariate multilevel analysis to examine associations between parks/green space and childhood overweight/obesity across communities in Calgary, Canada, a city characterized by intensified urban sprawl and high car use.
Methods: Body Mass Index was calculated from measured height and weight data obtained from 6,772 children (mean age = 4.95 years) attending public health clinics for pre-school vaccinations. Each child's home postal code was geocoded using ESRI ArcGIS 9.2. We examined four measures of spatial access to parks/green space (based onGeographic Information Systems): 1) the number of parks/green spaces per 10,000 residents, 2) the area of parks/green space as a proportion of the total area within a community, 3) average distance to a park/green space, and 4) the proportion of parks/green space service area as a proportion ofthe total area within a community. Analyses were adjusted for dissemination area median family income (as a proxy for an individual child's family income) community-level education, and community-level proportion of visible minorities.
Results: In general, parks/green space at the community level was not associated with overweight/ obesity in Calgary, with the exception of a marginally significant effect whereby a moderate number of parks/green spaces per 10,000 residents was associated with lower odds of overweight/obesity. This effect was non-significant in adjusted analyses.
Conclusion: Our null findings may reflect the popularity of car travel in Calgary, Canada and suggest that the role built environment characteristics play in explaining health outcomes may differ depending on the type of urban environment being studied.

[VIEW PDF]

Can Virtual Reality Provide Digital Maps To Blind Sailors? A Case Study

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dan Jacobson) — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:28:00 +0000

Jacobson, R.D., Simonnet, M., Vieilledent, S. and Tisseau, J. (2009) Can Virtual Reality Provide Digital Maps To Blind Sailors? A Case Study. Proceedings of the International Cartographic Congress, 15-21 November 2009, Santiago, Chile. 10pp.

Abstract
This paper presents information about “SeaTouch” a virtual haptic and auditory interface to digital Maritime Charts to facilitate blind sailors to prepare for ocean voyages, and ultimately to navigate autonomously while at sea. It has been shown that blind people mainly encode space relative to their body. But mastering space consists of coordinating body and environmental reference points. Tactile maps are powerful tools to help them to encode spatial information. However only digital charts an be updated during an ocean voyageand they very often the only alternative is through conventional printed media. Virtual reality can present information using auditory and haptic interfaces. Previous work has shown that virtual navigation facilitates the ability to acquire spatial knowledge. The construction of spatial representations from physical contact of individuals with their environment, the use of Euclidean geometry seems to facilitate mental processing about space. However, navigation takes great advantage of matching ego- and allo-centered spatial frames of
reference to move and locate in surroundings. Blindness does not indicate a lack of comprehension of spatial concepts, but it leads people to encounter difficulties in perceiving and updating information about the environment. Without access to distant landmarks that are available to people with sight, blind people tend to encode spatial relations in an ego-centered spatial frame of reference. On the contrary, tactile maps and appropriate exploration strategies allow them to build holistic configural representations in an allo-centered spatial frame of reference. However, position updating during navigation remains particularly complicated without vision. Virtual reality techniques can provide a virtual environment to manage and explore their surroundings. Haptic and auditory interfaces provide blind people with an immersive virtual navigation experience. In order to help blind sailors to coordinate ego- and allo-centered spatial frames of reference, we conceived SeaTouch. This haptic and auditory software is adapted so that blind sailors are able to
set up and simulate their itineraries before sailing navigation. In our first experimental condition, we compare spatial representations built by six blind sailors during the exploration of a tactile map and the virtual map of SeaTouch. Results show that these two conditions were equivalent. In our second experimental condition, we focused on the conditions which favour the transfer of spatial knowledge from a virtual to a real environment. In this respect, blind sailors performed a virtual navigation in‘Northing mode’, where the ship moves on the map, and in‘Heading mode’, where the map shifts around the sailboat. No significant difference appears. This reveals that the most important factor for the blind sailors to locate themselves in the real environment is the orientation of the maps during the initial encoding time. However, we noticed that the subjects who got lost in the virtual environment in northing condition slightly improved their performances in the real environment. The analysis of the exploratory movements on the map are congruent with a previous model of coordination of spatial frames of reference. Moreover, beyond the direct benefits of SeaTouch for the navigation of blind sailors, this study offers some new insight to facilitate understanding of non visual spatial cognition. More specifically the cognitively complex task of the coordination and integration of ego and allocentered spatial frames of reference. In summary the research aims at measuring if a blind sailor can learn a maritime environment with a virtual map as well as with a tactile map. The results tend to confirm this, and suggest pursuing investigations with non visual virtual navigation. Here we present the initial results with
one participant.

[VIEW PDF]