Maps
How does one use a map
- First, in using a map, one must be sure it aligns with a territory.
- A helpful tool to detect this is to match observations of some local region of a territory with the map
- Testing by moving through the territory and ensuring that this corresponds to some motion on the map is useful
- Landmarks and other distinctive (infrequently recurring) patterns are the map-user’s friend
- Secondly, the map-user must pinpoint their own location, to the extent possible
- The ability to do this depends on the quality of the map and of the map-user’s observations
- Geometry can be useful here, especially in comparing the geometry of the territory and the map e.g. see triangulation
- If the map-user has objectives that are localizable on the map, they can iteratively get closer to them using knowledge of their current location and their heading
- Using points in the territory that are believed to correspond to points on the map, the map-user can compare how motions in the map correspond to motions in the territory. From this, the map-user can identify directions to travel that might reduce the distance to their goal in the territory
- By continually matching landmarks, the map-user can estimate where they are in the territory and the success of their motions
- Good maps will also indicate major features of the territory, which can be useful when factoring travel time or travel difficulty into the map-user’s journey
- Maps don’t need to be static, and can be continually updated by the map-user
- A map can be updated with new observations, so long as the map-user has the tools for updating it and the knowledge of where the observations they made were
- This includes starting a map from scratch
- Maps can be shared with others
- It can be important for the map-user to share the limitations of their maps, such as where their boundaries start and end, if the map is dated or recently updated, or if the map-users have noticed any inconsistencies with the territory themselves