5 Evaluating the effectiveness of non-realistic 3D maps for navigation with mobile devices

Abstract

Small mobile computer platforms are being employed to deliver maps and map-related objects to users, ‘at location’, on-demand and almost instantaneously. The products delivered are mainly conventional in design, sometimes only mimicking their paper counterparts. However, a number of applications have introduced innovative presentations as both 2D and 3D images. The delivery of 3D images on these devices, particularly as realistic impressions has been the focus of recent research to evaluate the effectiveness of such images for navigation This chapter provides a background on the use of 3D imagery by cartography. It then describes the initial stages of a project that built 3D images for mobile de-vices based on Döllner’s theory related to non-realistic 3D images. The research applied Döllner’s theory to the realization of non-realistic 3D images for PDAs. It then outlines the development of a ‘proof-of-concept’ prototype and it pro-vides the results of an evaluation of this prototype. Finally it discusses possible applications of such imagery.