A Prototype Cartographic User Interface for Wearable Computing

There is currently no human-computer interface specifically designed for the alternative interaction modes used on wearable systems for input and output. For a geographically oriented wearable computer system a graphical user interface (GUI) is indispensable, yet contemporary window systems using the desktop metaphor are unsuitable for wearable computing. In this paper we document and discuss the design and implementation of a prototype cartographic user interface for wearable computing focused on cartographic tasks, particularly navigation in the field. This system can accommodate multiple sources of spatial information including maps, imagery and thematic data collected in the field, and exploits the two most basic advantages of wearable devices, real-time visualization and multi-modal interaction.