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Visualization is a
rapidly growing field that uses graphics to represent data in a
better way than in it's raw form. Most of the data that is used is
actually data that is hard to be represented in some form, such as
multiresolution data, but easier to represent in 3-dimensional
graphics. Most of the graphical forms being used to represent such
data is not in a concrete form such as a sphere or cube, especially
weather visualizations which are represented as volumetric splats.
How can one easily interact with and select these forms in three
dimensions? We thought that instead of using a two dimensional mouse
to interact with three dimensional graphics, one could use both
hands in a three dimensional space, then one might be able to better
interact with these forms.
We have built two
input devices that would be held by each hand, so that the user
could use two hands to interact with the computer. Each device has a
Polhemus tracker attached to them to track or report the position
and orientation of each hand in space. The devices each have three
buttons on them that work very similar to that of a game controller
or mouse for added functionality.
In this project we
will run studies which will investigate the usability and
effectiveness of both input devices that we have created and the
methods by which to select and interact with areas in a three
dimensional visualization, in particular a three dimensional
visualization of weather data.
In addition, we are
developing a weather visualization application to view three
dimensional splats of different color and shape representing cloud,
water vapor, and other data in western North Carolina.
People:
Amy
Ulinski, Ph.D. Student
Paula
Goolkasian, Psychology Professor
Zachary
Wartell, Professor
Larry
F. Hodges, Professor |
3D
User Interaction with Weather Visualization