Web-based 3D Data Visualisation for Hydrogeology

When I was in Salzburg/Austria last year at the GI_Forum 2014 conference, I had the chance to present some of my recent experiments with the mapping of OGC interoperable geo-data to X3D interoperable open web 3D scenes and visualisation in the browser. Back in New Zealand later that year I had to present this work to the New Zealand Hydrological Society, too, of course :-)

Characterisation of a hydrogeological setting is a multi-faceted complex task. The assessment of usefulness and quality of relevant data is a major challenge. Statistical analysis and visual exploration of the datasets demand practical support by computer applications. Although a variety of software for this purpose is freely available nowadays, they require a good understanding of the technology or programming language for application in complex hydrogeological settings. Thus, integrated proprietary software products are often used to analyse and particularly provide high-quality visualisation of the system. However, these software tools are typically desktop programs with a strict licensing scheme and a limited extensibility and lack of interoperability with other applications.
We present an open and free to use web-based (platform independent) framework to enable retrieval, exploration and visualisation of hydro-climate time series data as well as three-dimensional geological information via a web browser. How distributed data and processing services can be linked to prepare an on-demand 3D visualisation of geological and hydrological data is demonstrated. A flexible toolbox design enables extensibility via open standards.

The method developed is applied to a case study area presented (s. figure), which is the Horowhenua district in the Manawatu-Wanganui region. Available datasets of 3D geology, hydrology and hydrogeology are combined and serve as example data for demonstrating the framework.

The slides of the presentations are now made accessible here (click here).

The full ISI-indexed conference paper is available here (click here).

2014 NASA International Space Apps Challenge - TETRIS GroupSpace Apps Challenge 2014 - TETRIS Space Suit HUD demo with a Raspberry

As part of the 2014 NASA International Space Apps Challenge I joined an Auckland AUT University Textile Lab group to support their space suit concept idea with some cool wireless video and sensor streaming based on Raspberry Pi.

TETRIS (Terran Expeditionary Technologically Radical Instrumental Suit) is designing a suit, aimed for use by astronauts in space, which will make the astronaut’s work easier and safer to perform. It achieves this by embedding many of the new technologies being released in the recent years into the suit itself in order to: - monitor the astronaut’s life signs and condition via biometric sensors, such as a galvanic sensor for emotions, pulse sensor for the heart rate - allow simple integrated communication via a shoulder mounted camera and microphone - display biometric information to user via projected HUD - take simple electrical readings (when testing/diagnosing equipment) via embedded measurement tools (threaded conductive fabric in gloves) These hardware devices all interface with a RaspberryPi, being used as a central control unit in our design, as well the transceiver for all wireless communications between the astronaut and their remote operations control room.

Link to the 2014 Space Apps project website

The Raspberry Pi video camera live capture was streamed into the remote browser with an overlay of the HUD mockup.

Sources here https://github.com/TetrisGroup/spaceapps