GeoForAll Webinar
Tangible Landscape:
open source environment for geospatial learning, science, and community
Helena Mitasova, Anna Petrasova, Brendan Harmon, Vaclav Petras, Payam Tabrizian, Ross Meentemeyer
North Carolina State University
Inaugural GeoForAll - UCGIS - ASPRS webinar
The first webinar in an open source geospatial series offered by
- GeoForAll: Education and research outreach initiative by OSGeo
- UCGIS: University Consortium for Geographic Information Science
- ASPRS: American Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing
The webinar is presented by the GeoForAll Laboratory at the Center for Geospatial Analytics (CGA), North Carolina State University
CGA is an interdisciplinary research and education center with focus on geospatial computing, modeling, analytics and geovisualization.
We offer MGIST professional master's degree (on-line and on-campus) and a new PhD in Geospatial Analytics planned for launch in Fall 2017
Authors
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Helena Mitasova Associate Director of Geovisualization |
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Anna Petrasova PhD student at MEAS |
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Brendan Harmon PhD student |
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Vaclav Petras PhD student at MEAS |
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Payam Tabrizian PhD student |
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Ross Meentemeyer CGA Director |
Motivation for Tangible Interfaces for GIS
- Interaction through mouse, keyboard and display does not encourage creativity.
- Manipulating computer models is not intuitive and requires specialized software and training.
- Collaboration is restricted as typically only one user at a time can navigate and modify models.
The first tangible interface prototypes
Sandscape and Illuminating Clay
Ishii H., Ratti C., Piper B., Wang Y., Biderman A. and Ben-Joseph E. "Bringing clay and sand into digital design—continuous tangible user interfaces." BT technology journal 22.4 (2004): 287-299.
Image source: MIT Media Lab
Tangible interface linked with GIS
Tangible Geospatial Modeling System (TanGeoMS)
L. Tateosian, H. Mitasova, B. A. Harmon, B. Fogleman, K. Weaver, and R. S. Harmon, “TanGeoMS: tangible geospatial modeling system.,” IEEE Trans. Vis. Comput. Graph., vol. 16, no. 6, pp. 1605–12, 2010.
Kinect-based systems
Augmented Reality Sandbox by KeckCAVES
Expensive laser scanners replaced by low cost Kinect
Image source: http://idav.ucdavis.edu/
Tangible Landscape: real-time coupling with GIS
With Tangible Landscape you can hold a GIS in your hands - feeling the shape of the earth, sculpting its topography, and directing the flow of water.
How it works
Tangible Landscape couples a digital and a physical model through a continuous cycle of 3D scanning, geospatial modeling, and projection
Building physical 3D models
Hand sculpting from polymeric sand
Hand sculpting with difference feedback
blue → add sand, red → remove sand3D printing
CNC routing large complex models and molds
Casting polymeric sand
In-situ digital fabrication
A 3-axis CNC milling machine to model a landscape in polymer-enriched sand using a plunge cut
Overview of different setups
1 stand, ceiling projector, medium-sized models
Overview of different setups
2 stands, short-throw projector, large models but with distortion
Overview of different setups
2 stands, pocket projector, small models
Overview of different setups
1 stand, portable projector, medium-sized models
Overview of different setups
1 stand, projector with special lens, large models
Hardware
| Type | Product example | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Computer | System76 Oryx Pro | $1500 |
| Projector | Optoma ML750 WXGA LED | $500 |
| 3D sensor | Xbox One Kinect | $100 |
| Kinect Adapter for Windows | $50 | |
| Stand | 2 x Avenger 40-Inch C-Stand with Grip Kit | $400 |
| 2 x Avenger 3-Inch Baby Wall Plate | $20 | |
| Peripherals | HDMI cable, extension cord | $20 |
| Modeling media | Waba Fun Kinetic Sand 11 Lbs | $50 |
| Total | $2640 |
Software
Dependencies
| Program | Use |
|---|---|
| GRASS GIS 7 | Geospatial modeling and visualization |
| libfreenect2 | Drivers for Kinect v2 |
| PCL | Point cloud processing |
Interfaces
- TUI: no GIS expertise needed, users control the landscape shape
- GUI: to operate Tangible Landscape and control scanning and displayed layers
- API: using Python GRASS API to create GIS workflows, examples at Workshop at FOSS4G NA 2016
Interactions
| surface | points | lines | areas |
Applications: topographic analysis
slope |
erosion |
landforms | |
Applications: visibility
Visibility analysis
Applications: solar analysis
Solar irradiation and cast shadow
Applications: 3D soil moisture exploration
Applications: wildfire spread
Applications: urban growth
Simulation of urban growth scenarios with FUTURES model
Serious games: coastal flooding
Save houses from coastal flooding by building coastal defenses
Structured problem-solving with rules, challenging objectives, and scoring
Serious games: Termite infestation
Manage the spread of termites across a city by treating city blocks using a model of biological invasion in R
Current work
Tangible Landscape + Immersive Virtual Reality
Tangible Landscape + Immersive Virtual Reality
Tangible Landscape for designers
Intuitive, collaborative environment for landscape design augmented with geospatial analyses.
Tangible Landscape for education
Method to improve understanding of geospatial algorithms, processes and interactions.
Tangible Landscape for communities
Platform for decision-making and science communication where people of different backgrounds can interact.
Making geospatial data and tools accessible to all
Tangible Landscape for researchers and developers
Tool for rapid generation of test data for development and evaluation of geospatial algorithms.
Creating test DEMs for landscape evolution analysis
Open source
Tangible Landscape plugin for GRASS GIS
github.com/tangible-landscape/grass-tangible-landscape
GRASS GIS module for importing data from Kinect v2
github.com/tangible-landscape/r.in.kinect
Tangible Landscape repository on Open Science Framework
osf.io/w8nr6
Resources
- Tangible Landscape website: tangible-landscape.github.io
- Tangible Landscape wiki:
github.com/tangible-landscape/grass-tangible-landscape/wiki - Book: Tangible Modeling with Open Source GIS