Mountainous terrain is fascinating. “Wherever a landscape is displayed in relief form somewhere in an exhibition, visitors feel strongly attracted to it,” says Roman Geisthövel. He has always been fascinated by mountainscapes. Whenever he takes a trip through the Walensee region his eyes are always drawn towards the Churfirsten range. His interest in these mountains is also of a professional nature: he specialises in computer graphics and the depiction of terrain. He is familiar with the emulation of manual cartographic presentation techniques and is an expert at digitalising them. After completing his studies in Hamburg he moved directly to Switzerland. This was hardly unexpected, he says. “Switzerland’s method of depicting topographic landscapes enjoys a unique reputation throughout the world.” At the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich he presented a dissertation on the programming of cartographic techniques with a focus on mountainous terrain. Then in 2017 he joined swisstopo.

Innovative cartography

In swisstopo’s Cartography Division, Roman Geisthövel is influencing technological innovation. His team recently developed software that formed the basis for the creation of the Digital Cartographic Model, which is used for the development of the new national maps. This model provides comprehensive data that are used for developing accurate, easily readable maps at all scales. Roman Geisthövel focuses in particular on the depiction of terrain. Existing elements such as relief and rock faces are also integrated into the Digital Cartographic Model in order to ensure that the distinctive character of the national maps can be retained with the use of new technologies.

Products for mobile devices

He is currently focusing on a new project called Next Generation Map: “Nowadays, maps are used to a large extent on mobile devices,” he explains. The aim of the Next Generation Map project is to develop a product that can be used dynamically on a smartphone or tablet. “With this technology it will be possible to zoom limitlessly into a map,” says Roman Geisthövel. Its main features are dot, line and surface depictions that in contrast to conventional raster-based maps are freely scalable. This could be advantageous for hikers, for example, because the Next Generation Map is to include remote paths that are not identifiable on maps from other providers.

Unmistakeably Swiss

The realisation of the new map calls for cartographic expertise. Thanks to his specialised know-how, Roman Geisthövel is able to ensure that the depiction of terrain in the Next Generation Map is both of the highest quality and remains unmistakeably Swiss in style. In other words, “Clarity and ease of use on site are of central importance,” he notes. His focus is on rock faces, which are currently depicted in maps in the form of hand-drawn shadings called hachures. In the Next Generation Map project the feasibility of automating the depiction of rock faces is one of the aspects the team is currently studying. For this purpose, Roman Geisthövel is working closely together with the Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich with the aim of developing the necessary software. In the next project stage the focus will be on determining whether the depiction of relief can be automated on the basis of the new technology. The objective is clear: the high standard of terrain depiction on Swiss maps must be assured for use on mobile devices.