Since 2004, over 2000 people from 25 different cities around the world have participated in Christian Nold’s Bio Mapping experiment.  Using a GPS and GRS (Galvanic Skin Response) device (invented by Nold), Nold maps variant emotional responses of people as they travel through a city.  The bio-sensor (GRS device), which is based on a lie-dectector, measures changes in the sweat level of the wearers’ fingers and the GPS captures response geographically.  The assumption is that these changes are an indication of emotional intensity that is tracked by the GPS device and later mapped in Google Earth.  I wonder what the map would look like at a Dashboard Confessional concert…

The London based artist, describes the unique mapping experience as a “total inversion of the lie-detector, which supposes that the body tells the truth, while we lie with our spoken words.”  He further explains, “With Bio Mapping, people’s interpretation and public discussion of their own data becomes the true and meaningful record of their experience. Talking about their body data in this way, they are generating a new type of knowledge combining ‘objective’ biometric data and geographical position, with the ‘subjective story’ as a new kind of psychogeography.” 

Although I joke about connecting emotions with geography,  Nold’s device opens up a world of new marketing and psycho/social research capabilities.   It also presses on the ever increasing questions of emergence of technology and the human emotion.  Read also has an online book containing a collection of essays called Emotional Cartography.

Here are some pictures from the week.  I think I need a new camera phone.  These pictures are not great.

Chattanooga

Jackson

Frankly, we are all of the mindset that GIS is going away.  We are considering going into the car wash business, mini-golf, or batting cages.  Much less technical.

I guess that means our blog will have to change its name. Send us some suggestions.

Awww… just kidding.  We love GIS. Here are some more pictures from the conference.  And the presentations were really good.

Richard Duncan and David Tirpak

Scott Sumners from Brentwood, TN GIS Dept

Charles Boston from Consolidated Utility District in Murfreesboro.

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1. Not to export the map layers
2. To export only the map layers
3. To export the map layers and the feature attributes.

Opting to export the layers and attributes comes with a warning: “Exporting attributes to PDF can lead to performance problems while viewing the file in Adobe Acrobat® or Reader®. If possible, limit exported fields to one layer per map. To suppress field export, turn off field visibility in the Layer Properties dialog.”

I created a test PDF using the state of New Jersey’s Municipality Layer. Once you have a PDF exported from ArcMap (you must export directly from ArcMap, the attributes/layers will not be generated if you print the map using a pdf printer) open the file in Adobe Acrobat® 8 or later, did not work with Acrobat® Pro 6, and add the “Object Data” Tool then click on a feature of the map. It was very difficult to click just one object. It seemed to select all then on the second click it was easier to select just one. The object data shows up in the left pane as a “Model Tree”. I don’t yet know if you can edit the object data. I would make sense for that to be an option with Acrobat® Standard or Pro.

This option is a much needed addition to enhance map production and the free distribution of mapping information.

Here is a sample PDF of Well Head Protection Areas with some attribute information attached: sample_93 (for best results download and open, viewing in a browser may not work).