Visualization of Image Quality in Distributed Spatial Databases

Users of GIS are offered an abundance of aerial and satellite imagery in distributed spatial databases. Available datasets can cover the same area, differing only in quality attributes, such as resolution and positional accuracy. The advantage of having a bigger pool of information at hand is counterbalanced by the fact that extracting data with the appropriate quality might be overwhelming. In addition, non-expert GIS users might not be aware of the problems that can arise while working with datasets of various qualities. Consequently, information about data quality should be provided to users along with the data. This paper presents a novel approach to communicating image data quality in a visual form, which allows users to grasp the quality of available datasets at a glance. The data attributes that are identified for holding relevant quality information are positional accuracy, scale, resolution, completeness, consistency, and currency. To communicate data quality, image quality information is visualized through 3D models and superimposed color. Delivering quality information alongside original data helps users choose the data best suited for their task.