Harnessing the power of immersive virtual reality-visualization and analysis of 3D earth science data sets

The availability and quantity of remotely sensed and terrestrial geospatial data sets are on the rise.Historically,these data sets have been analyzed and quarried on 2D desktop computers;however,immersive technologies and specifically immersive virtual reality(iVR)allow for the integration,visualization,analysis,and exploration of these 3D geospatial data sets.iVR can deliver remote and large-scale geospatial data sets to the laboratory,providing embodied experiences of field sites across the earth and beyond.We describe a workflow for the ingestion of geospatial data sets and the development of an iVR workbench,and present the application of these for an experience of Iceland’s Thrihnukar volcano where we:(1)combined satellite imagery with terrain elevation data to create a basic reconstruction of the physical site;(2)used terrestrial LiDAR data to provide a geo-referenced point cloud model of the magmatic-volcanic system,as well as the LiDAR intensity values for the identification of rock types;and(3)used Structure-from-Motion(SfM)to construct a photorealistic point cloud of the inside volcano.The workbench provides tools for the direct manipulation of the georeferenced data sets,including scaling,rotation,and translation,and a suite of geometric measurement tools,including length,area,and volume.Future developments will be inspired by an ongoing user study that formally evaluates the workbench’s mature components in the context of fieldwork and analyses activities.

Where are we now?Re-visiting the Digital Earth through human-centered virtual and augmented reality geovisualization environments

The original Digital Earth concept,formulated by Al Gore(1998),is essentially a virtual reality system.In this(imagined)system,users are able to freely explore all possible recorded knowledge or information about the Earth though an interactive interface.While we imagine such an interface primarily as visual for now,it can be expected that in the future other senses will be engaged,allowing for even more realistic virtual experiences.Even though‘realism’in the experience is desirable(i.e.,it feels real),immersive experiences provided by visualization environments can go beyond reality,as they can be enhanced with queryable information.Of course one can also create fictitious experiences and simulations in such environments;including information about possible pasts(e.g.,ancient Rome)and futures(e.g.,a planned neighborhood);or spaces that we cannot(easily)directly experience(e.g.,the Moon,Mars,other far-away spaces,under the oceans,core of the earth,etc.).

Geographic information science in the era of geospatial big data: A cyberspace perspective

The advent of information and communication technology and the Internet of Things have led our society toward a digital era.The proliferation of personal computers,smartphones,intelligent autonomous sensors,and pervasive network interactions with individuals have gradually shifted human activities from offline to online and from in person to virtual.This transformation has brought a series of challenges in a variety of fields,such as the dilemma of placelessness,some aspects of timelessness(no time relevance),and the changing relevance of distance in the field of geographic information science(GIScience).In the last two decades,“cyber thinking”in GIScience has received significant attention from different perspectives.For instance,human activities in“cyberspace”need to be reconsidered when coupled with the geographic space to observe the first law of geography.

Collaborating remotely:an evaluation of immersive capabilities on spatial experiences and team membership

Today’s workforce environments are steadily becoming more distributed across the globe,calling for improved ways of facilitating collaborations at a distance,including geo-collaborations or collaborations at critical locations.Newer technology is allowing distributed teams to move away from traditional conference rooms,taking collaborations into the field and giving remote teams more information about the environment.This idea of situating a remote collaborator’s experiences in the field,virtually,promises to enhance the understanding of geographically remote spaces.Newer technologies in virtual reality(VR)hold promise for providing mobile spatial experiences in real-time,without being tied to fixed hardware,such as systems in conference rooms.An exploratory study using VR technology on remote user experiences in a collaboration was conducted to identify the added value for remote collaborators.The findings suggest immersive capabilities improve feelings of presence in the remote locations and perceptions of being in the remote location increase feelings of team membership.