Generating Graphs in Virtual Reality

Behavior Research Methods & Instrumentation, 1974

An interactive graphics system has been implemented for tutorial purposes and for research in man-machine communication of structural digraphs. An IMLAC intelligent terminal with ligthpen input is used in conjunction with a NOVA minicomputer. Successful application in linguistics and engineering problem solving are discussed, the latter in detail. (Author/EMH) *

IEEE Access

Multivariable calculus is one of the core subjects which engineering students study at university. Students may end up memorizing formulae in multivariable calculus due to the lack of ability in visualizing 3D surfaces, and hence not gain much intuition for the subject. We developed an in-house virtual reality (VR) application with the intention for students to visualize concepts in Multivariable Calculus. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the VR application (which we term as the treatment), we performed a blinded randomized controlled trial with n = 312 students, where we divided them into a control group of n CO = 187 students and treatment group of n TR = 125 students. We gave both groups of students a test immediately after the treatment, as well as asking them to fill in anonymous survey questions using a Likert scale. Our findings show that students perform worse on some questions after using the VR application, and for some other questions students have similar performance to the treatment group. We hypothesize some reasons why this is so, opening the door for future research. We also give recommendations for future developers of VR applications.

Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness

This study implemented three different methods for presenting scientific graphs to visually impaired people: audition, kinesthetics, or a combination of the two. The results indicate that the combination of both audio and kinesthetic modalities can be a promising representation medium of common scientific graphs for people who are visually impaired.

Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe - HAL - SHS, 2017

An essential condition to use mathematics to solve problems is the ability to recognize, imagine and represent relations between quantities. In particular, covariational reasoning has been shown to be very challenging for students at all levels. The aim of the project Interactive Virtual Math (IVM) is to develop a visualization tool that supports students' learning of covariation graphs. In this paper we present the initial development of the tool and we discuss its main features based on the results of one preliminary study and one exploratory study. The results suggest that the tool has potential to help students to engage in covariational reasoning by affording construction and explanation of different representations and comparison, relation and generalization of these ones. The results also point to the importance of developing tools that elicit and build upon students' self-productions.

2017

An essential condition to use mathematics to solve problems is the ability to recognize, imagine and represent relations between quantities. In particular, covariational reasoning has been shown to be very challenging for students at all levels. The aim of the project Interactive Virtual Math (IVM) is to develop a visualization tool that supports students’ learning of covariation graphs. In this paper we present the initial development of the tool and we discuss its main features based on the results of one preliminary study and one exploratory study. The results suggest that the tool has potential to help students to engage in covariational reasoning by affording construction and explanation of different representations and comparison, relation and generalization of these ones. The results also point to the importance of developing tools that elicit and build upon students' self-productions

1994

This paper reviews existing graphics architecture software techniques for the visualization of numerical data. A new "next" generation 3D Data Visualization system based around a "Steering" and Virtual Reality paradigm is proposed, which appears to be the most promising in search for a modern solution to the problem of interacting with large, multi-dimensional datasets.

2015

Advances in graphing applications, plug-ins and toolkits means that integrating charts and graphs into software is easier than ever before. However, selecting the optimal graphing technique for a workers task remains a difficult challenge. Information visualisation experts draw on research from cognitive engineering, perceptual psychology and human computer interaction when designing displays. For the increasing number of developers who are integrating visual displays into applications, there is for a lack of a general methodology that pulls together key activities from these diverse fields. In the absence of such a methodology, it is very difficult for software developers to identify if their choice of representation satisfies both the user's tasks and perceptual limitations. We describe the approach taken in the redesign of an interactive chart used in a High Volume Manufacturing environment. We show how analyses of the work domain, the data and the users' tasks are all crucial steps in the design process. In this paper we present the methodology taken in the redesign of an interactive chart used in a High Volume (Semiconductor) Manufacturing environment. We show how three activities; Work Domain Analysis, Task Analysis and Data Analysis, are required to inform the design rationale. Semiconductor manufacturing is an extremely complex process. Much of the software is developed in-house by programmers who have extensive knowledge of the system. As a result many of the charts are designed and developed by in-house teams. The complexity of the domain makes it difficult to bring in outside assistance such as visualisation expertise.

