Spatial Information Systems (SIS)Spatial Information Systems (SIS)

COMP 4025COMP 4025

Dr. Michela BertolottoDr. Michela Bertolotto

Dept. of Computer Science, UCDDept. of Computer Science, UCD

Room B2.21, Room B2.21, michela.bertolotto@ucd.ie

Academic year 2006/2007Academic year 2006/2007

Spatial Information Systems (SIS)Spatial Information Systems (SIS)

Outline of the course:Outline of the course:• Spatial information system: concepts and applicationsSpatial information system: concepts and applications

• Spatial data: definitions, formats, models, queriesSpatial data: definitions, formats, models, queries

• Traditional GIS vs SDBMSTraditional GIS vs SDBMS

• DB issues in GIS/SISDB issues in GIS/SIS

• Geometric problems and algorithms in GIS/SISGeometric problems and algorithms in GIS/SIS

• Research issues in GIS/SISResearch issues in GIS/SIS

Lecture notes will be at: Lecture notes will be at: http://www.cs.ucd.ie/staff/mbertolotto/home/lecture-notes4025-06-07.htmhttp://www.cs.ucd.ie/staff/mbertolotto/home/lecture-notes4025-06-07.htm

Spatial Information Systems (SIS)Spatial Information Systems (SIS)

Suggested readings:Suggested readings:

• “ “Database issues in GIS” N. Adam and A. Gangopadhyay, Database issues in GIS” N. Adam and A. Gangopadhyay, Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1997Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1997

• “ “Spatial databases – A tour”, S. Shekhar and S. Chawla, Spatial databases – A tour”, S. Shekhar and S. Chawla, Prentice Hall, 2003Prentice Hall, 2003

• “ “Spatial databases – with applications to GIS”, P. Rigaux, Spatial databases – with applications to GIS”, P. Rigaux, M. Scholl, A. Voisard, Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, M. Scholl, A. Voisard, Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, 20022002

• “ “Geographical Information Systems”, Chang, Geographical Information Systems”, Chang, McGraw-McGraw-Hill, 2002Hill, 2002

• “ “Geographic Information Systems and ScienceGeographic Information Systems and Science”, P.”, P. LongleyLongley,, D D..J. Maguire,J. Maguire, MM..F. Goodchild, DF. Goodchild, D..W. RhindW. Rhind (Ed(Eds.s.)), 2002, 2002

Spatial Information Systems (SIS)Spatial Information Systems (SIS)

COMP 4025COMP 4025

IntroductionIntroduction

““SIS is a computer software, hardware, data, SIS is a computer software, hardware, data,

and personnel to help manipulate, analyze and and personnel to help manipulate, analyze and

present information that is tied to a spatial location”present information that is tied to a spatial location”

Spatial information systems (SIS)Spatial information systems (SIS)

TerminologyTerminology

• Spatial dataSpatial data: data with an associated spatial location (with : data with an associated spatial location (with respect to a given reference frame)respect to a given reference frame)

• Geographic data/geo-spatial dataGeographic data/geo-spatial data: data whose underlying : data whose underlying reference frame is the earth’s surfacereference frame is the earth’s surface

• NOTENOTE: spatial data and geographic data often used : spatial data and geographic data often used interchangeablyinterchangeably

• GIS/SISGIS/SIS: often used interchangeably : often used interchangeably

• SDBMSSDBMS: a DBMS for storing and manipulating spatial data: a DBMS for storing and manipulating spatial data

• GIScienceGIScience: new discipline studying geographic information : new discipline studying geographic information in theory and practice (includes GIS)in theory and practice (includes GIS)

• GIServicesGIServices: more recent: more recent

(Geo)-Spatial data(Geo)-Spatial data

Examples:Examples:

NOTE: The earth’s surface is not the only reference frame for NOTE: The earth’s surface is not the only reference frame for spatial data (e.g., a silicon chip can be a frame of reference)spatial data (e.g., a silicon chip can be a frame of reference)

Satellite images

Maps

Terrain data

Aerial photos

• Huge amounts of spatial data availableHuge amounts of spatial data available– e.g. NASA’s Earth Observation System generates one e.g. NASA’s Earth Observation System generates one

terabyte of terabyte of data every daydata every day

• 80% of all data available has a spatial component80% of all data available has a spatial component– recently the interest in exploiting this spatial component has arisen; recently the interest in exploiting this spatial component has arisen;

need to intergrate spatial information handling functionality within need to intergrate spatial information handling functionality within a wide variety of contextsa wide variety of contexts

Spatial data “explosion”Spatial data “explosion”

