Improving the Communication of Spatial Information in 
Crisis Response by Combining Paper Maps and Mobile Devices

Johannes Schöning, Institute for Geoinformatics, University of Münster, Germany
Michael Rohs, Deutsche Telekom Laboratories, TU Berlin, Germany
Antonio Krüger, Institute for Geoinformatics, University of Münster, Germany
Christoph Stasch, Institute for Geoinformatics, University of Münster, Germany

Abstract

Effcient and effective communication between mobile units and the central
emergency operation center is a key factor to respond successfully to the
challenges of emergency management. Nowadays, the only ubiquitously
available modality is a voice channel through mobile phones or radio
transceivers. This makes it often very diffcult to convey exact geographic
locations and can lead to misconceptions with severe consequences, such as
a fire brigade heading to the right street address in the wrong city. In
this paper we describe a handheld augmented reality approach to support the
communication of spatial information in a crisis response scenario. The
approach combines mobile camera devices with paper maps to ensure a quick
and reliable exchange of spatial information.