Mobile Geospatial Augmented Reality
mobile, sensor web, virtual world May 14th, 2008In this week’s Perspectives post, we explored the data collection space. I was asked by one reader to expand on what I meant by data collection devices that “go well beyond position.”
In going beyond position, I’m thinking of anything that adds a greater context. There are really two parts to this. The first part is in situ data collection for measurements that can be entered into a system. The other part is a data collection and display device that allows us to see beyond the human sensor set to truly understand a place.
For the collection of inputs, I’m hoping to see devices that marry a number of different measurements. It’s great that terrestrial LIDAR is becoming more common for surveying work for the collection of detailed 3D models. It would also be great to see the use of hyperspectral, multispectral, spectrometers, and other measurement devices that help us see what we can’t see. Sensor web inputs would round out the data set, with in-place measurements and an archive that allows us to see change over time.
Taking these new measurements to the field is really where the power lies. A virtual reality in context would solve so many issues of inefficiency in so many fields that are centered on place. Displaying observations from the collective knowledge base gives greater context, but also allows us to see what has not yet been collected so that we can round out the observations. In a sense, this idea aligns well with the concept of a Wiki. A central repository of knowledge for all to see that can be amended and edited over time.
With these thoughts in mind, I stumbled across the Second International Workshop on Mobile Geospatial Augmented Reality. I had no illusions that my thoughts were unique, but to find a descriptive term and an event that is centered around research in this area really excites me, and they’re tapping into the gaming community too! The event is set to take place at the University of Laval in Quebec City, Canada from August 28-29. This sounds like exactly the forum to explore cutting-edge research in this field.
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May 14th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
Very interesting stuff. I’ve been trying to keep up on this type of technology/research. From my understanding the two major issues that still plague the field are a) Cost [as is the case with most new technology] and b) The accuracy of the GPS devices. A worst case of 10m non-differential GPS could lead to some serious overlay errors.
Informative post. I didn’t know about the workshop. Thanks.