Making Cartograms and Using them for Data Acquisition

P. Mercure[1], and R. Haley[2]
[1]The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, MI
[2]ATM Research, Midland, MI
Published in 2011

We demonstrate cartogram construction, where a geographical map is distorted to represent some measure, for example population, while trying to keep the shape of regions recognizable. We then apply this cartogram construction technique to optimize thermocouple locations.

A heat generation and conduction model is used initialize the cartogram construction algorithm. A uniform distribution of measurement points is mapped via the cartogram to optimal locations.