Making sense of screen mobility: dynamic maps and cartographic literacy in a highly mobile activity

  • Authors:
  • Oskar Juhlin;Alexandra Weilenmann

  • Affiliations:
  • Mobile Life @ Stockholm University, Kista, Sweden;University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden

  • Venue:
  • Proceedings of the 15th international conference on Human-computer interaction with mobile devices and services
  • Year:
  • 2013

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Abstract

Dynamic, digital maps are increasingly used in many settings. It is an emerging domain of technology extending on previous maps studies and positioning technology. We draw upon ethnographic field studies of collaborative hunting, where hunting dogs are tracked and their location made visible on digital maps. We discuss mobility of two different kinds. First, we refer to mobility as the practice of physical movements of hunters, dogs and prey. Second, we refer to the movement of symbolic objects on a digital map screen, i.e. screen mobility, and the interpretational work that the hunters do to make sense of it. Representations of motion on a screens, are of ongoing practical concern for the hunters. We show how they interpret such mobility in terms of accelerations, distance, trajectories and temporal alignments. The findings are used to revisit mobility theories and populate them with new notions to inspire design in broad domains.