Characteristics of augmented map research from a cartographic perspective

"Why," "what," and "how" are basic questions to be answered in augmented map research as an intersecting direction. This study summarizes dynamic visual representations and true 3D interactions as characteristics of augmented maps from the cartographic perspective through analysis of the research progress in different disciplines. From secondary viewpoints of cognition and design, the augmented map cube is presented to establish the research framework in three directions: cognitive purposes, information dimensions, and interactive devices, in which map-based spatial cognition theory, augmented visualization, and interactive features are considered. The research evaluation is carried out to determine the reasonableness of the cube and then identify different research statuses in any one or two of the directions under the cube. Based on a literature search and classification, 30 typical studies were used for structural analysis to discover research trends and new directions that can be mined. The results show that the cube can be used to evaluate the coverage of an article or provide researchers with research trends and new possibilities. Our conclusions include but are not limited to the following: Research for retrieval purposes deserves attention, augmented visualization of specific individual elements is key to understanding maps, and interactive devices become more intangible.