kiss    Monica M. L. Sebillo


 

Home

Selected Publications

Teaching (Italian)

Research

 

Recent Projects

-         Plan4All - European Network of Best Practices for Interoperability of Spatial Planning Information, co-funded by the Community Programme eContentplus. Leader of Task 8.2 “Validation Methodology” 1/11/2009 – 31/03/2011

-         Interoperabilità di dati geografici eterogenei. MAPZoo come strumento avanzato di monitoraggio e pianificazione ambientale. DMI Salerno – Campania Region agreement. Scientific leader. 9/10/2007 - 8/10/2008

-         Realizzazione di un sistema GIS Web-based a supporto delle attività di monitoraggio e controllo previste nell’ambito del CREMOPAR (Centro Regionale per il Monitoraggio delle Parassitosi), DMI Salerno - Dipartimento di Patologia e Sanità Animale dell’Università degli Studi di Napoli “Federico II” agreement. 13/7/2006 – 12/7/2007.

-         Criteri per l’elaborazione territoriale di dati ambientali. DMI Salerno - ARPA Piemonte agreement, Centro Tematico Nazionale Territorio e Suolo (CTN_TES) project. 27/6/2003 – 31/12/2003.

-         Sviluppo di indicatori per l’uso del territorio, avvalendosi anche dei risultati del progetto CLC200. DMI Salerno - ARPA Piemonte agreement, Centro Tematico Nazionale Territorio e Suolo (CTN_TES) project. 12/3/2004 – 31/12/2004.

-         “INNOVA – Centro Regionale di Competenza per lo sviluppo ed il trasferimento dell’innovazione applicata ai Beni Culturali e Ambientali”, POR Campania 2003-2006.

-         Un Geo-DataWarehouse per la cooperazione tra enti territoriali”, ex 60% 2002, Università degli Studi di Salerno.

-         “Un Web-GIS amichevole per la promozione di beni culturali”, funded by Regione Campania - Legge 41,  Annualità 2001.

-         “Sistema di Interazione Visuale per la Gestione e il Controllo del Territorio”, funded by Regione Campania - Legge 41. Annualità 1999.

-         Progetto biennale di Rilevante Interesse Nazionale "Specifica, Progetto e Sviluppo di Sistemi Interattivi Visuali", co-funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Scientific Research and Technology, 2000. National Scientific Coordinator: Prof.ssa G. Tortora.

-         A Web-GIS for the Archaeological Site in Fratte (SA), in collaboration with the Department of Cultural Heritage of the University of Salerno

 

Recent / Forthcoming Events

-         AVI 2012 - Advanced Visual Interfaces International Working Conference, Capri Island (Naples), Italy May 22-26, 2012 (www.avi2012.it)

-         Conferenza Nazionale ed EXPO ASITA 2011, 15-18 novembre, Reggia di Colorno (Parma) (www.asita.it/cms/)

-         Conferenza AMFM 2011, 22 e 23 Settembre 2011, Casa dell'Architettura, Roma (www.amfm.it/)

-         10th International Conference on Visual Information and Information Systems VISUAL2008, Salerno Italy, September, 11-12, 2008.

-         1st International Workshop on Multimodal Interaction Through Haptic Feedback (MITH08) co-located with the 9th International Working Conference on Advanced Visual Interfaces AVI 2008. Napoli, May 31 2008.

Research

G. Petraglia, M. Sebillo, M. Tucci and G. Tortora, “Virtual Images for Similarity Retrieval in Image Database”, IEEE Trans. on Knowledge and Data Engineering, vol. 13, no. 6, Nov.-Dec. 2001, pp. 951-967.

Abstract

We introduce the virtual image, an iconic index suited for pictorial information access in a pictorial database, and a similarity retrieval approach based on virtual images to perform content-based retrieval. A virtual image represents the spatial information contained in a real image in explicit form by means of a set of spatial relations. This is useful to efficiently compute the similarity between a query and an image in the database. We also show that virtual images support real-world applications that require translation, reflection, and/or rotation invariance of image representation.

M. Sebillo, G. Tortora, G. Vitiello, “The Metaphor GIS Query Language”, Journal of Visual Languages and Computing, Academic Press, vol. 11, n. 4, 2000, pp. 439-454.               

Abstract

In recent years, visual representations have been increasingly used in the management of real-world phenomena as a valuable support for human}computer interaction. In the field of Geographic Information Systems, visual languages represent a promising means for allowing unskilled users to query geographic databases. In the present paper, we define the Metaphor GIS query Language (MGISQL) which allows GIS users to simultaneously capture the spatial and the thematic components of geographic data. MGISQL describes the semantic of those data in the real world and is based on a special type of visual description, the geometaphor, which is used to specify all the elements featured in a GIS domain.

V. Del Fatto, R. Laurini, K. Lopez, M. Sebillo, G.Vitiello, “A chorem-based approach for visually synthesizing complex phenomena”, Journal of Information Visualization, vol. 7, n. 3, 2008, pp. 253 -264. G. Andrienko, N. Andrienko, J. Dykes, S. Fabrikant and M. Wachowicz (Eds). Palgrave Macmillan Journals.

