Geoinformation and Cartography for Small-scale/Indoor Environments using Ubiquitous Computing and Ambient Intelligence

The aim of this paper is to focus on the most important (existing and forthcoming) applications of Geoinformatics and Cartography for the advancement of Ambient Intelligence. A wide range of applications of GIS and Geoinformatics has extended from large to small scale environments, particularly to indoor environments, and among the factors that have favored this evolution are the developments in ambient intelligence and ubiquitous computing. Ambient Intelligence is a vision of a future Information Society, where people will be surrounded by integrated, responsive and personalised electronic environments, sensitive to their actions, movements and needs. It emphasizes user-friendliness and access to information by any user, anytime, anywhere, from lightweight and portable devices. Ambient Assisted Living and Public Surveillance are only two domains of applications of Ambient Intelligence in the context of Geoinformation. It is concluded that Ambient Intelligence and Ubiquitous Computing will have much to profit from GI