Gestalt aspects for differentiating the representation of landmarks in virtual navigation

The application of nonimmersive virtual reality (VR) to the creation of rich cartographic representations in 3D is a current research area in cartography. However, the cartographic knowledge needed to build these representations is lacking. The consequences of this include misconceptions in map design that can inhibit or even impair understanding of the representation. A common task in cartographic VR is virtual navigation supported by 3D topographic maps. This geographical task gathers different knowledge schema, based on the selection of specific features for use as landmarks. In VR, there is a need for adaptation of cartographic representations to improve cartographic communication. The strategy adopted in this research uses Gestalt aspects to direct the user's selective attention to features that will act as landmarks. To evaluate this proposition, we compare sketch maps from 3D and conventional 2D topographic maps made by 43 volunteers and identify which features were used as landmarks and how they were drawn in the sketch maps. The number of landmarks identified by the user, their topology and orientation, and how the symbols were drawn highlights the success of this proposal for 3D topographic maps for virtual navigation.