Analysis and Development of Measurement-based Geographic Information System

Principal Investigator:
Leung, Yee

Co-investigator(s):
Goodchild, Michael F.

Summary:
To overcome the difficulties in uncertainty management intrinsic to conventional GIS, the proposed project aims at the advancement of a novel GIS design, termed "measurement-based GIS" (MBGIS), capable of handling errors in a more effective and efficient manner. Measurement-based GIS is defined as retaining details of measurements, such that error analysis is possible, and such that corrections to positions can be appropriately propagated through the database. The proposed study will concentrate on the conceptual and theoretical analysis of MBGIS as well as its design. It will advance a conceptual framework for measurement of location and a GIS design within which measurement can be linked to location and vice versa. It will depict in details how data and error can be encapsulated, inherited and propagated through GIS operations in an efficient and effective manner. It will show that measurement-based designs have major economic advantages, in addition to a more comprehensive approach to uncertainty analysis in GIS. The project results will not only provide a more solid foundation for basic research in GIS, but will also enhance its practicality in local and global decision making with large spatial databases.