Design Issues for Pen-Centric Interactive Maps

Recent advances in interactive pen-aware systems, pattern recognition technologies and human-computer interaction have provided new opportunities for pen-based communication between human users and intelligent computer systems. Using interactive maps, users can annotate pictorial or cartographic information by means of pen gestures and handwriting. Interactive maps may provide an efficient means of communication, in particular in the envisaged contexts of crisis management scenarios, which require robust and effective exchange of information. This information contains, e.g., the location of objects, the kind of incidents, or the indication of route alternatives. When considering human interactions in these contexts, various pen input modes are involved, like handwriting, drawing and sketching. How to design the required technology for grasping the intentions of the user based on these pen inputs remains an elusive challenge, which is discussed in this chapter. Aspects like the design of a suitable set of pen gestures, data collection in the context of the envisaged scenarios, and the development of distinguishing features and pattern recognition technologies for robustly recognizing pen input from varying modes are described. These aspects are illustrated by presenting our recent results on the development of interactive maps within the framework of the ICIS project on crisis management systems.