Style Meets Pinpoint Accuracy in North American First
- Canada's map company brings art to the science of GIS technology -
TORONTO, March 9 /CNW/ - Thirty years ago, the first Canadian map was developed for the Toronto Real Estate Board that used a superior European style of cartography known for its visual cues and colours. Three decades later, the same company has announced a new industry first that will resonate with anyone frustrated by often unreliable electronic maps.
As GPS technology in cars took-off, the need for spatial accuracy increased. It took three years of research and development for Mapmobility Corp. to make freehand drawn maps spatially correct and digitally available. Now the producer of the giant MapArt brand of print maps, known for being the most up-to-date products in the industry, have crossed over into the digital world.
Mapmobility has just finished developing a massive database that records with high accuracy every detail within Golden Horseshoe along with a stylization yet to be replicated in North America. Currently a selection of maps are available on www.mapmobility.com.
"A printed map can be off by as much as 100 metres, this is critical information if you are trying to make a turn while driving," said Gord Woit, president of Mapmobility that has invested millions in its application of GIS technology.
GIS technology started in the early 1980s and was designed to process information associated with geographical objects, and it is Mapmobility's use of GIS software to manage information for digital mapping that is making an impact.
Before even hitting the mass market, the company's style has already won an Award of Excellence from GIS software provider ESRI for its sophisticated mapping ability.
"Our maps are complicated in their production and detail but simplistic to the reader," said Woit. "It's an art to communicate as much detail as possible about where someone is without confusing the user. Colour coding areas and using universal symbols among other things allows the reader to gain information intuitively. People know what a stop sign looks like way before they come close enough to read the word stop. Now imagine this kind of intuitive map on your GPS for reference while you're driving."
About Mapmobility:
Mapmobility Corporation (http://www.mapmobility.com/) is one of North America's leading developers of accurate and user-friendly maps. Its unique layout, colours and artistic feel are key features in their 500+ MapArt collection of retail products. The Mapmobility team is comprised of some of the best cartographers, graphic designers and GIS specialists in the industry and maintains the highest standards of cartographic design.
For further information: For media inquires contact: Brown & Cohen Communications & Public Affairs Inc., (416) 484-1132, Matt McNama, ext. 4, [email protected]; Wendy Kauffman, ext. 3, [email protected]
Share this article