Current Trends for 4D Space-Time Topology for Semantic Flow Segmentation

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Current Trends for 4D Space-Time Topology for Semantic Flow Segmentation

Recent advances in computing and simulation technology promote the simulation of time-dependent flows, i.e., flows where the velocity field changes over time. The simulation of time-dependent flow is a more realistic approximation of natural phenomena and it represents an invaluable tool for scientists and practitioners in multiple disciplines, including meteorology, vehicle design, and medicine. Flow visualization, a subfield of scientific visualization, is one of several research areas which deal with the analysis of flows. There are many methods for the analysis of steady flows, but the extension to the time-dependent case is not straight forward. The SemSeg project, a FET-Open project in the 7th Framework programme, attempts to provide a solution for the semantic segmentation of time-dependent flows. It aims at the formulation of a sound theoretical mechanism to describe structural features in time-dependent flow. In this paper, we briefly summarize recent research results from the SemSeg project. Several different approaches are pursued in the project, including methods based on the finite-time Lyapunov exponent (FTLE), methods based on vector field topology (VFT), and interactive visual analysis (IVA) methods. Uncertainty visualization and the interactive evaluation of methods are helping in evaluating the results.ISSN:1877-050