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Geospatial visualizations are becoming a larger part of society. From using maps to go from one location to another to using battlefield visualizations to help the military, geospatial visualizations are becoming a larger part of people's lives. At the same time, large displays are becoming more prominent in people's lives. From large fifty-monitor tiled displays to dual monitor desktop systems people are using larger displays more often in their daily lives. This dissertation summarizes our work with large displays and geospatial visualizations. We show dramatic increases in performance of more than ten times performance improvement when using larger displays that offer a greater number of pixels. We show performance improvements for a range of tasks from simple navigation to complex pattern finding tasks. This dissertation contributes to the fields of human-computer interaction and information visualization in that it shows performance improvements as analytical force multipliers and explains why such performance exists. It explains how virtual navigation (mouse and keyboard input) correlates to physical navigation (body movement) to explain performance improvements. In addition, this dissertation explains how semantic zooming, space scale, task scale, and task type all are variables that influence human behavior in both navigation and performance. This dissertation addresses primarily geospatial information visualizations, but extends to other generic spatially oriented visualizations. The impacts of large displays for both geospatial information visualizations and generic spatially oriented visualizations are explained. / Ph. D.

Graphical representation for construction control information--processes such as scheduling, budgeting and RFIs--follows no formalized method. Many graphics neglect relevant information necessary to highlight trends in or relationships between processes. The principles of data graphics offer visual capabilities beyond those currently employed by the construction industry to display appropriate information in a manner that enhances comprehension of control processes. This paper describes a method that incorporates four tasks; those of structuring and filtering data, editing for density and communicating efficiently; as necessary to creating effective data graphics. In addition to an evaluation technique, these tasks are outlined in a coherent framework. Several construction control processes are then described with respect to these four tasks. Focused application of the framework to the budgeting process produces four graphics that are subsequently evaluated by industry professionals. Conclusions detailed at the end of this document draw together lessons learned from the process of creating data graphics as well as from quantitative and qualitative evaluations of the visual cost report. / Master of Science

The effects of immersion with respect to information visualization have rarely been explored. In this thesis, we describe a methodology, two information visualization applications that were developed using the CAVE, and three user studies in order to explore, examine and attempt to quantify the effects of immersion. We focus on three major components of immersion: field of regard (FOR), head-based rendering (HBR), and stereoscopic viewing. We hypothesize that a high degree of FOR will result in increased task performance and user satisfaction when visualizing data represented by scatter and surface plots. We also hypothesize that HBR and stereoscopic viewing will result in increased task performance, but the effects of these components would be greater in the scatter plots than surface plots. We have conducted three user studies with the information visualization applications developed for this research. In the first study, an exploratory pilot study, we observed a trend in favor of using high FOR and HBR. In the second exploratory pilot study, we observed a slight trend in favor of high FOR. In the third study, thirty-two subjects performed tasks using both the scatter plots and surface plots with eight test conditions. We observed trends in favor of high levels of FOR, HBR and stereoscopic viewing in scatter plots, a slight trend in favor of HBR for surface plots, and a significant interaction effect between FOR and HBR in scatter plots for a particular task. / Master of Science

Archeological research embracing complex Information Technology techniques can result in vast quantities of heterogeneous information from different sites in different formats. ETANA-DL is an Archeological Digital Library (DL), providing services suited for the archeological domain. With a growing collection of records in the DL, it is a challenge to present them in an organized and meaningful way. We have designed a new visual browsing interface called ETANA-CMV that aims to provide users a richer and more insightful browsing experience. ETANA-CMV allows users to navigate through the records in ETANA-DL that are multidimensional, hierarchical, and categorical in nature. ETANA-CMV was designed to be scalable, flexible, and easy to learn. This interface employs a data cube based browsing index to counter performance issues that usually limit the interactivity of visual browsing interfaces to DLs. The interface has been integrated with the existing Browse Interface and the search service in ETANA-DL. Formative evaluation of the new visual interface led to several improvements in the interface. It appears that users were able to detect trends in the DL collections more accurately using visualization based strategies than with the existing textual browse interface. / Master of Science

An individual s decision to place a close family member in a nursing home is both difficult and crucial. To assist consumers with such a decision, several initiatives have led to the creation of public websites designed to communicate quality indicators for nursing homes. However, a majority of consumers fail to fully utilize this information for various reasons, such as the multidimensionality, complexity, and uncertainty of the information. Some of the difficulties may be alleviated by information visualization (InfoVis) techniques. However, several unsuccessful attempts in applying InfoVis to decision making suggest that a thorough understanding of the user s perspective is necessary. Accordingly, the author has developed an InfoVis tool for the decision domain of choice of a nursing home. First, a framework of overarching InfoVis and decision theories, called the visualized decision making (VDM) framework, has been developed and contextualized within the selection of a nursing home. Second, a decision-support tool using several InfoVis techniques such as the weighting slider bar and the distribution view have been designed for application within the framework, and the designed tool, called VDM, was implemented. Third, VDM was empirically tested through a web-based experiment and follow-up interviews. The results of this study showed that individuals faced with the decision of selecting a nursing home could make fairly high quality decisions when they used VDM. Though the effects of proposed InfoVis techniques were not evident, this study provided the theoretical framework and empirical results which may help other designers of InfoVis techniques because this work addresses several issues consumers face when choosing a nursing home that can be generalized to other decision making contexts.

