People & the Environment: Geo-analytical Guidelines for Measuring Environmental Interaction

Garrett C. Millar

Harvard University Center for Geographic Analysis

September 2019

What is skin conductance?

What is skin conductance?

  1. Brain senses emotion

What is skin conductance?

  1. Brain senses emotion
  2. Nervous system triggers sweat glands on hands and feet

What is skin conductance?

  1. Brain senses emotion
  2. Nervous system triggers sweat glands on hands and feet
  3. Hands and feet become slightly wetter

What is skin conductance?

  1. Brain senses emotion
  2. Nervous system triggers sweat glands on hands and feet
  3. Hands and feet become slightly wetter
  4. Water conducts electricity

What is skin conductance?

  1. Brain senses emotion
  2. Nervous system triggers sweat glands on hands and feet
  3. Hands and feet become slightly wetter
  4. Water conducts electricity
  5. Electric current gets passed between two electrodes (conductivity)

Why map emotion?




Limitations of Wearable Sensors


  • Measurement quality and accuracy
  • Less control over environmental factors
  • Physiological signals can contain noise and measurement errors
  • BUT, all is not lost...

Advantages of Wearable Sensors


  1. More objective
  2. Continuous measurement at high temporal resolutions
  3. Reduce burden on participants
  4. Provide clearest window into people's daily physiology

CHIPS: Cycle Highway Project


  • Participants: 12
  • Cycle track: 18 km cycle highway
  • Type of bike: e-bike

Study Area & Cycle Track

Study Area & Cycle Track




Data Collection


Software | Interactive Application


Geospatial Application Stress3d - Uses cyclists' physiological data to see how stress and emotions can be affected by our environment.

CELTH: Storysperience Project


  • Participants: 16
  • Vincentre museum: Indoor & Outdoor Exhibits
  • Type of experience: Guided walking tour

Study Area (Outdoors & Indoors)




Geospatial & Physiological Data


  • Person ID
  • Location (x,y)
  • Time (spent in location)
  • Skin Conductance
  • Direction (to & from exhibits)
  • Velocity
  • Distance to Exhibits
  • Viewshed (indoors & outdoors)


Study Area: Outdoor Exhibits




Data: Outdoors




Data: Outdoors




Data: Outdoors




Data: Outdoors




First Approach: Growing Exhibit Areas




Second Approach: Viewsheds




Results




Indoors: Trilaterating Participant Locations




Indoors: Trilaterating Participant Locations




Predicted Locations & Conductance




Software | Interactive Application

Geospatial Application Emotion Musuem - Uses a 3D model of a museum and geotagged emotion data to explore which exhibits in the Vincent Van Gogh Centre visitors find the most exciting.

Nurses' Health Study


  • Participants: ???
  • Sample population: healthcare workers
  • Variables:
    • risk factors for major chronic diseases
    • physical well-being
    • neighborhood walkability

Applying Methods to Commercial Smartwatches | Fitbit Data



Ongoing Analytic Development: Mapping People Toolbox

People & the Environment: Geo-analytical Guidelines and Software Tools for Measuring Environmental Interaction and Experience


Related Publications

Millar, G. C., Mitas, O., Boode, W., Hoeke, L., de Kruijff, J., & Mitasova, H. (under review). Space-time Analytics of Human Physiology for Urban Planning., To be published as a Special Issue of: Computers, Environment and Urban Systems (CEUS). Millar, G. C., Mitas, O., Boode, W., Hoeke, L., de Kruijff, J., Tateosian, L., & Mitasova, H. (in preparation). Stress3d: An Interactive & 3D Framework for Exploring Human Behavior.


Software & Applications

Geospatial Application Stress3d - Uses cyclists' physiological data to see how stress and emotions can be affected by our environment.
Geospatial Application Emotion Musuem - Uses a 3D model of a museum and geotagged emotion data to explore which exhibits in the Vincent Van Gogh Centre visitors find the most exciting.




Presentation Link: https://gcmillar.github.io/presentations/Harvard-CGA

Concluding Remarks



Questions?



Extra Slides