490 research outputs found
Are tiled display walls needed for astronomy?
Clustering commodity displays into a Tiled Display Wall (TDW) provides a
cost-effective way to create an extremely high resolution display, capable of
approaching the image sizes now gen- erated by modern astronomical instruments.
Astronomers face the challenge of inspecting single large images, many similar
images simultaneously, and heterogeneous but related content. Many research
institutions have constructed TDWs on the basis that they will improve the
scientific outcomes of astronomical imagery. We test this concept by presenting
sample images to astronomers and non- astronomers using a standard desktop
display (SDD) and a TDW. These samples include standard English words, wide
field galaxy surveys and nebulae mosaics from the Hubble telescope. These
experiments show that TDWs provide a better environment for searching for small
targets in large images than SDDs. It also shows that astronomers tend to be
better at searching images for targets than non-astronomers, both groups are
generally better when employing physical navigation as opposed to virtual
navigation, and that the combination of two non-astronomers using a TDW rivals
the experience of a single astronomer. However, there is also a large
distribution in aptitude amongst the participants and the nature of the content
also plays a significant role is success.Comment: 19 pages, 15 figures, accepted for publication in PASA (Publications
of the Astronomical Society of Australia
Exploratory Visualization of Astronomical Data on Ultra-high-resolution Wall Displays
International audienceUltra-high-resolution wall displays feature a very high pixel density over a large physical surface, which makes them well-suited to the collaborative, exploratory visualization of large datasets. We introduce FITS-OW, an application designed for such wall displays, that enables astronomers to navigate in large collections of FITS images, query astronomical databases, and display detailed, complementary data and documents about multiple sources simultaneously. We describe how astronomers interact with their data using both the wall's touch-sensitive surface and handheld devices. We also report on the technical challenges we addressed in terms of distributed graphics rendering and data sharing over the computer clusters that drive wall displays
Scale Stain: Multi-Resolution Feature Enhancement in Pathology Visualization
Digital whole-slide images of pathological tissue samples have recently
become feasible for use within routine diagnostic practice. These gigapixel
sized images enable pathologists to perform reviews using computer workstations
instead of microscopes. Existing workstations visualize scanned images by
providing a zoomable image space that reproduces the capabilities of the
microscope. This paper presents a novel visualization approach that enables
filtering of the scale-space according to color preference. The visualization
method reveals diagnostically important patterns that are otherwise not
visible. The paper demonstrates how this approach has been implemented into a
fully functional prototype that lets the user navigate the visualization
parameter space in real time. The prototype was evaluated for two common
clinical tasks with eight pathologists in a within-subjects study. The data
reveal that task efficiency increased by 15% using the prototype, with
maintained accuracy. By analyzing behavioral strategies, it was possible to
conclude that efficiency gain was caused by a reduction of the panning needed
to perform systematic search of the images. The prototype system was well
received by the pathologists who did not detect any risks that would hinder use
in clinical routine
A study of user perceptions of the relationship between bump-mapped and non-bump-mapped materials, and lighting intensity in a real-time virtual environment
The video and computer games industry has taken full advantage of the human sense of vision by producing games that utilize complex high-resolution textures and materials, and lighting technique. This results to the creation of an almost life-like real-time 3D virtual environment that can immerse the end-users. One of the visual techniques used is real-time display of bump-mapped materials. However, this sense of visual phenomenon has yet to be fully utilized for 3D design visualization in the architecture and construction domain. Virtual environments developed in the architecture and construction domain are often basic and use low-resolution images, which under represent the real physical environment. Such virtual environment is seen as being non-realistic to the user resulting in a misconception of the actual potential of it as a tool for 3D design visualization. A study was conducted to evaluate whether subjects can see the difference between bump-mapped and nonbump-mapped materials in different lighting conditions. The study utilized a real-time 3D virtual environment that was created using a custom-developed software application tool called BuildITC4. BuildITC4 was developed based upon the C4Engine which is classified as a next-generation 3D Game Engine. A total of thirty-five subjects were exposed to the virtual environment and were asked to compare the various types of material in different lighting conditions. The number of lights activated, the lighting intensity, and the materials used in the virtual environment were all interactive and changeable in real-time. The goal is to study how subjects perceived bump-mapped and non-bump mapped materials, and how different lighting conditions affect realistic representation. Results from this study indicate that subjects could tell the difference between the bump-mapped and non-bump mapped materials, and how different material reacts to different lighting condition
3D-Stereoscopic Immersive Analytics Projects at Monash University and University of Konstanz
Immersive Analytics investigates how novel interaction and display technologies may support analytical reasoning and decision making. The Immersive Analytics initiative of Monash University started early 2014. Over the last few years, a number of projects have been developed or extended in this context to meet the requirements of semi- or full-immersive stereoscopic environments. Different technologies are used for this purpose: CAVE2â„¢ (a 330 degree large-scale visualization environment which can be used for educative and scientific group presentations, analyses and discussions), stereoscopic Powerwalls (miniCAVEs, representing a segment of the CAVE2 and used for development and communication), Fishtanks, and/or HMDs (such as Oculus, VIVE, and mobile HMD approaches). Apart from CAVE2â„¢ all systems are or will be employed on both the Monash University and the University of Konstanz side, especially to investigate collaborative Immersive Analytics. In addition, sensiLab extends most of the previous approaches by involving all senses, 3D visualization is combined with multi-sensory feedback, 3D printing, robotics in a scientific-artistic-creative environment
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