1. Current Developments CC3006N

2. Course Information To acquaint the student with very recent developments in computing and information systems. To indicate how they can relate these to commercial, social and ethical issues. To provide opportunity for the development of competence in oral discussion.

3. Access to materials ftp://fserver.islingtoncollege.edu.np/

4. Course setup 6 lectures. Each lecture will be followed by 1 tutorial class per week.

5. Assessment 1. Assignment 1(40%), the in-depth report is based on: - The ability to comprehend the key elements of research and development in a number of current topics in computing and IT. - The depth of understanding and reporting of one selected topic. - Deadline week 5 2. Assignment 2(60%), the in-depth report is based on - The ability to demonstrate understanding of their selected topic in an interview. - The ability to relate these developments to commercial, social, ethical and human factors. - Deadline week 11

6. Assignment rules Individual assignments. No exceptions. Missed deadlines will be dealt very severely.

7. Topics for the course Spatial Computing Augmented Reality Computer Forensics Free and Open Source Concepts ------------------

8. SPATIAL COMPUTING AND LOCATION-BASED SERVICES

9. What is spatial computing? “Spatial Computing” refers to using computers (inc. mobile phones etc) to process geographically related data Web maps Web-based route planning Car sat navs Mobile phones with GPS that will tell you how to find nearby amenities etc.

10. Learning outcomes of the lecture To understand the meaning of spatial computing and location-based services To understand how spatial information is represented, manipulated and queried in computer systems

11. Why is spatial computing important? Most mobile phones and vehicles have in-built satellite receiver (such as GPS) In combination with links to web services will enable users to access a huge range of spatial information services: planning routes, finding local facilities, booking seats at a local cinema… -a huge range of possibilities.

12. Geographical information systems Spatial computing and location-based services are newer concepts that have arisen from Geographical Information Systems (GIS) GIS have been around a long time (>20 years) but as office based systems, e.g. in the Highways Agency to keep information about the roads Location-based services = GIS for the mass- market and for consumer devices such as mobile phones

13. A typical situation Where is the nearest bank and how do I get there ? GPS Satellites: Provide precise spatial location. Mobile broadband Spatial information service provider: web servers provide data about local services and locations

14. Mobile location-based services Location-based services are applications based on your geographical location Two elements in making this work: Knowing your precise location Accessing web services which have stored spatial data such as the road networks, the locations of banks, cinemas, restaurants etc. and provide the means to search the data, calculate routes through it etc.

15. Knowing where you are: GPS navigation When people talk about "a GPS," they usually mean a GPS receiver. The Global Positioning System (GPS) is actually a group of 27 Earth-orbiting satellites (24 in operation and three extras in case one fails). The U.S. military developed and implemented this satellite network as a military navigation system, but soon opened it up to everybody else. GPS receivers have an accuracy of about 10 to 30 meters.

16. Satellite positioning GPS is a US Dept of Defence system US government could switch if off at any time! Reason why EU governments decided to have their own duplicate satellite system: GALILEO Each satellite transmits a signal giving the precise time and its precise location

17. How GPS Navigation works? A GPS receiver's job is to locate three or more of the satellites, figure out the distance to each, and use this information to deduce its own location – trilateration Putalisadak Kamal Pokhari Gyaneshwor College 2-D trilateration

18. Working with spatial data Fundamental to providing location-based services is the ability to store not just data but spatial data in databases, example: Data: Names and telephone numbers of restaurants in Nagarkot Spatial Data: Names and telephone numbers of restaurants in Nagarkot and Precise Geographic Locations

19. Types of spatial data objects Spatial information systems contain objects with their locations stored in a database for processing and analysis to support user applications They normally categorize objects into one of 3 types: points, lines and areas, examples: Point object- an individual restaurant Line object- Prithivi Highway Area object- Kathmandu city

20. Storing spatial objects Every object requires: (i) locational coordinates (i.e. where it is) (ii) other attributes e.g. name, type, status For example if it’s a road, is it jammed? If it’s a hotel, does it have rooms available? -Some of the attribute information may be updated in real time to support live online services such as hotel room bookings

21. Examples of spatial objects Note: a point might become an area, depending on the scale at which data objects are stored Kathmandu –an area Islington College –a point Prithivi Highway–a line

22. Spatial processing In order to support lots of location based applications, spatial databases must support geometric queries such as: Is point object “p” inside area object “q”? Is line object “x” connected to line object “y”? (needed for route planning) Is point object “z” within 2 miles of the user’s current location? (needed when finding local amenities)

23. Vector format spatial objects Line and area features described in a database by a sequence of points only the points appear in the spatial database points must be linked in a sequence in a data structure

24. Vector format objects in a database All objects described by sets of point locations A single point object: one point location A line object: has a set of point locations that trace its geographical path An area object: has a set of point locations that trace its closed boundary. This is called “vector format” spatial data –it is the most common way of doing it

25. Examples of vector format objects LINE OBJECT AREA OBJECT Sets of points trace the line or boundary

26. Example of database entries Physical reality: Database entries to describe the objects: Object ObjectCurrentPointPoint NameTypeStatusIDLocation M4MotorwayJammed1x1,y1 M4MotorwayJammed2x2,y2 M4MotorwayJammed3x3,y3 A34A RoadFree2x2,y2 A34 A RoadFree4x4,y4 M4 1 2 3 A34 4

27. Data volumes and computational complexity You can see that it takes a lot of data in a database to describe simple real world spatial objects Analysing spatial data, e.g. for route planning, also takes a lot of intensive processing of the entries in the database e.g. for tracing the connectivity of objects (one road to another) Roads are linked if they have a point in common (in the previous diagram the M4 and A34 share point 2)

28. Problems with simple vector format points list approach A simple points list can describe line and area features but it is not very efficient for spatial queries: How can we tell that areas A and B are adjacent without scanning to look for pairs of points (defining edges) in common ? A B C D

29. Data volume v. Query efficiency Could store more information (e.g. about adjacency of areas) to make spatial queries quicker, but the data volume would go up General trade off: Efficient spatial data storage = less efficient queries Less efficient spatial data storage = more efficient queries

30. Inputting spatial data into a spatial database Some semi-automatic systems which scan paper maps not very reliable Most reliable method: manual digitizing to collect spatial locations from a map and typing in database entries.

31. Digitization errors Manual digitization of a map etc. can lead to spatial errors Typical ones:- Too many points these not needed Unmatched points should be one point Dangling point (overshoot)

32. Web map design Maps output from a spatial information system and delivered to a user must be “designed”- important HCI issue graphical maps contain point, line, and area features plus text labels they must not be too cluttered but must contain the information needed by the user must adapt to the user’s device

33. Issues in further development of location based services Delivery of location based services to mobile users will grow significantly as service providers develop the market Still some problems: how to charge for services protection of copyright in spatial data obtaining massive amounts of data needed – huge issue for service providers, e.g. in keeping spatial data in their servers up to date

34. Legal liability issues Spatial information services provided to end users must be accurate Who is responsible if data is inaccurate or out of date ? data supplier, database manager, end user, no one? Inaccurate spatial data can be dangerous –sat nav guiding a lorry over a cliff?

35. Conclusions We have seen that storing and processing spatial data is a complicated business, but it is essential for the new generation of location based services e.g. on mobile phones, on the web, and in sat navs Technology is pushed to its limits by this, but the future commercial potential is enormous

36. Background reading Read this web article from PC World on some popular new social location-based services for mobiles: http://www.pcworld.com/article/185477/twit ters_mixer_labs_buy_puts_locationbase d_services_in_the_spotlight.html