Designing Virtual Spaces for Immersive Visual Analytics

Abstract

Modern virtual reality (VR) technology has garnered significant attention in the geographic visualization community for its ability to immerse users within geospatial data sets. While immersion within one-to-one models of reality offers unique and powerful perspectives from which to view spatial data, VR also allows users to transcend the physical limitations of the real world, thereby allowing them to visualize, experience, and interact with spatial data at any scale, in any virtual environment, at any time. This paper presents a collection of 3D data-driven geovisualization case studies, implemented in an immersive virtual GIScience data visualization space (IVEVA). IVEVA was purposefully designed and developed to highlight the differences in spatial data type, the challenges associated with spatial data visualization in an immersive virtual environment, and the importance of adhering to the established design heuristics of cartography, human-computer interaction, and extended reality (XR) development. Through this process, we offer our observations on how well each data type fits this medium of visualization and interpretation, and how the design heuristics play out for an immersive virtual environment that extends the practicable space in which GIScience and visual analytics are performed. Finally, we offer our perspectives, from designing and developing this prototype, on the future for immersive interface-based GIScience.

Developing Digital Interactive Exploration of Historical Places with Blending BIM and Virtual Reality

“…Integrating VR technology further enriches the exploration process by creating a highly immersive and interactive environment [5]. VR enables users to experience historical places in a visually compelling and realistic manner, transcending the limitations of traditional 2D representations [6]. By putting users at the center of the virtual environment, VR allows them to navigate and interact with the historical site virtually, creating a sense of presence and a deeper connection with the past [7].…”

Dynamic 3D-Cartographic Symbols for VR Geovisualisations

“…Data and display methods may be better suited for VR, depending on the case or goal. Potential di culties of conventional 2D desktop visualizations and physical limitations can be overcome (Lochhead and Hedley 2021).…”

Development and use of virtual reality in geovisualisation: an overview

“…The combination of geovisualisation and VR is the next step, from two-dimensional screens and the use of scales to one-to-one models and new perspectives for the user.The advantages of VR in geovisualisation are, on the one hand, the provision of additional methods of data visualisation and new opportunities for users to discover patterns and anomalies (Cöltekin et al, 2020). On the other hand, new levels of immersion, presence and interaction have been achieved that feel natural to a user (Lochhead & Hedley, 2021).The user can dive into the world -they can view spatial data at the original scale, walk through it, interact and follow the development over time.This contribution wants to provide an overview of current developments of geovisualisations in the virtual environment.It will be shown which challenges can occur during implementation and which advantages result in different use cases. These include, for example, new, virtual possibilities of measurement or the representation of simulations from new perspectives -as projects have already done using the example of Caribbean coral reefs (Hruby et al, 2019) or an Arctic Clyde Inlet (Lütjens et al…”

“…The advantages of VR in geovisualisation are, on the one hand, the provision of additional methods of data visualisation and new opportunities for users to discover patterns and anomalies (Cöltekin et al, 2020). On the other hand, new levels of immersion, presence and interaction have been achieved that feel natural to a user (Lochhead & Hedley, 2021).…”