Abstract

When dealing with scenarios referring to complex issues, such as political, economic and demographic problems, the usage of visual metaphors represents a more effective approach in supporting users to locate facts and new patterns. In this paper, we describe a research project whose aim is to investigate a cartographic solution able to represent dynamics, movements and changes that underlie possible problems. The solution we propose is based on the chorem concept. It represents an immediate synthesis of data of interest, and provides expert users with both a global view of objects and phenomena, and an insight into a specific issue. Based on preliminaries studies, we first provide a formal definition and classification of chorems in terms of structure and meaning, meant to homogenize chorem construction and usage. Then, a system to generate chorematic maps from available data sets is described and an XML-like language, named ChorML is specified, enabling system modules communication. In order to validate our approach, we exemplify the construction of a chorematic map, which depicts the most significant flows of migrating population in Italy in 2000. Such a synthesis may represent the starting point for further processing tasks aimed to derive spatial analysis data, as well as to support expert users in decision making.

L. Paolino, M. Sebillo, G. Tortora, G.Vitiello, “Framy: Visualizing Geographic Data on Mobile Interfaces”,  Journal of Location Based Services, vol. 2, n. 3, 2008, Taylor & Francis, pp. 236-252. ISSN 1748–9725 print/ISSN 1748–9733 online. 10.1080/17489720802487949

Abstract

When using a mobile device for navigating and querying a map, some visualisation and usability problems may arise due to small screens and limited interaction modes allowed by such devices. Recently, researchers have devoted their efforts to overcome these issues by introducing innovative approaches for developing advanced interfaces, capable of providing users with analytical information as well as visual summary of data. In this article, we propose a new visualisation technique, named Framy, which exploits a novel interaction metaphor for picture frames to provide hints about off-screen objects. It was conceived to cover a wider range of spatial data visualisation tasks, which may simultaneously involve different geographic layers. The technique has been embedded inside a mobile GIS application, MapGIS, designed to perform typical GIS operations and queries on mobile devices. A usability study has been performed in order to verify the benefits in efficacy, efficiency and subjective satisfaction coming from the adoption of Framy within the system.

R. Laurini, L. Paolino, M. Sebillo, G. Tortora, G.Vitiello, “Phenomena – A Visual Environment for Querying Heterogenous Spatial Data” Journal of Visual Languages and Computing, Elsevier, vol. 20(6) – 2009, pp. 420-436.  doi:10.1016/j.jvlc.2009.06.002                                                                          

Abstract

The need to perform complex analysis and decision making tasks has motivated growing interest in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as a means to compare different scenarios and simulate the evolution of a phenomenon. However, data and function complexity may critically affect human interaction and system performances during planning and prevention activities. This is especially true when the scenarios of interest involve continuous fields, besides discrete objects. In the present paper we describe the visual environment Phenomena, where continuous and discrete data may be handled through a uniform approach. We illustrate how users’ activity is supported by a visual framework where they can interact with, manipulate and query heterogeneous data, with a very small training effort. A preliminary experimental study suggests that when users perform complex tasks, a higher usability degree may be achieved compared to the adoption of a textual spatial SQL.

R. Laurini, M. Sebillo, G. Vitiello, D. Sol-Martinez, F. Raffort, “Computer-generated Visual Summaries of Spatial Databases: Chorems or not Chorems?”, Electronic Journal Sapiens, Volume 2(2), 2009. http://sapiens.revues.org/index795.html    

Abstract

Chorems can be defined as representations of elementary structure of a geographic space or as schematized representations of territories, and as such they can represent a good candidate for generating visual summaries of spatial databases. Indeed for spatial decision-makers, it is more important to identify and map problems than facts. Until now, chorems were made manually by geographers who needed an exhaustive knowledge of the territory under study, a clear-cut set of rules to decide what the salient phenomena are, and who had no problems to cartography them. Here we present a methodology based on spatial data mining, that both diminish the requirements in terms of starting knowledge, and provide a more rigorous approach to select the important features.

S. Ricciardi, M. Nappi, L. Paolino, M. Sebillo, G. Vitiello, D. Pascarella, L. Travascio, A. Vozella, “Dependability Issues in Visual-Haptic Interfaces” - Journal of Visual Languages and Computing, Elsevier. vol. 21(1), - 2010, pp, 33-40. doi:10.1016/j.jvlc.2009.07.001

Abstract

Dependability of a system is commonly referred to its reliability, its availability and its maintainability (RAM), but when this concept is applied to user interfaces there is no common agreement on what aspects of user–system interaction are related to a satisfactory RAM level for the whole system. In particular, when dealing with haptic systems, interface dependability may become a crucial issue in medical and in military domains when life-critical systems are to be manipulated or where costly remote control operations are to be performed, like in industrial processes control or in aerospace/automotive engineering and manufacturing. This paper discusses the role of dependability in haptic user interfaces, aiming to the definition of a framework for the assessment of the usability and dependability properties of haptic systems and their possible correlations. The research is based on the analysis of a visual–haptic-based simulator targeted to maintenance activity training for aerospace industry which is taken as a case study. As a result, we propose a novel framework able to collect and then process relevant interaction data during the execution of haptic tasks, enabling to analyze dependability vs. usability correlations.

