1256 - Illustrate with examples of maps or geovisualizations that could be improved by the addition of an audio layer

Illustrate with examples of maps or geovisualizations that could be improved by the addition of an audio layer

Concepts

  • [CV3-7] Sound
    Sound or audios can be one of the components of a multimedia data representation. A conventional GIS usually conveys visual information, however the integration of audios in mapping could enrich GIS data to other senses. Sound can increase the amount of information that’s communicated to the user through channels other than visual to address the special needs of people with visual impairments or people who cannot use in certain circumstances their sight, such as a driver who cannot look at a map. Approaches to rendering sound information on a map fall into three broad categories: (1) to sonoficate the whole visual presentation (for simple geometric data), (2) to augment a visual system with auditory information (allowing multivariate information) and (3) to display information about the surrounding where a user is. By classifying images and creating additional audio layers that associate each pixel with a specific sound, a GIS can add a new auditory dimension to maps.