• Geographic Information Systems (GIS) represent the main Geographic Information Systems (GIS) represent the main technology motivating interest in developing spatially technology motivating interest in developing spatially enabled systemsenabled systems

• GISs provide convenient mechanisms for analysing and GISs provide convenient mechanisms for analysing and visualising geographic data (i.e., data whose underlying visualising geographic data (i.e., data whose underlying reference space is the earth’s surface)reference space is the earth’s surface)

• Initially developed for expert users for complex Initially developed for expert users for complex calculations/queriescalculations/queries

• Rich set of functions to analyse geographic data: powerful Rich set of functions to analyse geographic data: powerful toolstools

• Starting to integrate in a wide range of applications to Starting to integrate in a wide range of applications to exploit spatial component of dataexploit spatial component of data

Geographic Information SystemsGeographic Information Systems

• ESRI (Arcview/ArcInfo, …): ESRI (Arcview/ArcInfo, …): demo

• MapInfo Corp. (MapInfo, …)MapInfo Corp. (MapInfo, …)

• Intergraph (GeoMedia,…)Intergraph (GeoMedia,…)

• Autodesk (Autodesk Map sw/AutoCAD, …)Autodesk (Autodesk Map sw/AutoCAD, …)

• Laser-Scan (different packages)Laser-Scan (different packages)

• ......

• Freely available sw packages:Freely available sw packages:– GRASSGRASS

– OpenMapOpenMap

Main GIS VendorsMain GIS Vendors

• Mapmaking Mapmaking

• CartographyCartography

• Digital photogrammetryDigital photogrammetry

Traditionally: GIS only for expert usersTraditionally: GIS only for expert users

Classical spatial information applicationsClassical spatial information applications

• Emergency response planning Emergency response planning

• Simulating environmental effects Simulating environmental effects

• UUrban developmentrban development

• PPublic transportation monitoringublic transportation monitoring

• WWayfinding and planningayfinding and planning (route planning, etc.) (route planning, etc.)

• LLocation-based services ocation-based services

• CCrime trackingrime tracking

GIS for everybody?GIS for everybody?

New spatial information applicationsNew spatial information applications

• All data in an organisation is stored and managed via a All data in an organisation is stored and managed via a DBMSDBMS

• Classical DBMSs are not capable of storing spatial Classical DBMSs are not capable of storing spatial informationinformation

• What is What is spatial dataspatial data and what is “special” about it? and what is “special” about it?

• Non-spatial data vs spatial dataNon-spatial data vs spatial data

• Non-spatial queries vs spatial queriesNon-spatial queries vs spatial queries

• And more…And more…

Spatial vs Non-SpatialSpatial vs Non-Spatial

• When we talk about When we talk about spatial dataspatial data, we mean data that has a , we mean data that has a spatial componentspatial component

• Both Both spatial spatial and and non-spatialnon-spatial (i.e., descriptive, or also (i.e., descriptive, or also alphanumeric, attribute) alphanumeric, attribute) aspectsaspects are associated with this are associated with this kind of datakind of data

– For example, a river will have attribute information associated with For example, a river will have attribute information associated with it (such as its name and length) together with its geometric it (such as its name and length) together with its geometric description (the spatial component)description (the spatial component)

• Often we talk about spatial data to mean its spatial Often we talk about spatial data to mean its spatial component (also called component (also called extentextent))

NOTENOTE

Spatial Spatial queriesqueries

• ExamplesExamples::

- “What are the two post offices nearest to Dun Laoghaire dart - “What are the two post offices nearest to Dun Laoghaire dart station?” (proximity query)station?” (proximity query)

- “In what county is Bray?” (containment query)- “In what county is Bray?” (containment query)

- “What are Italy’s neighbouring countries” (adjacency query)- “What are Italy’s neighbouring countries” (adjacency query)

- “What Italian regions are crossed by the river Po?” - “What Italian regions are crossed by the river Po?”

(intersection/overlap query)(intersection/overlap query)

Etc…Etc…

Non-spaNon-spatial tial queriesqueries

• ExamplesExamples::

- “What is the population of Dublin City?”- “What is the population of Dublin City?”

- “How long is the river Shannon”- “How long is the river Shannon”

(assuming that population and length are attributes (assuming that population and length are attributes stored for city and river, respectively)stored for city and river, respectively)

These are standard DB queries that request to These are standard DB queries that request to retrieve the value of some attribute. Spatial queries, retrieve the value of some attribute. Spatial queries, on the other hand, require different type of on the other hand, require different type of computations.computations.