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Qualitative spatial reasoning using orientation, distance, and path knowledge

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Abstract

We give an overview of an approach to qualitative spatial reasoning based on directional orientation information as available through perception processes or natural language descriptions. Qualitative orientations in 2-dimensional space are given by the relation between a point and a vector. The paper presents our basic iconic notation for spatial orientation relations that exploits the structure of the spatial domain and explores a variety of ways in which these relations can be manipulated and combined for spatial reasoning. Using this notation, we explore a method for exploiting interactions between space and movement in this space for enhancing the inferential power. Finally, the orientation-based approach is augmented by distance information, which can be mapped into position constraints and vice versa.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computer Science, University of Hamburg, Vogt-Kölln-Str. 30, 22527, Hamburg, Germany

    Kai Zimmermann & Christian Freksa

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  1. Kai Zimmermann
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  2. Christian Freksa
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Support from the DAAD Procope program and from Hansische Universitätsstiftung is gratefully acknowledged.

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Zimmermann, K., Freksa, C. Qualitative spatial reasoning using orientation, distance, and path knowledge. Appl Intell 6, 49–58 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00117601

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