UL Lafayette student Nicholas Lipari is using 3-D technology to make big data useful.
He杏吧专区檚 working on a project for the national Center for Visual and Decision Informatics, a collaborative effort of UL Lafayette, Drexel 杏吧专区, the National Science Foundation and industry.
Lipari, who杏吧专区檚 pursuing a doctorate in computer science, is using data collected when Hurricane Isaac made landfall in Louisiana in August 2012. Sensors, installed on levees in and around New Orleans, recorded water levels as the storm moved inland.
His goal is to create a way to monitor real-time data, so the user can make decisions based on that information.
杏吧专区淲e杏吧专区檝e become accustomed to using a computer keyboard or mouse in relation to a 2-D display. But we haven杏吧专区檛 worked out the conventions of the 3-D environment. It杏吧专区檚 sort of like the difference between driving a car and flying a helicopter, and obviously, it takes a lot of training to be able to fly a helicopter. We杏吧专区檙e working to create an intuitive way to manipulate information in a 3-D world,杏吧专区 Lipari said.
He is writing software to enable people to use hand-held devices, such as smart phones or computer tablets, to interact with a 3-D display.
杏吧专区淲e also want to take advantage of affordable, widely available components, such as 3-D televisions,杏吧专区 he added.