Digital cartography
Introduction
Computerized or digital cartography is the art, science and technology of creating and using maps through a computer.[1][2][3] This represents a paradigm shift in the way maps are made, although it remains fundamentally a subfield of traditional cartography.[3][4] The primary function of this technology is the creation of maps, including accurate representations of a particular area such as major streets, highways and other points of interest, and in the creation of thematic maps. Digital cartography is one of the main functions of geographic information systems, however, these are not necessary to facilitate computerized cartography, and they have functions other than simply making maps.[5][6] The first peer-reviewed publications on the use of computers in cartography predate the introduction of full-fledged GIS by several years.[7].
Computerized mapping is used in various programs, often by integrating GPS. This enables automated real-time map generation for tasks such as automotive navigation systems.
History
From paper to the absence of paper
In 1959, Waldo Tobler published an article titled "Automation and Cartography" that established the first use case for computers as tools in cartography. In this article, Tobler established what he called a "map-in-map-out" (MIMO) system, which facilitated the digitization of traditional maps, modifying and reproducing them. The system MIMO, although simple, established the use of computers for map creation in the literature and laid the foundation for more advanced geographic information systems in later years by geographers such as Roger Tomlinson. The rapid acceleration that followed led to a rapid paradigm shift in cartography, where traditional cartography was replaced by computer-assisted cartography. This was predicted in 1985, when Mark Monmonier speculated in his book Technological Transition in Cartography that Computational mapping facilitated by GIS would largely replace traditional pencil-and-paper mapping.[4] The milestone of creating and distributing more maps with computers is believed to have been reached sometime in the mid-1990s.[9].