Peter Sforza

Multimedia mashups for mirror worlds

Mirror worlds are virtual worlds that reflect real world locations and events; they may be composed from many sources and exposed to support a wide variety of applications. Building mirror worlds requires the integration of several capabilities in both the content pipeline and the runtime. We describe two case studies to identify the elements of a formats content model are best suited for mirror world representation. The first one increases public accessibility for NOAAs Science On a Sphere®. The second involves the web-publication of geospatial data relating to Blacksburg, Virginia. Through these studies, we examine the challenges encountered, and the implications that those challenges have for an improved mirror world content models. Our results indicate that X3D is a powerful portrayal platform for mirror worlds, and we propose a few improvements that would address the challenges we encountered.

Increasing the clinical yield of computerized tomography for psychiatric patients

Computerized tomography (CT) continues to be extensively utilized to exclude intracranial pathology in psychiatric practice, but little is known about clinical risk factors, which might predict those patients most likely to benefit from the procedure. We reviewed 150 cases of psychiatric patients who received CT scans to exclude intracranial pathology. We assessed the relationships of patient age, psychiatric diagnosis, and findings from neurologic and cognitive examinations to CT results that influenced patient care, and overall normal and abnormal CT results. Fifty-three percent of the CT scans were abnormal, 11% influenced patient care, and only 2% identified potentially reversible lesions. Cognitive exam results and, to a lesser extent, neurologic exam results, were sensitive predictors of CT findings that influenced patient care. All patients with clinically influential CT results had cognitive deficits and all but one had neurologic deficits. Patients older than 60 years of age and those with organic mental syndromes were most likely to have clinically influential CT findings. Our results suggest that utilizing specific clinical risk factors such as findings from clinical examinations, patient age, and psychiatric diagnosis, to guide the ordering of CT scans, can greatly increase the yield of the procedure for psychiatric patients, without excess medical morbidity.

Preparing and evaluating geospatial data models using X3D encodings for web 3D geovisualization services

There is an increasing demand of 3D geospatial models on the Web, representing geospatial data that consists of terrain elevation, buildings, vegetation, roads, and other spatial features. This paper presents an approach to support and improve the united effort of Web interoperability and 3D geospatial portrayal. Specifically, we focus on the method to generate 3D models using X3D encodings of both terrain and building geospatial data and how to efficiently and effectively visualize those 3D geospatial models together on a Web platform. In addition, we examine the advantages and disadvantages of various X3D encodings of geospatial data by conducting a performance evaluation using our functional Web 3D service. From the results of this evaluation, we distill guidelines for the generation of 3D geospatial models for Web 3D services. Through two case scenarios, we demonstrate how our Web 3D service can be integrated with other services; we show the integration of geo-referenced inventory data, geocoding and reverse geocoding information, and text-based or image-based annotations in ourWeb 3D service.

GeoSpy: a Web3D platform for geospatial visualization

Broadband networks are key utilities in driving the information economy. In the United States multiple publicly available web APIs provide broadband service quality data by geographic location. However, views into this data have usually been two-dimensional and limited in the amount of information that they can portray at once. In this paper, we detail a location-aware Web3D application for visualization of high-dimensional georeferenced data, such as broadband quality information, on desktop and mobile devices. The application presents a wide variety of two- and three-dimensional visualization methods and uses HTML5 for novel user interaction via access to onboard location and orientation sensors on equipped devices. Considering that the application uses geospatial web APIs as a data source, we describe its applicability in domains beyond broadband. GeoSpy is hosted at http://filebox.vt.edu/users/sharni/gs

Finding frogs: using game-based learning to increase environmental awareness

We explored how game-based learning (GBL) can influence environmental awareness in undergraduate college students using an original 3D application. GBL approaches posit that learners who interact with educational materials with playful and dynamic tasks will learn better. In a two-condition laboratory experiment, participants (N = 84) interacted with game and non-game versions of a 3D GIS interactive visualization of Blacksburg, Virginia, containing information about local waterways. A questionnaire assessed enjoyment, general environmental awareness, local environmental awareness, and awareness of local environmental installations. Participants who interacted with the game version reported more enjoyment of the application than participants using the non-game version, and exploratory analyses suggested that the game-based version induced greater interest in seeking more information than the non-game version. Lessons learned from outcomes may inform development of future environmental campaigns employing game-based learning.