Many disciplines spend considerable resources studying behavior. Tools range from pen-and-paper observation to biometric sensing. A tool's appropriateness depends on the goal and justification of the study, the observable context and feature set of target behaviors, the observers' resources, and the subjects' tolerance to intrusiveness. We present two systems: Viz-A-Vis and Tableau Machine. Viz-A-Vis is an analytical tool appropriate for onsite, continuous, wide-coverage and long-term capture, and for objective, contextual, and detailed analysis of the physical actions of subjects who consent to overhead video observation. Tableau Machine is a creative artifact for the home. It is a long-lasting, continuous, interactive, and abstract Art installation that captures overhead video and visualizes activity to open opportunities for creative interpretation. We focus on overhead video observation because it affords a near one-to-one correspondence between pixels and floor plan locations, naturally framing the activity in its spatial context. Viz-A-Vis is an information visualization interface that renders and manipulates computer vision abstractions. It visualizes the hidden structure of behavior in its spatiotemporal context. We demonstrate the practicality of this approach through two user studies. In the first user study, we show an important search performance boost when compared against standard video playback and against the video cube. Furthermore, we determine a unanimous user choice for overviewing and searching with Viz-A-Vis. In the second study, a domain expert evaluation, we validate a number of real discoveries of insightful environmental behavior patterns by a group of senior architects using Viz-A-Vis. Furthermore, we determine clear influences of Viz-A-Vis over the resulting architectural designs in the study. Tableau Machine is a sensing, interpreting, and painting artificial intelligence. It is an Art installation with a model of perception and personality that continuously and enduringly engages its co-occupants in the home, creating an aura of presence. It perceives the environment through overhead cameras, interprets its perceptions with computational models of behavior, maps its interpretations to generative abstract visual compositions, and renders its compositions through paintings. We validate the goal of opening a space for creative interpretation through a study that included three long-term deployments in real family homes.

Ambient displays present useful information in the periphery of the users and normally they don’t support interactions. Technological advancements in digital displays, computing power of smart phones and faster wireless networks enable new forms of interactions. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the design space of ambient displays and make an inquiry into the future state by designing and implementing an interactive prototype for a specific use case. The context of the project is a music management company, its Artist & Repertoire division and their work-flow. The work introduces a novel concept of Interactive Semi-Ambient Displays with Narrative visualization features. The thesis is a comprehensive documentation of an iterative Research through Design process and its final outcome, an interactive prototype. The prototype consists of a Semi-Ambient visualization, integrated with narrative features and a mobile application to interact and control the visualization. A formative focus group evaluation of the prototype was conducted to evaluate the final outcome of the process. Results suggest that the concept is a viable way to effectively visualize information in office environments and support the work-flow of co-located groups. Based on the comments, future directions for the general concept and the project are discussed. / Ambivalenta skärmar ger nyttig information i periferin hos användarna som normalt inte stöder en interaktion. Tekniska framsteg i de digitala skärmarna, datorkapaciteten i smarta telefoner och snabbare trådlösa nätverk möjliggör en ny form av interaktion. Syftet med denna avhandling är att undersöka utformningen av dessa ambivalenta skärmar och redogöra om ett framtida skede genom att utforma och genomföra en interaktiv prototyp hos ett specifikt användningsområde. Projektets kontext är ett förvaltningsbolag i musikbranschen, och dess Konstär & Repertoar indelning samt deras arbetsflöde. Arbetets syfte är att introducera ett nytt koncept av interaktiva Semi-Ambivalenta skärmar med berättande visualiseringsfunktioner. Avhandlingen är en omfattande sammansättning av en återkommande forskning inom design process och dess slutliga resultat, en interaktiv prototyp. Prototypen består av en Semi-Ambivalent visualisering, integrerad med narrativa funktioner och en mobil applikation för att interagera och styra visualisering. En utvärdering av prototypen utfördes i form av en pedagogisk fokusgrupp för att ta fram det slutliga resultatet av processen. Resultaten tyder på att konceptet är ett lönsamt sätt att effektivt visualisera information i kontorsmiljöer och stödja arbetsflödet hos lokala arbetsgrupper. Baserat på kommentarerna som finns, är de framtida målen för det grundliga konceptet & projektet att föra en diskussion.

Thesis (M. Tech. Design technology) -- Central University of Technology, Free State, 2011 / This dissertation outlines a procedural scanning process using the portable ZCorporation ZScanner® 700 and provides an overview of the developments surrounding 3D scanning technologies; specifically their application for archiving Cultural Heritage sites and projects. The procedural scanning process is structured around the identification of 3D data recording variables applicable to the digital archiving of an art museum’s collection of sculptures. The outlining of a procedural 3D scanning environment supports the developing technology of 3D digital archiving in view of artefact preservation and interactive digital accessibility. Presented in this paper are several case studies that record 3D scanning variables such as texture, scale, surface detail, light and data conversion applicable to varied sculptural surfaces and form. Emphasis is placed on the procedural documentation and the anomalies associated with the physical object, equipment used, and the scanning environment. In support of the above, the Cultural Heritage projects that are analyzed prove that 3D portable scanning could provide digital longevity and access to previously inaccessible arenas for a diverse range of digital data archiving infrastructures. The development of 3D data acquisition via scanning, CAD modelling and 2D to 3D data file conversion technologies as well as the aesthetic effect and standards of digital archiving in terms of the artwork – viewer relationship and international practices or criterions of 3D digitizing are analysed. These projects indicate the significant use of optical 3D scanning techniques and their employ on renowned historical artefacts thus emphasizing their importance, safety and effectiveness. The aim with this research is to establish that the innovation and future implications of 3D scanning could be instrumental to future technological advancement in an interdisciplinary capacity to further data capture and processing in various Cultural Heritage diagnostic applications.

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