Multi-touch Interfaces and Map Navigation

Abstract

Development of multi-touch interfaces over the last 25 years has led to their recent adoption into the marketplace. Multi-touch interfaces now allow users to apply several points of contact to a device, an innovation which may provide novel solutions to existing interface limitations. The first publically available multi-touch devices, such as Apple's iPhone and Microsoft's Surface, have introduced the general public to a new form of human-computer (HCI) interaction that may soon become commonplace. One way multi-touch interfaces will impact the field of geography is through new forms of map navigation. Issues relating to the adoption and best uses of multi-touch will emerge as users are introduced to new map navigation techniques. Historically, designing and testing multi-touch interfaces has been difficult due to the prohibitively high cost and low availability of the necessary software and hardware. This thesis introduces a process for creating a large format, reliable multi-touch interface for the purpose of map navigation. The goal of this project is to provide insight into the potential impact of multi-touch interfaces on the fields of cartography and GIScience.