Author(s):
Ming-Hsiang (Ming) Tsou* - San Diego State University
Abstract:
The research focus of modern cartography is changing dramatically in the recent years, especially in the Internet Age. Innovative digital representation methods, such as the virtual globes displayed in the Google Earth or NASA World Wind, illustrate a new research direction for modern digital cartography. Traditional cartography mainly focuses on the plane representation methods and rules, such as projections, generalizations, visual balance, map layout design, etc. Under the architecture of virtual globes (digital earth) with the 3D coordinate system, some cartographic rules might become obsolete and some might become more complicated and more important. This paper will discuss the impacts of the virtual globes for the modern cartographic research and propose a new research agenda for the Internet-based Cartography (i-cartography).
The new i-cartography research agenda includes four cartography research themes for virtual globes: 1). the design of direct manipulation user interfaces, 2). the display of virtual globes in extra-large and extra-small electronic mapping devices, 3). the dynamic changes of map symbols and texts in different map scales, and 4). the exploration of new methods for disseminating and integrating Web-based mapping services via the virtual globe framework.
