Selective Rendering for 3D Maps

Whereas classic maps provide a fine abstract representation of our world, besides a simple and efficient way to navigate in that world, they are of little use when we are unable to determine where we are standing on the map. On the other hand, mobile devices are potential sources of relevant information, representing an immense help in several locating related tasks, such as navigating rapidly around an unfamiliar environment and exploring it interactively, through the use of appropriate 3D models. However, these 3D models typically require significant computational resources making it hard to achieve high-fidelity rendering of the maps at interactive rates. This book investigates how existing mobile devices could be provided with a perceptually high quality 3D virtual environment, based on the exploitation of identified limitations of the Human Visual System and the rendering of its corresponding key features through the use Selective Rendering techniques. Precisely, such a strategic and original process allows key features to be rendered in a higher quality, while the remaining parts can be rendered in low quality without the viewer being aware of this quality difference.