Transcript 2. the remote sensing analogy

GREAT COURSE WOKGROUP OF GIS
Geographical Information System
THE FUTURE OF GIS
1. INTRODUCTION
 GIS originated in the mid 1960s
 many see GIS as a phenomenon
of the late 1980s
 expansion in the late 1980s
 how long can growth continue?
2016/4/8
2
2. THE REMOTE SENSING ANALOGY

Remote sensing as precursor to GIS
 major efforts began in late 1960s
 remote sensing well funded
 growth of remote sensing in 1960s and 1970s
vastly outpaced growth in GIS
 GIS often seen as add-on to remote sensing
systems
 three major lessons can be learned from
remote sensing analogy
2016/4/8
3
2. THE REMOTE SENSING ANALOGY

Need for formal theory
 danger that GIS will suffer in the same way as remote
sensing from lack of formal theory underpinning use
 much work in remote sensing has been purely empirical,
limited to specific times and places
 much work is on a project basis
 strong theoretical framework would be basis for greater
generality
 difficult to generalize results from one satellite/sensor
to another
 effects of scale are poorly understood
 analysis of remote sensing data has not benefited from
clear understanding of spatial effects
 the level of theoretical development in these areas is
much higher in 1980s
2016/4/8
4
2. THE REMOTE SENSING ANALOGY

Excessive expectations
 early promise of remote sensing was high
 in practice, numerous problems degrade
accuracy of classification
 continuing need for basic research
 post-war Western society has been fascinated
with technological solutions to problems
 difficulty of defining adequate cost/benefit
measures
 at the same time, technological change can
be opposed by unconvincibles, confirmed naysayers, Luddites
2016/4/8
5
2. THE REMOTE SENSING ANALOGY

Potential for new paradigms
many have expected remote sensing to
produce fundamental changes in the
ways people think about geographical
information
however, even today the magnitudes of
its future effects on affected natural
sciences is not clear
situation in GIS has similarities
2016/4/8
6
2. THE REMOTE SENSING ANALOGY

Technical advances
 both GIS and remote sensing have benefited
from developments in workstation power and
availability of data
 many vendors now offer the capability of
integrating both technologies in the same
workstation
 much research and development in remote
sensing occurred in government laboratories NASA, etc. - funded by government
 GIS context is very different
2016/4/8
7
3. PROSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE

Automated geography
 almost all forms of use of geographical data can
now be automated
 we can use digital spatial data for specific purposes
or to develop general theories
 geographical information becomes much more
powerful in a digital environment
 some have even envisioned "the death of
cartography" - the "paperless map library" - along
similar lines to the "paperless office"
2016/4/8
8
3. PROSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE

Automated geography
geographical information is used infrequently
compared to text or numerical information
but the potential of automated geography
may lead to much greater levels of use people might use geographical data more
frequently if they had better access to it, and
if it was easier to use
2016/4/8
9
3. PROSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE

Spatial information science
GIS and its allied fields, e.g. remote sensing,
add up to the makings of a science of spatial
information
spatial information is sufficiently distinct,
theory and problems are sufficiently basic
and difficult to justify unique identity, status
of minor discipline or subdiscipline
2016/4/8
10
3. PROSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE


Spatial processes
space provides a framework within which to
organize objects
 frame is useful for accessing records, e.g. by street
address
 frame is useful for accounting, e.g. totals by county
 frame is basis for relating objects, e.g. by proximity,
adjacency, connectedness
2016/4/8
11
3. PROSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE


Spatial processes
what role does space have as a source of explanation
and understanding?
 spatial coincidence or proximity may suggest explanation, e.g.
coincidence of cancer cluster and asbestos mining operation
 spatial proximity may be basis for prediction, e.g. more
customers will go to closer store
 spatial accounting is used as basis for much analysis, e.g.
county-to-county variations in employment, health statistics
 many processes operate in spatial frames, e.g. atmospheric,
ocean dynamics
 measures of space are variables in many processes, e.g.
measures of territory in ecology, measures of market area in
retailing
2016/4/8
12
3. PROSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE


2016/4/8
Spatial processes
measures of space are variables in many
processes, e.g. measures of territory in
ecology, measures of market area in retailing
13