A Mobile Map Service

1

• A Mobile Map Service
• Project Kilo 2004

2
Introduction
1

• Location-finding service and mapping system
• Users can ask for directions to advertising
  clients
• Graphical web interface (Java applet on website)
• Text-based mobile phone interface (WAP pages)

3
Java Client
2
www.monkeymap.tk
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WAP Client
3

• Dynamically created text-based menu system
• Language selection
• Transport type
• Source selection

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WAP Client
4

• Destination selection
• Instruction display
• WAP URL is on the website

6
System Overview
5
Renderer
Web Site
Server
Mobile Phone
Instruction Generator
Map Data
HTTP
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Data And Maps
6

• Data is entered by map coordinates, based on the
  Cambridge University Map for this dataset
• Primary data format Text file for simple entry
• Road chain of Nodes
• Secondary data format XML file for server
• Directed graph of Nodes

perl script
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Data And Maps
7

• Server parses XML, performing verification
• Map data loaded into internal data structures
• Server loads building images from SVG (Scalable
  Vector Graphics) file
• Separation of server and client data

9
Server Architecture
8

• Runs as a Java Servlet, using the Apache Tomcat
  webserver
• All communication via HTTP
• Decodes applet requests, and calls appropriate
  methods on the server
• Directs WAP requests to the WML generator

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Route Finding
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• Uses the A-Star algorithm to efficiently find the
  shortest path on the map
• Ability to find the shortest route to a category
• Intuitive instruction generation (in multiple
  languages) with time estimates
• Recent routes are cached

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Map Rendering
10

• Roads are dynamically rendered from XML data
• Uses SVG and the Apache Batik libraries
• Two layers of image caching for significant
  performance improvement

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And the future?
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• Has the potential for substantially increased map
  data
• Response times indicate high level of scalability
• Tools for automating data entry could be built
  from the applet

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Conclusions
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• We have successfully integrated a wide range of
  technologies
• Monkey Map is a working product that is of use
  to a wide range of people
• Good design leads to easier implementation!

14
The Monkey Map Team
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• Alex Anderson WML
• Adam Bradley Instruction generator
• James Harbin Data coordinator
• Gavin Jackson Java Client
• Alaric Nightingale Renderer
• Michael Smith Server backend
• Chris Sutton Librarian
• Alexia Theodorou Project Manager

All monkeys featured in this project are purely
conceptual. No actual monkeys were harmed in the
making of Monkey Map
www.monkeymap.tk
15

• When youre lost in the jungle, dont go nuts use

www.monkeymap.tk