Analyzing the metaphoric qualities of arrows

Problem

In interpreting drawn arrows, which dimensions of arrows need to be considered?

Background

Arrows may seem like a relativity simple kind of graphical symbol.  However, because arrows can be drawn in a variety of different ways, they pose a significant challenge for sketch recognition systems.

In addition, the interpretation of an arrow can also be difficult, even after an arrow has been identified. This is because an arrow's dimensions can be used to depict a variety of different dimensions in the diagram's real-world domain. The interpretation thus often depends heavily on the context. For example, in a data flow diagram the only important characteristic of the arrow may be a directional linkage between modules.  In a military diagram, however, the boundary and thickness of the arrows may be important as well. Other arrows may utilize other characteristics (dotted lines, 'wavy' or jagged lines, and so forth).
 

Deliverables
 

• First, perform a literature search on current work in arrow interpretation.  How good are the current approaches to recognizing arrows?  Which aspects of arrows are easy to capture, and which are difficult?
• Second, do a qualitative analysis of how arrows are used over a set of 5-10 diagram types, isolating the set of useful dimensions and their relative frequency in the diagrams you encounter.
• Synthesize your work in a report that contrasts those aspects of arrows that humans tend to use with those aspects that computers can easily recognize.

Evaluation will by done by the sponsor based on the report and the submitted code.

References (Available from sponsor)

      [1]   Forbus, K. D., Ferguson, R. W., & Usher, J. M. (2000). Boundary-based multimodal input for geographic planning sketches. In P. Healy (Ed.), Proceedings of the First International Workshop on Interactive Graphical Communication . London: Queen Mary College, University of London.

      [2]   Ferguson, R. W., Rasch, R. A. J., Turmel, W., & Forbus, K. D. (2000). Qualitative spatial interpretation of Course-of-Action diagrams, Proceedings of the 14th International Workshop on Qualitative Reasoning . Morelia, Mexico.

      [3]   Forbus, K. D., Ferguson, R. W., & Usher, J. M. (2000). Towards a computational model of sketching, Proceedings of the International Conference on Intelligent User Interfaces . Sante Fe, New Mexico.

      [4]   Ferguson, R. W., & Forbus, K. D. (2000). GeoRep: A flexible tool for spatial representation of line drawings, Proceedings of the 18th National Conference on Artificial Intelligence. Austin, Texas: AAAI Press.