关于虚拟地理环境研究的几点思考

该文主要回答了目前被频繁问及的有关虚拟地理环境的几个问题。重点阐述了虚拟地理环境的概念、发展现状及其基本理论、方法、关键技术与应用,以及与传统地理信息系统的区别。指出虚拟地理环境是在空间数据库和地理模型管理基础上构建的、同时表达地理静态和模拟动态现象的、面向多用户的分布式协同虚拟环境。因此,虚拟地理环境突破地理信息系统以数据共享为核心的框架,走向以数据库和模型库为双核心的知识共享平台,进而形成一个新知识的生成环境。

Some Thoughts on Virtual Geographic Environments

To answer some frequently-asked questions about Virtual Geographic Environments(VGE),the concept of VGE,including its theory,methodology,technology and applications,is discussed with its difference from traditional GIS.Unlike the traditional GIS with only one core of geo-database,VGE has two cores,which are geo-database and the model management.VGE is a virtual environment to present not only static objects,such as buildings,but also dynamic processes,for instance pollutant dispersion.The proposed virtual environments are online platforms which allow multi-users to operate the same work from geographically distributed places collaboratively.These features make VGE a knowledge sharing and generation platform instead of a data sharing system.