Projects about constructing physical tactile maps

Projects

• OpenStreetMap for the Blind

• Definition of what a tactile map is (with examples) [German]
• Presentation "Status der Blindennavigationsprojekte" (PDF) (as MP4) by Annette Thurow @ FOSSGIS2011 [German]
• Project "Barrierefreies Onlineportal für Karten- und Routing-Services" by Annette Thurow @ Wikimedia [German]
• OSM Mailing List "haptischekarten" Archiv [German]

•  Tactile Mapping Software @ Department of Geography at the University of Oregon
• project overview by Patrick Van Geem, Outreach Assistive Technology Consultant 
• TMAP 
• TacMap.

Different techniques to produce physical tactile representation of space
Tactile maps with a laser cutter (photo)
Tactile maps with a braille printer (photo)
Tactile maps with HaptoRender currently made from copper and probably from plastics in the future
Tactile maps with a 3d printer (PDF paper)

Examples of hand-crafted physical tactile representations
Ancient tactile maps of greenland
Different types of terrain models, relief types and techniques (ETH Zürich)
Tactile maps hand-crafted made from metal in Bremen (photo), in Bergen (photo)
3d models cast from copper: in Edinburgh, in Leipzig (photo)

Custom production and Vendors of tactile maps

Germany:
TOUCH in Hamburg
Deutscher Hilfsmittelvertrieb in Hannover
Deutsche Blindenstudienanstalt (Blista) in Marburg
DZB (Deutsche Zentralbibliothek für Blinde) in Leipzig
Grenzenlos Verlag in Erfurt

Abroad:
Trivector in Toronto, Canada
The Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute in San Francisco, California
Spatial and Map Cognition Research Lab in Eugene, Oregan
Product Map for all by Royal National Institute of Blind People

More: A compilation of several tactile image links

Listing of International News Coverage about Tactile Maps

13.08.2011: Universal access to recreation for all people, of all abilities: Money for tactile maps awarded

03.08.2011: Tactile map of Eden created for people with visual impairments

11.01.2011: Talking tactile maps as orientation tools for visually impaired: Local areas under your fingers

31.05.2010: Tactile Maps for Blind People

15.03.2010: Tactile Maps of Greenland

18.12.2008: Campus unveils Braille/tactile maps

31.01.2008: Tactile Maps

01.03.2005: Student researchers to present tactile maps of campus to blind students, staff

Off-topic: For a new publication culture

Entschleunigung of the research - however how?

by Gerd Schwerhoff (In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung vom 10.08.2011. S.N5)

"A scientific text has often hardly more reader than authors. The anthologies to conferences bind the energy of the scientist and shorten its view. A suggestion on the delimitation of the publication illusion."
read the whole article at FAZ.net (in German)
read a short wrap-up at iuwis (in German)