New Scientist reports”cellphones that add interactive information to printed maps could soon provide a simple way to find local points of interest.Researchers have created a system that processes a snapshot of a printed map, captured on cameraphone, and forwards an interactive version of the same map back to the handset.Symbols representing points of interest such as restaurants, hotels and festivals can be displayed, along with images, contact details and web links.
“If someone is out walking and reaches a town, they’ll be able to simply point their phone at the map and find out places they could go for lunch, or other information not on the map,” says Paul Lewis, of Southampton University in the UK, who developed the system with colleague Jonathan Hare.Lewis admits that cellphones fitted with GPS (Global Positioning System) receivers will not need the technology. But until these become ubiquitous, he believes the system, dubbed Map Snapper, could prove useful for people armed with ordinary cameraphones. Lewis and Hare developed the Map Snapper in cooperation with Ordnance Survey, the UK government’s agency responsible for producing maps”.

Phone creates interactive maps from snapshots

New Scientist reports”cellphones that add interactive information to printed maps could soon provide a simple way to find local points of interest.Researchers have created a system that processes a snapshot of a printed map, captured on cameraphone, and forwards an interactive version of the same map back to the handset.Symbols representing points of interest such [...]