Exploiting the Environment: Urban Navigation as a Case Study

Abstract

cale at which navigation occurs. ffl Navigation is much simpler than arbitrary graph search because streets are topologically sensible. It is impossible to drive along a street and suddenly end up on the other side of town; culs-de-sac are relatively rare, so hill-climbing tends to work; one-way streets never completely isolate regions. ffl Navigation occurs in a topographically translucent environment: some information is available by virtue of the 3-D nature of the environment, although not all. Often one can see more than just the immediate surroundings. Deciding which highway exit to take can involve simply looking at the buildings in the distance to decide when the correct exit is approaching. ffl Some cities are coherently labeled. Streets might be numbered, alphabetized or follow some other regular pattern. ffl Most cities are informatively<F12.