Aroaro – A Distributed Mixed-Reality Information Visualisation System

Project Description

Aroaro enables a highly visual pathway to immersive analytics. Session participants are able to comprehend data using the exponentially amplified information space of mixed reality in which the visualisation can be expanded from the small to “room” size. Co-located and remote decision makers can not only see the data of interest in 3D but also experience joint discussions and analysis sessions with other people who wish to understand the same data sets. This enables participants to walk (AR) and fly (VR) through the data. Data points are enriched by being able to contain images and 3D objects. Additional attribute values can be mapped to aspects of points. While this is possible using 2D displays the exponentially increased space of XR makes it practical. Aroaro allows the user to “fly” into a network, as it can build a generic 3D network-like virtual object that represents the network data under analysis.

Project Credits/Acknowledgements

This project is a Strategic Theme Research Fund project supported by a grant from The Auckland Foundation and the University of Auckland Business School. We acknowledge the participation of Daniel Richards and Aidan Quayle, as leading programmers. https://aroaro.blogs.auckland.ac.nz

Artist Bios

David White (NZ): David White is an Information Designer beginning with Progeni Systems in 1969, chief architect of the Cecil Learning Management System, lecturer in Information Systems at Auckland University and Aroaro designer.

Fernando Beltrán (NZ): Fernando Beltrán is an Associate Professor at the University of Auckland with a PhD in Applied Mathematics, B. Eng. in Electrical and Electronic Engineering and a researcher on Economics of Information Technology and on Data Privacy and Data Pricing.