Using geographic information systems for enhanced network security visualization

The sheer volume of information that floods a network makes it difficult for network analysts to identify and isolate network security threats. This difficulty is compounded by the fact that the tools available to accomplish this task lack usability and are primarily text-based. Our goal is to design a network security visualization tool that leverages geographic information system (GIS) technology. This tool will provide enhanced usability and meet the needs of the network security community. In this paper, we present the results of a survey designed to gather current security analysis methodologies, as well as determine the existing gaps. We design a GIS-based security visualization prototype from this input.

Extensible experiences: fusality for stream and field

This paper describes our initial methods and results for the collection, fusion, and delivery of geo-referenced data to Web3D clients. We are working to publish environmental monitoring data and citizen sensors to create compelling and scientific experiences of local places. We describe our collection and fusion of 3D point clouds and photospheres and describe the challenges and approaches to data registration. We demonstrate how these interactive online experiences can be delivered to different immersive platforms from handhelds to HMDs to high-resolution immersive environments and illustrate our methods with data from our water monitoring lab and our environmental research stations.

A novel level-of-detail technique for virtual city environments

Virtual City Environments (VCEs) and Mirror Worlds can be a useful resource for communities such as the local government, researchers and the general public to collaborate on tasks like town planning, threat assessment, commerce and research. In this work, we focus on runtime data structures and performance for Level-of-Detail (LOD) management to deliver real-time portrayal. We implement and evaluate a novel X3D-based Level-of-Detail technique called ProxyPrismLOD, which leverages the CityGML standard of a 4-step LOD hierarchy to optimally encapsulate irregularly and asymmetrically shaped building models. First, we ran a user study to understand the visual dynamics of range-based LOD switching and derived a scaling factor of 3. Second, we ran a series of simulations to study the performance benefits of ProxyPrismLOD technique over the basic range-based LOD. We observed performance benefits up to 7.46% in terms of overall Frames-per-Seconds (FPS) on the models we tested.

CARL: Crash Attribute and Reference Locator

Customizable tools that extend the functionality and enhance existing features within a software system are the keys to continued innovation. Depending on complexity, current and proposed projects tend to push the limits of existing functionality and require new tools to perform unique processes. Fortunately, software engineers and designers have taken this paradigm to heart and have created software systems with extensible architectures and frameworks. This paper presents one such customization for Esri ArcGIS that addresses the unique concerns and requirements of an ongoing project at the Center for Geospatial Information Technology involved with geo locating police reported vehicle crashes in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The tool takes advantage of theories and concepts from both computer science and geographic information systems to assist geocoders with evaluating, locating, and attributing crash data. Additionally, the tool provides a centralized web-based administrative portal for project managers.

Interior space GIS: a foundation for campus-wide planning and management

Virginia Tech is in the process of integrating building floor plans into an enterprise GIS to improve campus planning and management. Although Virginia Tech has maintained separate mapping of interior and exterior features for many years, the completion of this project will mark the first time the campus has combined these in a unified viewing environment. By updating the format of the interior space mapping and placing it in a geospatial context, new modes of interaction, analysis, and visualization will be possible. Examples of ways the interior space GIS may be used include: space accounting and management, fixed asset and hazardous substance mapping, precise E-911 response and situational awareness, wayfinding and evacuation routing, visualization of campus populations by day and time, and links to other documentation stored in the digital plans library or work order management system. The interior space GIS will be a generalized depiction of interior spaces based on existing floor plans. As Building Information Model (BIM) files become available for newly constructed buildings, and interior space surveys improve the mapping of existing buildings, the accuracy of interior space GIS will improve.