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International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, Vol XXXV, Part B2. Istanbul 2004
focused on the representation of cultural and historic
development of Iqaluit [http://maps.NRCan.ge.ca/igaluit].
Communities in Nunavut use traditional knowledge while
adapting to the global economy and modern technology. Their
economic future is firmly linked to its renewable and non-
renewable natural resources — mining and petroleum
development, commercial fishing and hunting and eco-tourism.
The increasing economic development activities of the region
require large amounts of geospatial information. New types of
maps and cartographic visualization are required for
management of natural resources, the protection of the
environment and for new economic activities such as eco-
tourism. Mapping and geographic information processing are
thus becoming a basic tool used by local authorities for
effective economic and socio-economic development.
The goal of the visualization project was to develop innovative
methods of web-based cartographic visualization suitable for
communication of geospatial information. The methods include
interactive multimedia maps which use sound, 3D animated
maps, fly-bys, maps integrated with remote sensing images and
innovative interactive interfaces.
4.2 Multimedia Maps with Voice and Sound
The multimedia and multimodal technologies that engage other
senses such as hearing and touching are more effective in
communicating information to users than simple graphics. The
use of sounds lends itself well to the map of Nunavut. When the
user clicks on a place name, the name of the place is spoken in
Inuktituk, a native language of northern Canada. Figure 1
shows the audio-visual map of settlements in Nunavut. The
voice files have been recorded to assure the correct
pronunciation of place names. This created relatively large
digital files thus for the general voice application it is preferable
to work with text based voice generation.
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Figure 1. Audio-visual place name map of Nunavut.
The interface is based upon guidelines mandatory for all
Government of Canada websites. The interface consists of
primary navigational bar located at the top of the page, which
provides standardized access to main sections of the project
information structure. The secondary navigational bar provides
access to subsections of the web site.
Research in the use of sound as cartographic information has
applications other than spoken place names. Topography can
be thought about as an auditory form. By modulating pitch, hill
and slopes can be expressed by sound. Water cover might be
given a splashing sound different than solid land. This concept
349
has been successfully applied in another project carried out in
Mapping Services Branch directed towards blind and visually
impaired people [http://tactile.nrcan.gc.ca/maps-4-all]. In this
case, multi-modal maps have been created based on Scalable
Vector Graphics (SVG), which facilitate the addition of sounds
and haptic (forced-feedback) effects to audio-tactile-haptic
maps (Campin, 2003).
4.3 Interactive Cartography
Using interactive cartographic tools, a user can create their own
displays by selecting information to be included on the map.
Several commercial or open source systems exist which include
this capability (see Figure 2). The research undertaken within
the visualization project was focused on development of an
effective interface that could facilitate integration of geospatial
information.
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Figure 2. Data integration interface for selection of map layers.
One of the information integration techniques is the interactive
layer selection method. Using JavaScript, a function was
created to allow users to attach layers of information to the
background image by clicking the icons on the left. Moving the
cursor to the right permits user to temporarily superimpose
other layers to the map background. Clicking on the cen: al
image displays all the data at a higher resolution. Fig. : 2
shows the results obtained by attaching the roads and nen
superimposing the buildings on the background image. The
information integration technique could be further enhanced by
accessing individual features based on the SVG methodology.
This integration technique can be useful in displaying various
options and scenarios for decision making.
4.4 Representation of Temporal Data
A clear advantage of portraying geospatial data using electronic
media is the ability to effectively display the past and present
distribution of various geographic phenomena, to analyze the
patterns of change and to model the possible future scenarios.
Historical maps and aerial photographs are good sources of data
to examine the previous distribution of land use, and are a
realistic starting point in discussing potential future
developments.
The application selected for representation of temporal change
is the historical and spatial evolution of Iqaluit, the capital of
Nunavut. Historical aerial photographs taken at approximately
ten-year intervals were assembled to portray the rapid growth
of the city over 50 years (1948-2000). They served as a base
for creation of historical city maps. The historical photographs
