The Future of GISThe Future of GIS

2005 and 2025

What is the state of geospatial computing today?

What are the issues today? What will geospatial computing be

like in 2025? What issues will be of concern then?

Computing issues in 2005

Building the cyberinfrastructure The digital divide The “where” of computing User interfaces: The end of GUIs, WIMPs, and the

desktop Wireless internet Who owns software Too much data

Geographic information technology in 2005 Countering industry trends, LBS GPS mature, GLONASS, Galileo, GPS II,

indoor? Geobrowser era, and VGI Mobile GIS Cellular phones and location technology New generation of space imaging Interoperability and standards The data fire hose

What will the issues be in 2025?

Cyberinfrastructure

aka Grid computing NSF Vision for next era of computing “ integrated suite of computational engines, mass

storage, networks, digital libraries and databases, sensors, software and services” (NSF, 2003).

Can include human users and the user interface NSF (2003) Revolutionizing Science and Engineering Through

Cyberinfrastructure: Report of the National Science Foundation Blue-Ribbon Advisory Panel on Cyberinfrastructure: Atkins report.

Forecast: Cyberinfrastructure vision

•Services available on demand•Independence of source•“The computer is the network”

Geospatial elements of the GRID: 1. GPS

Source: U. Minnesota IVS Lab

Geospatial elements of the GRID: 1. Portability

Geospatial elements of the GRID: Sensor webs

Forecast: Wearable GIS

We will wear our computers, not sit in front of them

Wearable GIS

http://www.itmedia.co.jp/broadband/0309/18

UCSB Battuta project

Field Test Prototype: Field Test Prototype: YAH, Map view, text off, perspective onYAH, Map view, text off, perspective on

Field Test Prototype: Field Test Prototype: YAH, Image view, text off, perspective onYAH, Image view, text off, perspective on

Forecast : No more data problems

Digital earth will exist It will be achieved by VGI, not

top-downThere will be many and specialized

geobrowsersOpen standards rule

Digital Earth

Visionary concept: Holistic perspective Popularized by former US VP Al Gore Virtual and 3-D representation of the Earth Spatially referenced Connected with digital knowledge archives Vast amounts of scientific, natural, and cultural

information “to describe and understand the Earth, its systems,

and human activities. “

Mary Baker Eddy Library for the Betterment of Humanity 1935

Figure The Geoscope, as drawn by Tom Shannon, for the Buckminster Fuller Institute

Geoscope

““This giant, 200-foot diameter sphere will be a This giant, 200-foot diameter sphere will be a miniature earth -- the most accurate global miniature earth -- the most accurate global representation of our planet ever to be realized." representation of our planet ever to be realized." "This…"This…GeoscopeGeoscope would make it possible for would make it possible for humans to identify the true scale of themselves humans to identify the true scale of themselves and their activities on this planet. Humans could and their activities on this planet. Humans could thus comprehend much more readily that their thus comprehend much more readily that their personal survival problems related intimately to all personal survival problems related intimately to all humanity's survival." humanity's survival." — R. Buckminster Fuller, 1962— R. Buckminster Fuller, 1962

Gore’s Earth in the Balance (1992)

“A multi-resolution, three dimensionalrepresentation of the planet, into which we can embed vast quantities of geo-referenced data.”

Consensus definition 1999

Digital Earth will be a virtual representation of our planet that enables a person to explore and interact with the vast amounts of natural and cultural information gathered about the Earth.(Consensus definition adopted at 2nd interagency workshop, 1999 Sept 23)

World wide participation

The NASA web site

Is DE Google Earth?

Keyhole Earthviewer. In-Q-tel funding, Dual use

Google Maps Google buys Keyhole (Oct. 2004) Google Earth (June 2005) Google Earth Community added Partnership with National Geographic

NO, beacuse

DE = Geobrowser(s) + Global data DE covers all time scales Possibly several browsers

NASA Worldwind (2003) GeoFusion GeoPlayer (2001) ESRI ArcGlobe

NASA Worldwind

So what about data? Global maps

Crosses boundary between MAPS IMAGERY TOPONYMY

We’ve been there before: Global Maps

International Millionth Map of the World VMAP0 (DCW) GlobalMap

Millionth Map of the World Project

German Geographer Albrecht Penck (1858-1945) proponent of consistent and accurate maps of all earth, including its natural and human features.

Penck proposed a worldwide system of maps at the Fifth International Geographical Conference in 1891.

International Map of the World, would consist of 2500 individual maps, each at a scale of 1:1,000,000

Each four degrees of latitude and six degrees of longitude. 1913, Penck's idea came to fruition, international

conference established standards for the maps, aka Millionth Map of the World

The 1913 standards established that maps would use the local form of each place name in the Roman alphabet

Australia Series (Part)

International Map of the World

Legend to be printed in English and French , title of the maps in French, Carte Internationale du Monde au 1 000 000

"Central Bureau of the Map of the World" was established in Great Britain's Ordnance Survey.

36 countries involved, but by World War I only eight maps produced. 1921, American Geographic Society took on Central and South

America. 1921 to 1946 to produce 107 maps 1930s, 405 maps but only half adhered to standards World War II, Bureau offices, archives and data destroyed by

bombing. 1953 United Nations took control By the 1980s, only about 800 to 1000 total maps had been created Project terminated incomplete

Global Map: VMAP0 plus

Massive amounts of data: LU

Digital Earth Issues Today

Linking text, maps and imagery: Fusion

Making maps and images text searchable

Data structuresGlobal grids

Colorado State system

New global/spatial grids: QTM

Go2 Grids38:53:22.08N 077:02:06.86WUS.DC.WAS.54.18.28.83.11US.CA.SBA.UCSB.UCEN

Forecast: Interfaces

GUI and WIMP will be deadLong live perceptual and

multimodal interfaces

Gesture recognition and AR

Images/Movies courtesy of Mathias Kolsh, UCSB

Computing issues in 2025

Network monitors itself, who sees? Spyware and security vs Personal privacy Who pays for services? Who are the digit police? Competing solutions and liability The limits of accuracy Tractability envelope: New methods Simulation is everywhere, for everything

Geospatial issues in 2025

Who owns your lifeline? (Huisman and Forer, 1998; students in Auckland)

Forecast: Geospatial privacy

You are where you are!Your geospatial data rights will

be under threat

The threat from commerce

“I dread the day when I am woken from a sound sleep by a noisy, flashing advertisement projected on my retina urging me to download a new free Web-browser, one that I cannot turn off without mentally focusing on a dark grey ‘Decline’ button hovering at the far range of my peripheral vision. “(Clarke, 1999).

Loss of anonymity

The threat from government

FOIA vs. “Mapping the Risks”

GeoslaveryScott McNealy of Sun

Microsystems "You have no privacy - get over it."