Cultural data sculpting: Omnidirectional visualization for cultural datasets

This chapter presents five research projects currently underway to develop new omnispatial, omnidirectional visualization strategies for the collaborative interrogation of large-scale heterogeneous cultural datasets using the world’s’ first 360°-degree stereoscopic visualization environment (Advanced Visualization and Interaction Environment AVIE). The AVIE system enables visualization modali-ties through full body immersion, stereoscopy, spatialized sound and camera-based tracking. The research integrates work by a group of international investigators in virtual environment design, immersive interactivity, information visualization, museology, archaeology, visual analytics and computational linguistics. The work is being implemented at the newly established research facility, City University’s Applied Laboratory for Interactive Visualization and Embodiment ALIVE) in association with partners Europeana, Museum Victoria (Melbourne), iCinema Centre, UNSW (Sydney), UC Merced (USA), the Dunhuang Academy, and UC Berkeley (USA). The applications are intended for museum visitors and for humanities researchers. They are: (1) Data Sculpture Museum, (2) ECloud, (3) Blue Dots 360 (Tripitaka Koreana), (4) Rhizome of the Western Han, and (5) Pure Land: Inside the Mogao Grottoes at Dunhuang.