Subscribe to the gold package and get unlimited access to Shamra Academy
Register a new userExploring and Interrogating Astrophysical Data in Virtual Reality
330
0
0.0
(
0
)
Ask ChatGPT about the research
No Arabic abstract
Scientists across all disciplines increasingly rely on machine learning algorithms to analyse and sort datasets of ever increasing volume and complexity. Although trends and outliers are easily extracted, careful and close inspection will still be necessary to explore and disentangle detailed behavior, as well as identify systematics and false positives. We must therefore incorporate new technologies to facilitate scientific analysis and exploration. Astrophysical data is inherently multi-parameter, with the spatial-kinematic dimensions at the core of observations and simulations. The arrival of mainstream virtual-reality (VR) headsets and increased GPU power, as well as the availability of versatile development tools for video games, has enabled scientists to deploy such technology to effectively interrogate and interact with complex data. In this paper we present development and results from custom-built interactive VR tools, called the iDaVIE suite, that are informed and driven by research on galaxy evolution, cosmic large-scale structure, galaxy-galaxy interactions, and gas/kinematics of nearby galaxies in survey and targeted observations. In the new era of Big Data ushered in by major facilities such as the SKA and LSST that render past analysis and refinement methods highly constrained, we believe that a paradigm shift to new software, technology and methods that exploit the power of visual perception, will play an increasingly important role in bridging the gap between statistical metrics and new discovery. We have released a beta version of the iDaVIE software system that is free and open to the community.
rate research
Read More
Spherical coordinate systems, which are ubiquitous in astronomy, cannot be shown without distortion on flat, two-dimensional surfaces. This poses challenges for the two complementary phases of visual exploration -- making discoveries in data by looking for relationships, patterns or anomalies -- and publication -- where the results of an exploration are made available for scientific scrutiny or communication. This is a long-standing problem, and many practical solutions have been developed. Our allskyVR approach provides a workflow for experimentation with commodity virtual reality head-mounted displays. Using the free, open source S2PLOT programming library, and the A-Frame WebVR browser-based framework, we provide a straightforward way to visualise all-sky catalogues on a user-centred, virtual celestial sphere. The allskyVR distribution contains both a quickstart option, complete with a gaze-based menu system, and a fully customisable mode for those who need more control of the immersive experience. The software is available for download from: https://github.com/cfluke/allskyVR
Virtual Reality (VR) technology has been subject to a rapid democratization in recent years, driven in large by the entertainment industry, and epitomized by the emergence of consumer-grade, plug-and-play, room-scale VR devices. To explore the scientific potential of this technology for the field of observational astrophysics, we have created an experimental VR application: E0102-VR. The specific scientific goal of this application is to facilitate the characterization of the 3D structure of the oxygen-rich ejecta in the young supernova remnant 1E 0102.2-7219 in the Small Magellanic Cloud. Using E0102-VR, we measure the physical size of two large cavities in the system, including a (7.0$pm$0.5) pc-long funnel structure on the far-side of the remnant. The E0102-VR application, albeit experimental, demonstrates the benefits of using human depth perception for a rapid and accurate characterization of complex 3D structures. Given the implementation costs (time-wise) of a dedicated VR application like E0102-VR, we conclude that the future of VR for scientific purposes in astrophysics most likely resides in the development of a robust, generic application dedicated to the exploration and visualization of 3D observational datasets, akin to a ``ds9-VR.
With the popularity of online access in virtual reality (VR) devices, it will become important to investigate exclusive and interactive CAPTCHA (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart) designs for VR devices. In this paper, we first present four traditional two-dimensional (2D) CAPTCHAs (i.e., text-based, image-rotated, image-puzzled, and image-selected CAPTCHAs) in VR. Then, based on the three-dimensional (3D) interaction characteristics of VR devices, we propose two vrCAPTCHA design prototypes (i.e., task-driven and bodily motion-based CAPTCHAs). We conducted a user study with six participants for exploring the feasibility of our two vrCAPTCHAs and traditional CAPTCHAs in VR. We believe that our two vrCAPTCHAs can be an inspiration for the further design of CAPTCHAs in VR.
Virtual Reality (VR) enables users to collaborate while exploring scenarios not realizable in the physical world. We propose CollabVR, a distributed multi-user collaboration environment, to explore how digital content improves expression and understanding of ideas among groups. To achieve this, we designed and examined three possible configurations for participants and shared manipulable objects. In configuration (1), participants stand side-by-side. In (2), participants are positioned across from each other, mirrored face-to-face. In (3), called eyes-free, participants stand side-by-side looking at a shared display, and draw upon a horizontal surface. We also explored a telepathy mode, in which participants could see from each others point of view. We implemented 3DSketch visual objects for participants to manipulate and move between virtual content boards in the environment. To evaluate the system, we conducted a study in which four people at a time used each of the three configurations to cooperate and communicate ideas with each other. We have provided experimental results and interview responses.
Effective data visualization is a key part of the discovery process in the era of big data. It is the bridge between the quantitative content of the data and human intuition, and thus an essential component of the scientific path from data into knowledge and understanding. Visualization is also essential in the data mining process, directing the choice of the applicable algorithms, and in helping to identify and remove bad data from the analysis. However, a high complexity or a high dimensionality of modern data sets represents a critical obstacle. How do we visualize interesting structures and patterns that may exist in hyper-dimensional data spaces? A better understanding of how we can perceive and interact with multi dimensional information poses some deep questions in the field of cognition technology and human computer interaction. To this effect, we are exploring the use of immersive virtual reality platforms for scientific data visualization, both as software and inexpensive commodity hardware. These potentially powerful and innovative tools for multi dimensional data visualization can also provide an easy and natural path to a collaborative data visualization and exploration, where scientists can interact with their data and their colleagues in the same visual space. Immersion provides benefits beyond the traditional desktop visualization tools: it leads to a demonstrably better perception of a datascape geometry, more intuitive data understanding, and a better retention of the perceived relationships in the data.
Log in to be able to interact and post comments
comments
Fetching comments
Sign in to be able to follow your search criteria