L. Paolino, M. Sebillo, G. Tortora, G.Vitiello, “Towards a new approach to query search engines: the Search Tree visual language”, Software – Practice and Experience Experience vol. 40(8), July 2010. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI: 10.1002/spe.978, pp. 735-750.           

Abstract

In this paper, we describe the Search Tree visual language. It is a novel methodology able to support users to build up complex queries to be run on given search engines. For using this visual language, neither parentheses nor precedence rules are needed, nor the specific ability to perform advanced search tasks. The language is proven to have the same expressive power as the expressions in Sum Of Product form. In order to prove the appropriateness of our proposal, we measured the usability of the proposed querying approach against the traditional YahooTM web search query language. Results show that, even if both the approaches fully support users in terms of efficacy, the Search Tree visual language significantly improves task efficiency, both in terms of the number of actions performed and the time requested with respect to the advanced search interface.

L. Paolino, M. Sebillo, G. Tortora, G.Vitiello, “Integrating Discrete and Continuous Data in an OpenGeospatial-Compliant Specification” in Transaction in GIS, 14(6) (J.P. Wilson, A.S. Fotheringham and D. O'Sullivan eds.) 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. pp. 731-753. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9671.2010.01231.x              

Abstract

The integrated management of heterogeneous spatial data, such as continuous fields and discrete data, is an important issue for the Geographic Information (GI) community. Indeed, GI users are forced to navigate among and operate with several tools in order to solve their spatial problems, due to the lack of systems capable of integrating different components, each meant to provide a specific solution. The aim of this article is to propose an OpenGeospatial-compliant solution which supports expert users in handling problems involving heterogeneous data by means of a seamless approach. A class hierarchy modeling spatial discrete objects, continuous data, relationships, and operations, is described, whereby data are organized in agreement with the binary representation. A running example is illustrated to support readers’ understanding of the proposed solution. Finally, some guidelines about an implementation modality are given, to demonstrate the applicability of the proposal to an existing DBMS.

L. Paolino, M. Romano, M. Sebillo, G. Vitiello, "Supporting the On Site Emergency Management through a Visualization Technique for Mobile Devices" Journal of Location Based Services, 4(03-04), 2010. pp. 222 - 239. doi: 10.1080/17489725.2010. Taylor and Francis Group Ltd.

Abstract

In case of emergency, visual analytics applications may be a successful means for quickly organizing necessary activities. They allow decision-makers to immediately visualize the status of the crisis, plan the evacuation and address people towards vacancies in emergency centres. Although the effectiveness of such applications is immediately clear, further support may be gained by allowing people to directly manage the emergency on site. In this sense, it seems to be particularly desiderable to provide interfaces which support visual analytics tasks on small and handheld devices without losing their communicative efficacy. In this paper, we adopt and extend a visualization technique, named Framy, specifically conceived for visualizing in a very intuitive way a large number of aggregates on very small devices. In particular, we show how it can reveal suitable for the management of this kind of emergencies by embedding and qualitatively aggregating both spatial and temporal information useful for catching status and evolution of events. An example concerning an evacuation scenario shows the Framy extended capability.

D. De Chiara, V. Del Fatto, R. Laurini, M. Sebillo, G. Vitiello, "A chorem-based approach for visually analyzing spatial data", to appear in Journal of Visual Languages and Computing, Elsevier. doi 10.1016/j.jvlc.2011.02.001           

Abstract

The need to support the activities of decision makers through highly interactive visual environments has motivated the growing interest in the area of GeoVisual Analytics. New interactive visualization tools are being envisaged to deal with large datasets in order to synthesize information and perform complex analytical tasks. Along this line, our research efforts have been focusing on new cartographic approaches which could support daily analysts’ work by producing synthesis and presentation of discovered patterns in a concise and understandable way. As a result, we have proposed the adoption of chorems as an innovative method to visually summarize information from spatial databases and we have implemented an XML-based language, named ChorML, able to both specify chorems characterizing a map and store the information useful to their manipulation. The goal of the present paper is to enhance the role that chorems may play in geographic domains, by exploiting them also for querying and accessing data associated with a phenomenon under investigation. To develop this idea, we first extend the semantics associated with the chorem concept and define a set of operators useful for the rapid analysis of spatio-temporal phenomena. Then, starting from an initial prototype, we present a chorem-based visual environment that integrates traditional interactive visualization and analysis techniques. The environment is specifically conceived so that each visual interaction task has a context-sensitive behavior, which allows users to acquire specific information from the underlying spatial database. Finally, we present an enhanced version of ChorML language, able to support the new analysis functionalities on chorems.

Prototypes