a study on mental representations for realistic visualization. the particular case of ski trail...

A STUDY ON MENTAL REPRESENTATIONS FOR

REALISTIC VISUALIZATION:

THE PARTICULAR CASE OF SKI TRAIL MAPPING

R.Balzarini, A. Dalmasso, M.Murat

Commission II, WG II/6

1

GeoVIS 2015: Rendering and Cognition with Images and

Hybrid Visualizations

source : Balzarini, Buttarazzi, SIG 2014

R.Balzarini GeoVIS15 2

Introduction

a work in progress collaboration between geographers (INRIA-GRA), historians (LARHRA) ,computer and

cognitive scientists (LIG), around the study of the evolving representation of a territorial model:

the design of ski resort trail maps.

Research project :

MECOMO – MEmory, COgnition and MOdelling of mountain landscape

This work has been supported by:

the LABEX Innovation en Territoires de Montagne ANR-10-LABX-50-01

the Research Federation Innovacs, UPMF Grenoble-CNRS

the Inria Equipex Amiqual4Home ANR-11-EQPX-0002.


Introduction

Case study

source : A. Tait, Cartographic perspectives, 2010


Introduction

Case study: what are ski trails maps?

Are iconic images of the sport of skiing and its relation to the terrain on which ski resorts are built (Tait, 2010).

Panoramic views are oblique perspectives of any angle and they often are not topographically accurate.

source : A. Tait, Cartographic perspectives, 2010


Introduction

Case study: what are ski trails maps?

Besides artistic talent, the panoramist must possess the

ability to read 2D topographic source materials and translate

this information into a graphical 3D representation.

Source: Patterson, 2000

Ski areas often ask for the mountain to “look bigger” and for the artist

to distort the mountain for this purpose. (Patterson, 2000).

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Overall issue

They are at a turning point : paper ski maps no longer

meet the needs of a large part of the customers.

The question arises of adapting to digital practices.

For over 40 years mountains operators have been

providing a representation of GI through artistic

creation of panoramas and ski maps.

tracing the evolution of GI’s representation within the ski resorts mapping tools

advocating recommendations to mountain operators


Methodology

An exploratory approach to answer the main research questions:

1. Are the artist and user’s mental representations the same?

2. What representations make ski maps effective to perform a user’s task?

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Research questions of the study

To answer to the research questions, an experimental protocol was set up:

1. Analyse of expert-activity when making ski maps

2. Analyse of user-activity when reading ski maps

3. Comparison between the provided and used information, to identify expert-representations

handled by users.


Methodology

Source : MECOMO project, 2015

Modalities: AN was interviewed in "ecological conditions" according to thinking-aloud and explanation techniques during 3 hours and 20 minutes.

1. The experimental protocol to study expert-artist activity

Participant: Arthur Novat, CEO of the company Atelier Novat

Material: AN could use color pencils, paper, ski plans archives from “Atelier Novat” and a PC.

Data: A set of "messy data" (sketches, diagrams, videos and audio recordings) was collected (Chi, 2006). Video-audio recording of the interview was transcribed.


2. The experimental protocol to study user-skier activity

Methodology

Participants: 20 subjects, between 18 and 65 years old, 12 women and 8 men.

Modalities: “controlled conditions”. Semi-structured interviews to perform tasks (location, way-finding, decision-making), according to thinking-aloud and explanation techniques.

Material: paper ski maps in real formats and felt pens.

Data: about 15 hours of video-audio recording were transcribed, sketches, drawings.

Alpes d’Huez ski trails maps, made by Atelier Novat

Villard ski trails maps, made by Atelier Novat

Subject during the interview


Methodology

3. Data analysis

Verbal analysis is a methodology for quantifying the qualitative coding of the contents of verbal

utterances (Chi, 1997).

An excerpt of utterances segmentation from expert’s activity analysis (Arthur Novat’s corpus)

An object describes the temporary grouping of a collection of visual features together

with other links to verbal-propositional information (Ware, 2008).


Preliminary results Analysis from verbal data and from sketches led to qualitative results.

1. the identification of rules in expertise procedure and user practice 2. graphic objects organized in taxonomy of conceptual categories 3. information arising from the graphics

Generic rules in practice of ski maps

Mainly rules for making ski plans from Pierre & Arhur Novat activity


Analysis from verbal data and from sketches led to qualitative results.


Preliminary results

1. Geography

1.1 Domain boundaries 1.2 Sunlight exposure, orientation (shadows contrast) 1.3 Focal point

2. Geomorphology

2.1 Terrain profile 2.2 Peaks and ridges 2.3 Slopes (stiff, craggy …) 2.4 Corridors 2.5 Hollows, combes 2.6 Rocks, cliffs 2.7 Fir trees 2.8 Snow and ice (hues variance)

3. Tracing

3.1 Colored ski runs 3.2 Ski runs geometry 3.3 « Green » areas 3.4 Ski lift

4. Structures

4.1 Pictograms 4.2 Buildings 4.3 Roads

5.1 Names of the ski runs 5.2 Names of the ski lift 5.3 Elevation values 5.4 Toponyms

5. Nomenclature


Preliminary results

Analysis from verbal data and from sketches led to qualitative results.


Comparing

the information the artist-expert intends to convey

and

the information that is interpreted by a skier.


Decision making in a discovery approach of a ski area,

is not without hesitancy among skiers.

Discussion on users’ representations and difficulties

Difficulties may be manifested by misunderstanding, uncertainty, inconsistency and illegibility

about representations.

From a total of 55 expressions of difficulties

geomorphology 30.9%

tracing 27.3%

structure 18.2%

geography 16.4%

nomenclature 7.3%


Discussion on users’ representations and difficulties

Real position of Auris en Oisans and Alpes d’Huez from Google maps images©2015

Deformed position of Auris en Oisans and Alpes d’Huez from Atelier Novat.

“I prefer not to take care of the real topography but mostly take care of representation as I want to give”.


Perspectives

Expert’s tacit knowledge analysis

A quantitative approach on skiers’ use of

graphic objects.

an eye-tracking study

a large-scale online questionnaire.

These results provided an inventory of

expert and users representations and

allow refining future hypothesis.

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Conclusion

Grateful thanks to Arthur Novat for the time

and enthusiasm he has devoted to the project.

The cognitive approach brings deep knowledge to the study of

evolution of realistic representation into the digital era.

Ski map is a "hijacked artifact"

born as a support to contemplation and became a support for decision making

a study on mental representations for realistic visualization. the particular case of ski trail...

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