Quantifying and Increasing Information Transmission with Data Perceptualization

Purdue University, West Lafayette IN

Investigators

Abstract

This project will develop enabling perceptualization tools to quantify, and dependably increase the communication of information through perceptual channels using an information theory framework. New perceptually tuned volume visualization and haptic rendering techniques for perceptually effective communication of both scalar and vector data will be developed. The appropriateness and utility of advanced volume rendering and shading techniques for efficient information transmission, and the most effective combination of visual and haptic modalities based on data variable characteristics will be determined. User studies will allow measurements to qualify, and quantify information transmission for each of these components. Close work with researchers in severe storm predication and cytoskeleton modeling will be used to verify the utility of the work, and produce more effective tools for biology and atmospheric science researchers. This fundamental advancement in perceptualization techniques will have a dramatic impact on many scientific fields, including astrophysics, biology, computational fluid dynamics, medicine, meteorology, nanotechnology, and seismology. The improvement in data perceptualization can also be directly applied to applications in information visualization, such as data mining, digital libraries, corporate management, financial data analysis, network intrusion detection, and homeland security. This research will also have a broader impact on the education of the general public, undergraduate engineering students, and K-12 students through the development of interactive learning modules and demonstrations that allow them to see and feel thunderstorms, tornadoes, cellular cytoskeletons, and other scientific data.