Granularity transformations in wayfinding

Abstract

Wayfinding in road networks is a hierarchical process. It involves a sequence of tasks, starting with route planning, continuing with the extraction of wayfinding instructions, and leading to the actual driving. From one task level to the next, the relevant road network becomes more detailed. How does the wayfinding process change? Building on a previous, informal hierarchical highway navigation model and on graph granulation theory, we are working toward a theory of granularity transformations for wayfinding processes. The paper shows the first results: a formal ontology of wayfinding at the planning level and an informal model of granularity mappings.