Minimizing discontinuity in switching heterogeneous maps for mobile use

Analogue maps, such as illustrated paper maps, historical maps and map signboards, are detailed, thematic and attractive for local traveling. When integrated with mobile mapping on mobile devices such as smartphones, they enable location-based services (LBS) with analogue map images. By combining multiple analogue maps produced by various local communities, it is possible to increase the spatial extent of a mapping service with a single analogue map image, but the combination of heterogeneous maps can cause visual discontinuity during map switching that have deleterious effects on users’ map reading and spatial cognition. This paper introduces a framework for map collaging that combines multiple analogue maps for LBS. It identifies problems of discontinuous map switching among heterogeneous maps, and proposes methods to deal with these when applying map collaging in different contexts.