Integrating Immersive Technologies and Geographic Information Science within an Internet-based Environment

West Virginia University Research Corporation, Morgantown WV

Investigators

Abstract

The integration of the graphical and virtual capabilities of Immersive Technologies (VR) with the powerful spatial data generation and analytic capabilities of Geographic Information Systems (GIS); promises substantial scientific and commercial benefits. These benefits to both scientists and a broader user community will increase significantly if such a coupling can be achieved and can be made available and distributed through an Internet environment. To that end this project will develop the scientific research base and the core tools needed to integrate VR and GIS technologies and provide access and electronic collaboratory capacity to this VR-GIS integration through an Internet-based environment. The integration of these technologies via the Internet will address bandwidth issues, platform interoperability, and operational constraints. The scientific, economic, and social potential of distributed VR-GIS via the Internet will be demonstrated through application test projects. This work builds on the interdisciplinary national and international partnerships essential to the development of the computing and scientific methods necessary to achieve successful technical integration. The research cooperators comprise the Departments of Geology and Geography at West Virginia University and International Society on Virtual Systems and Multimedia at Gifu University, Japan.