Shade Map is a pedestrian environment visualization app that allows users to view building shadows on a map as they change over time. In urban areas, pedestrians are influenced not only by the length of the street but also by surrounding environmental factors such as sunlight, shade, and building layout. Particularly during periods of strong sunlight, the perceived environment can vary depending on the location of shade, even within the same space. Shade Map provides users with an intuitive way to observe these changes on the map screen.
Users can view surrounding buildings and shadow distribution together on the app's map screen. Shadows generated based on building data are displayed on the map, allowing users to examine which areas are currently shaded. This enables users to grasp the building layout and shadow formation status of specific areas at a glance. Users can easily understand the pedestrian environment through visual information on the map, without having to directly check complex numerical data or analysis results.
Shade Map is designed to allow users to check shadow changes over time by providing a time slider. Users can move the slider to check the location of shadows at specific times and observe how shadows shift over time. Since the direction and range of shadows can vary depending on whether it is morning, noon, or afternoon, this feature helps users compare differences across different times of the day. This feature can be used to check the sunlight and shade conditions of the surrounding area before moving.
Additionally, the Shade Map allows users to view the three-dimensional structure of urban spaces through a 3D building display function. Users can refer to the shapes and heights of buildings alongside the flat map, and gain a more realistic understanding of the urban environment by combining this with shadow information. Shadow display and 3D building display can be toggled on or off individually, allowing users to adjust the map screen to their preference. The core of the Shade Map lies in the ability to view buildings and shadows together, rather than simply viewing the map.
Users can move the map based on their current location via the "Current Location" button. If location permissions are granted, users can view the map screen around their current location; even if location permissions are not granted, the app can still be used based on the default location. Therefore, the app's basic map and shadow viewing functions can be utilized regardless of location permissions. Users can launch the app and view map, building, and shadow information on a single screen without any complex separate settings.
The current version focuses on providing features such as time-based building shadow visualization, 3D building display, shadow display switching, and map movement based on the current location. In future updates, we plan to gradually expand features such as route search with inputted starting and ending points, route comparison considering shade distribution, and pedestrian environment guidance reflecting weather information. Ultimately, our goal is to evolve the service beyond simply viewing maps to help users select the most suitable walking routes by taking into account time and environmental conditions.
The Shade Map aims to provide useful information to users who want to check the distribution of surrounding shade during periods of strong sunlight, those who want to preview the urban environment before traveling, and those who want to observe changes in the pedestrian environment created by buildings and shadows. Moving forward, we plan to continue improving features based on map-based visualization capabilities to help pedestrians more easily understand and utilize their surroundings.