Spatial Computing (The MIT Press Essential Knowledge series) - Softcover

Book 52 of 115: MIT Press Essential Knowledge

Shekhar, Shashi; Vold, Pamela

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9780262538046: Spatial Computing (The MIT Press Essential Knowledge series)
Softcover
ISBN 10: 0262538040 ISBN 13: 9780262538046
Publisher: The MIT Press, 2020

Synopsis

An accessible guide to the ideas and technologies underlying such applications as GPS, Google Maps, Pokémon Go, ride-sharing, driverless cars, and drone surveillance.

Billions of people around the globe use various applications of spatial computing daily—by using a ride-sharing app, GPS, the e911 system, social media check-ins, even Pokémon Go. Scientists and researchers use spatial computing to track diseases, map the bottom of the oceans, chart the behavior of endangered species, and create election maps in real time. Drones and driverless cars use a variety of spatial computing technologies. Spatial computing works by understanding the physical world, knowing and communicating our relation to places in that world, and navigating through those places. It has changed our lives and infrastructures profoundly, marking a significant shift in how we make our way in the world. This volume in the MIT Essential Knowledge series explains the technologies and ideas behind spatial computing.

The book offers accessible descriptions of GPS and location-based services, including the use of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and RFID for position determination out of satellite range; remote sensing, which uses satellite and aerial platforms to monitor such varied phenomena as global food production, the effects of climate change, and subsurface natural resources on other planets; geographic information systems (GIS), which store, analyze, and visualize spatial data; spatial databases, which store multiple forms of spatial data; and spatial statistics and spatial data science, used to analyze location-related data.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

About the Author

Shashi Shekhar is McKnight Distinguished Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota.

Pamela Vold is a writer and communication professional based in St. Paul, Minnesota.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Publisher
The MIT Press
Publication date
2020
Language
English
ISBN 10 
0262538040
ISBN 13 
9780262538046
Binding
Paperback
Number of pages
256
Rating
  • 3.55 out of 5 stars
    40 ratings by Goodreads