Project Goals
Utilize virtual reality to view and enable a user to access and analyze large sets of data, using physical motions.
Utilize virtual reality to view and enable a user to access and analyze large sets of data, using physical motions.
Project Application
- Specifically, the project has its background in a militaristic application.
- The project will be used to view data relating to the testing of:
- Military Aircraft
- Missiles and
- On Land Transportation
- The user will see and be able to select iconic representations of testing data sets in a virtual world.
- Once an icon is selected via physical motions, the user will see graphical representation of that data.
- While viewing this data, the user will be able to manipulate and alter the graphical representation of the data via their physical movements.
- This includes the user scaling the graph along each axis and increasing or decreasing the precision of the graph, among other graphical manipulations.
Project Motivation
- The project's main motivation is the development of a new way of seeing and analyzing data.
- This project will present an alternative to viewing and analyzing data with software that can be difficult to learn how to use or difficult to operate.
- Instead, the user will control the software with intuitive, quick-to-learn hand and body motions.
- Because of the presentation method (virtual reality), the user will be more engaged and interested in the data they are viewing
Project Implementation
The entirety of the project can be broken into three broad sub tasks:
1. Developing and displaying the virtual world that the user sees. This includes:
a. Developing the iconic representation of the data sets.
b. Creating visually aesthetic menus for the user to navigate between to make various selections.
c. Displaying graphs in a virtual environment.
2. Tracking and linking the user's physical movements to the virtual world.
a. Allowing the user to select various menu options and icons, and have those selections produce meaningful results.
b. Allowing the user to manipulate the graphical representation of data sets via their physical motions.
3. Producing some methodology to allow for the importation of custom data sets to manipulate.
a. This may include using a website and a server to manually enter data points or upload CSV files.
b. Potentially, this can include a mobile application to write data to a server.
The entirety of the project can be broken into three broad sub tasks:
1. Developing and displaying the virtual world that the user sees. This includes:
a. Developing the iconic representation of the data sets.
b. Creating visually aesthetic menus for the user to navigate between to make various selections.
c. Displaying graphs in a virtual environment.
2. Tracking and linking the user's physical movements to the virtual world.
a. Allowing the user to select various menu options and icons, and have those selections produce meaningful results.
b. Allowing the user to manipulate the graphical representation of data sets via their physical motions.
3. Producing some methodology to allow for the importation of custom data sets to manipulate.
a. This may include using a website and a server to manually enter data points or upload CSV files.
b. Potentially, this can include a mobile application to write data to a server.
Future Possibilities
Although this particular project is narrowly scoped, as a proof of concept design, the idea lends itself to a wide range of possibilities.
Although this particular project is narrowly scoped, as a proof of concept design, the idea lends itself to a wide range of possibilities.
- For instance, if the technology were to advance enough, the data could be projected or visualized onto table and desktop screens, so that it can be viewed by multiple people.
- With the right technological advancements, the application of this project can become more "natural", eliminating the need for bulky motion sensors, numerous softwares, and large virtual reality headsets.