1.4.2. Devices

The applications presented How is it useful? emphasise that very different types of LBS applications exists and show further that LBS users can be persons or machines. In dependence on skills of a user to handle electronic devices, the storage capabilities of a device, the user need of applying several services or fulfilling only a specific task a broad range of devices exists. Based on the latter device property LBS devices can be distinguished into single purpose and multi purpose devices.

A single purpose device is for instance a car navigation box, a toll box or a emergency remote for old or handicapped people. As well part of that category are devices which call service engineers or rescue teams. But also more advanced systems like augmented reality systems - which might be used by a state inspector for bridges and other buildings - belong to it.

Multi purpose devices will be used by a broad number of people and will be part of our everyday life. Such devices can be mobile phones, smart phones, Personal digital Assistants (PDA’s) but also Laptops and Tablet PC’s.

Different LBS devices.

Limits

If we especially look on the multi purpose devices like mobile phones and PDA’s one has also to speak about the limits of such devices. Most of them have small computing and memory resources which restricts spatial search calculations, routing operations and the creation of a user specific “mobile” map. Therefore such operations are done on a service server which sends the results to the user. Further limits are given by battery power, small displays and weather influences on usability (sun makes things showed on a display hardly visible). Also in terms of sending and receiving data there is still a lack on broadband access to communication networks. A non technical challenge for such small devices is for example the design of user interface to support user interaction with respect to hardware and software.
Some of the technical problems like computing resources are more or less contemporary and will probably solved within the next years. Further points on limits of mobile devices with a focus on mobile cartographic applications will be discussed in Lesson 2 on LBS Techniques.