A User Interface for Encoding Space Usage Rules Expressed in Natural Language

Abstract

Our interactions with the spaces around us are frequently defined by space usage rules (SURs) like “no smoking”, “no dogs allowed”, and “stay on the trail”. These rules are important public health tools and help protect the environment, among other applications. However, despite their importance, no large-scale database of SURs currently exists. This prevents online/mobile maps from presenting these rules to users, as their traditional paper counterparts have been shown to do regularly. The lack of a SUR database also prevents developers from building novel SUR-based applications, e.g. mobile apps that inform users where they can smoke or walk their dog. In this paper, we present an in-development user interface to support the semi-automatic encoding of SURs expressed in natural language in documents such as laws, city ordinances, park rules, and institution FAQ pages. Our system will allow an untrained user to easily enter complex rules into a spatial data format compatible with OpenStreetMap.