I am a Research Scientist at MIT working on a new assistive device for the blind called BlindAid. Several people have suggested that OSM may be the best option for getting map data to be read by our system. Unfortunately, OSM currently appears to fall short of our needs, so I must try to predict what it–or some other source of map data–will be like in the future. I would be grateful for any advice or help with this task. If you know people who might be able to help, please alert them. Some OSM groups that appear to have overlapping interests are:
- 3D Development
- OSM for the blind
- Indoor Mapping (OSM-ManSizedMatters project)
- WikiProject_Metro_systems
- Accessibility
Following this introductory note is some project background and then specific questions. Please feel free to respond to any or all of the questions and forgive me for the long list, or if I am posting this in the wrong place! I am new to OSM. I image that I will have more questions in the future and I would welcome guidance on how best to interact with the OSM community.
You may contact me directly at schloerbATmitDOTedu if you prefer.
Thanks,
David
BACKGROUND
We often describe our system as a kind of MapQuest or Google Maps for the blind, that blind people may use to learn about new environments (e.g., city streets, libraries, bus stations) on their own before actually visiting the places. The system employs a desktop robotic device–a “haptic” device–that functions like a miniature white cane and allows the user to explore virtual maps of the world by touch. The specific haptic device we use is the Phantom (Sensable Technologies) and we use OpenHaptics, which has calls similar to OpenGL, to render the haptic scene. The user also hears spatialized sounds as if standing in the virtual world. I would be happy to send you a copy of a paper that describes our initial prototype in more detail.
We recently got funding to continue the project and my main goal at the moment is to find a source of comprehensive digital maps that may be read by the system. Currently, we create our virtual maps manually, which severely limits the potential application. Indeed, our system will never be truly useful without a good source of maps.
Ideally, I would like to find “maps” that actually define 3D virtual environments with sounds, models of buildings, interior building layouts, and with appropriate scale/detail to meet the navigational needs of a person finding his/her way with a white cane or guide dog (walking, via mass transit, or riding in a car). Unfortunately, none of the sources of maps that I have investigated so far appear suitable.
My strategy is to assume that someone (OSM or perhaps a commercial source) will eventually provide the detailed 3D maps we need. My task is to try to predict the data format(s) that will be used so that we can do our development in parallel. Presumably, any data format selected now will be revised in the future, but if we pick a good one that becomes standard it will be much easier to adapt to a future version than if our initial choice becomes obsolete. And, even if OSM (or other source) provides its map data in a completely different format in the future, it should be possible to find software that will convert the available data into the format we select now if we pick a good/standard one.
SPECIFIC QUESTIONS
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What 3D map data format(s) should we choose for our application and why? Do conversion utilities exist now for transforming the format you propose to/from other standard types?
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Is my strategy reasonable? Perhaps a 3D map database with sufficient detail for people who are blind will never be developed. Perhaps it just isn’t possible to predict which data format(s) will become standard. Can you suggest another approach?
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Is OSM our best hope for getting the needed 3D map data in the future or is there a better source? Indeed, does a suitable source exist now and, if so, what is it?
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Is it possible to access commercial map databases like MapQuest or Google Earth at a low enough level to render a map on my local computer (e.g., using OpenGL)? Even if we had to pay for the service, it might be our best long-term option. Unfortunately, my understanding is that they only provide rasterized images.
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Is there any kind of plan or consensus within OSM toward developing detailed 3D maps? More generally, what is the vision for the future? What data format(s) are being proposed?
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I have been told that there is a great deal of usable navigation/accessibility data on the web, but to find it you need to go to specific sites hosted by many different groups. For example, http://easyaccesschicago.org/ provides a wealth of accessibility information in the Chicago area. An argument for selecting OSM is that it may become a repository for combining such data in a single searchable location. Is this being done?
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I have read that XML based formats (e.g., GML, KML, CityGML) may not be adequate for detailed geometry because of the large files that are needed. Is this true? Is there is a way to access only the data that is actually needed at a given moment or a way to select/parse-out only data that is relevant to the blind?
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Perhaps it will be necessary to read multiple data formats from different sources. For example, the OSM-3D project gets elevation data from NASA (STRM). Is there any kind of hybrid database standard that incorporates a collection of different types of formats? I could imagine, for example, an OSM map giving a course outline of streets and buildings that links to a detailed CAD model when the user wants to explore a specific building.
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Another approach might be for us to convert our system to read 2D maps. It would have 3D structure like a tactile map, but we would not attempt to create a complete 3D world. Does anyone have arguments for or against this approach, particularly in terms of what types of map data exist now or might reasonably be expected to be available in the future?
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BlindAid allows the user to listen to sounds as if standing in the virtual world. Unfortunately, while pictures are often incorporated into electronic maps, I haven’t found anyone who includes sounds. It seems like it would be fairly easy to record sounds on a given street or near points of interest that users could listen to when they explore the map. Is anybody thinking about this or doing it?