On the Road With Image Maps

Increasingly, I find myself thinking of how the GeoTechnologies could make life much more productive and enjoyable in both professional and personal life.
      Maybe it's because I have been involved in this industry for the last four years - this industry which entails computer mapping, satellite imaging of Earth, geographic information systems; and Global Positioning Systems; and having been involved in many different industries, my astonishment for the technologies which this industry spawns constantly permeates my consciousness. I still cannot take it for granted, especially when speaking with people who are not directly involved with these technologies. When one looks at the level which society has applied the GeoTechnologies, I am amazed at the prospects and potential for this industry. I am not the only speaking of how geographic information can be used by large organizations in the areas of environmental, resource and infrastructure management. But, how we can benefit from these technologies in all walks of life.
      Every year, my family and I load-up the van and we embark on our annual pilgrimage across North America from Denver, Colo., to Washington D.C., then north to southeastern Ontario and the Ottawa region. There are countless situations where I wished we had an in-vehicle navigation system, or other sorts of geographic information. I cannot calculate how much time I lost, this summer, trying to find my way around the suburbs of Washington D.C. and St. Louis, Mo. And, it is not that I did not have maps available. However, many times when one is unfamiliar with the terrain, the maps at hand may not be totally suitable. It struck me, and maybe because I am so entrenched in the GeoTechnologies, that the maps that society has grown accustomed too may not provide us with the information we really want.
      For the past few years, as part of publishing EOM. I have had opportunities to work with image maps, either from airborne or satellite data. Having benefited from this exposure to image maps, it strikes me how little information one gets from raster or line maps. Granted, a vector navigation system would have been beneficial in the Washington suburbs. However, when traveling through urban areas, you may miss the street sign you are looking for, or that sign may be turned around or broken down. I have found that it would be much more effective to work with a combination road map and image map. This way you can tell that the building you are looking for is adjacent to a vacant lot, and across the street from an industrial area. There is obviously a very good reason why the U.S. Air Force uses satellite and aerial images for mission rehearsal and training. The same could be true for the traveling businessman or the family on vacation, both of whom could save considerable time if they had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the area they plan to visit.
      I usually schedule a few business meetings in some of the cities we visit on our trip. On this occasion, I lost a total of five hours in the Washington suburbs navigating my way to and from appointments. I should have used a map to plan meetings in the same area, on the same day. However, peoples' schedules being what they are, for example, I arranged a morning meeting in Herndon, Va, then a luncheon appointment in Alexandria, Va. A navigation system, along with a listing of restaurants and an image map to get the lay-of-the-land, would have been invaluable.
      In southeastern Ontario, my brother and I tried to find a couple secluded, out-of-the-way trout lakes. The lakes were not present on any Canadian Ministry of Natural Resources maps, and the logging trails which led to the lakes certainly were not on the maps. Image maps, especially those from airborne data or those that will be derived form the high resolution satellites soon to be available, would have solved our problem nicely. Not to mention saving us portaging a canoe and fishing gear through miles of bush and along logging trails that lead to nowhere.
      If we look at the extent which the GeoTechnologies have penetrated society - one could say we are still living in the dark ages of geographic information. It is recognized that the GeoTechnologies can have a tremendous impact upon society by helping us manage environmental, resource and infrastructure problems. However, the greatest impact could come when we all have our own personal navigation/communication systems which will allow us to call-up any sort of geographic information, from the local street map- to a listing of all Italian restaurants within five miles of our location and a map or directions to get there- to high resolution image maps to find our favorite fishing holes.
      On these annual family trips, I can certainly see how the GeoTechnologies can help me navigate the endless streets and highways of the Virginia suburbs, and help me find the hidden, jewel-like lakes of southern Ontario. But, much to my chagrin, no algorithm has yet been written that will make the fish bite.

Cheers!

Roland Mangold

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