Abstract: This talk provides a brief overview of the most current approaches in capturing data about humans in their spatial context. Most recent developments have implications for inferring context as well as a user's cognitive state, and thus deliver personalized information directly integrated in the environment through spatial computing (term used here as it is used in the extended reality terminology). We show selected examples from our own projects for eye tracking and real time collaboration.

Abstract: Social media provide a dynamic environment for the development and dissemination of maps. In some cases, socially-shared maps go viral, and in the process they may rapidly reach enormous audiences around the world. Cartographers need to understand how these maps are designed, how they are being shared, and to characterize what it is about certain products that makes them 'go viral.' In addition, the sourcing of original material for socially-shared maps is difficult to determine in many cases. Anecdotally, we have found instances in which users are manually modifying existing maps and sharing those modifications which may then become viral artifacts in their own right. In this talk I present a prototype visualization tool called MapReverse which allows users to use the results from machine learning analysis to characterize the design and topics associated with large collections of map images that may be similar to a particular viral map example. A combination of reverse image search and machine learning image analysis services allows us to identify antecedent examples as well as large numbers of descendent variations of viral maps that are modified from an original image. This combination of visualization and machine learning methods may help us better understand the rapid evolution of cartographic design in the age of social media.

Abstract: Mobile-first describes an approach to user experience (UX) design optimized for the technological constraints of mobile devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and heads-up displays. A joint workshop with the ICA's Location-based Services (LBS), Cognitive Visualization (CogViz), and UX Commissions was held in Beijing, China, ahead of the 2019 International Cartography Conference to identify open questions facing cartographic design, with a trio of research agendas materializing from the event (one approach from each of the three participating commissions needs and perspectives). In my talk, I present a framework for approaching mobile-first cartographic design and summarize the mobile-first cartography research agenda led by the UX Commission. I acknowledge my coorganizers of the 2019 workshop Amy Griffin and Haosheng Huang and my coauthors on the UX commision-led research agenda Arzu Çöltekin, Luciene Delazari, Bradley Denney, André Mendonça, Jie Shen, Zdeněk Stachoň, and Mingguang Wu.

Abstract: Cartography is undergoing a paradigm shift, fueled by the ever-increasing availability of spatially-referenced data on the one hand, and technological advances resulting in a plethora of location-based applications on the other. During the ongoing evaluatory process of novel technologies in the field, one approach that has been of increased interest is Augmented Reality (AR), the method by which digital information is overlaid seamlessly over real-world environments. In this talk we present our investigation on the role of AR as a visualization tool for geospatial information, as part of the CYBERCARTO research project. We present our findings on the inherent spatial characteristics of AR visualizations, trends on recent geospatial AR research, and relevant applications.