A comparative analysis of routes generated by Web Mapping APIs

Abstract

Web Mapping APIs (WMAs), such as Google Maps API, are widely used by researchers across different fields to develop geospatial Web applications. Among maps and map functionalities provided through WMAs, route and direction are prominent and commonly available. Given that each WMA uses a different map database and a different set of assumptions, the routes they generate, for the same pairs of origin and destination addresses, are different. Considering the current void in literature on WMAs and the routes they generate, in this paper, select common WMAs are compared and analyzed based on their routing techniques. The results of these comparisons will benefit researchers by helping them better understand the behavior of WMAs in producing routes, which in turn can be used for selecting suitable WMAs for research projects or developing applications (such as navigation and location-based services). The process in which routes are evaluated can also be used as a guideline to help researchers explore behavior of WMAs in generating routes.

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