Mobile interaction is restricted by the small display dimensions of mobile devices. This situation can be improved by using mobile devices as magic lenses for large scale external displays that the user finds embedded in the environment. Paper maps are an example of such ubiquitously available external displays.
Traditional paper-based maps are still superior to their digital counterparts used on mobile devices in several ways. They provide high-resolution, large-scale information with zero power consumption. On the other hand digital maps provide personalized and dynamic information on request, but suffer from small outer scales and low resolutions.
Combining the advantages of both, the “WikEye” project uses mobile camera devices (such as the Nokia N95) as a map-referenced magic lens that displays georeferenced information on top of the physical map.
In the WikEye project georeferenced Wikipedia content is made accessible by moving a camera phone over the map. The live camera image of the map is enhanced by graphical overlays and Wikipedia content.
Like this, camera phones can serve as mediators for up-to-date personalized information. When combined with paper maps they only need to provide missing dynamic information, while the paper map provides the visual context. The user is free to choose information category and mode of presentation. Any geographically referencable content can be overlaid over a paper map, making this approach very flexible.
WikEye is a collaboration between Deutsche Telekom Laboratories and the Institute for Geoinformatics at the University of Münster.
Video:
Source: WikEye
May 12, 2008 at 3:40 pm |
Awesome. I assume not available for the public yet?
May 13, 2008 at 9:32 am |
No, I don’t think so.