Stereoscopic Displays and Virtual Reality Systems IX, 2002

This paper describes ongoing research investigating how visualizations, especially line-graphs and charts, may be represented by haptics both to understand the structure and the values associated with the graphical realization. Much of the current research has focused mainly on the structure of the line-graph; some more recent work has used sound to depict the value of the curve. There has been limited work on multiple curves and more complex charts, with problems occurring between the crossover points of (say) a curve. We use the PHANToM Haptic interface to feel objects within the virtual world. Our investigations are focussing on a three-stage methodology: (a) unguided exploration, where the user may wander and explore the haptic visualization in their own time, (b) Constrained navigation, where the user's point of interest is constrained to a particular path, but the user can still explore within these constraints, and (c) Tours, where the user is completely guided round a predefined path.

Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 2019

While researchers have performed numerous studies to understand the human interpretation of visual graphs in reading, comprehending and interpreting displayed data; visually impaired (VI) users still face many challenges that prevent them from fully benefiting from these graphs. Thus, it influences their understanding of data visualization and in turn reduces their role in collaborating with their sighted colleagues in educational and working environments. We intend to develop a mobile application where visually impaired users can work together to build a collaborative graph that supported by data sonification in the mobile environment. The system properties were all tested by the task of identifying line trends in time series, which resulted in an accuracy of more than 80% for notes below 20 points. The usability testing has given result of 6.7 out 10 based on users' perception on the effectivity of the features.

Teaching Mathematics and Computer Science, 2004

The computer, if used more effectively, could bring advances that would improve mathematical education dramatically, not least with its ability to calculate quickly and display moving graphics. There is a gap between research results of the enthusiastic innovators in the field of information technology and the current weak integration of the use of computers into mathematics teaching. This paper examines what exactly the real potentials of using some mathematics computer software are to support mathematics teaching and learning in graph-oriented problems, more specifically we try to estimate the value added impact of computer use in the mathematics learning process. While electronic computation has been used by mathematicians for five decades, it has been in the hands of teachers and learners for at most three decades but the real breakthrough of decentralised and personalised microcomputer based computing has been widely available for less than two decades. And it is the latter facility that has brought the greatest promise for computers in mathematics education. That computational aids overall do a better job of holding students' mathematical interest and challenging them to use their intellectual power to mathematical achievement than do traditional static media is unquestionable. The real question needing investigation concerns the circumstances where each is appropriate. A case study enabled a specification of advantages and obstacles of using computers in graph-oriented questions. Individual students' interviews revealed two less able students' reactions, difficulties and misinterpretations while using computers in mathematics learning. Among research outcomes is that the mathematical achievement of the two students observed improved and this makes teaching with computers an overriding priority for each defined teaching method. This paper may not have been realised without the valuable help of the Hungarian Eötvös State Grant.

Proceedings of the Sixth International Symposium on Signal Processing and its Applications (Cat.No.01EX467), 2001

This paper describes the development and evaluation of a haptic interface designed to provide access to line graphs for bind or visually impaired people. Computer-generated line graphs can be felt by users through the sense of touch produced by a PHANToM force feedback device. Experiments have been conducted to test the effectiveness of this interface with both sighted and blind people. The results show that sighted and blind people have achieved about 89.95% and 86.83% correct answers respectively in the experiment.

ACM Transactions on Applied Perception, 2008

It has been known for some time that larger graphs can be interpreted if laid out in 3D and displayed with stereo and/or motion depth cues to support spatial perception. However, prior studies were carried out using displays that provided a level of detail far short of what the human visual system is capable of resolving. Therefore, we undertook a graph comprehension study using a very high resolution stereoscopic display. In our first experiment, we examined the effect of stereoscopic display, kinetic depth, and using 3D tubes versus lines to display the links. The results showed a much greater benefit for 3D viewing than previous studies. For example, with both motion and stereoscopic depth cues, unskilled observers could see paths between nodes in 333 node graphs with less than a 10% error rate. Skilled observers could see up to a 1000-node graph with less than a 10% error rate. This represented an order of magnitude increase over 2D display. In our second experiment, we varied b...

2002

The visualization of complex conceptual structures is a key component of support tools for many applications in science and engineering. A graph is an abstract data structure that is used to model information. Hence, many information visualization systems require graphs to be drawn so that they are easy to read and understand. Also many practical applications like VLSI design need the drawing of a graph in some specific way. In this paper, we address the problem of drawing and visualization of graphs using various algorithms by presenting an integrated software environment for both the design and the visualization of graphs.

Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 1997

In this paper we describe a tool that is a general frame for the three-dimensional representation of graphs, especially devoted to the algorithms evaluation, re nement and development. 3DCube (3D Diagram Drawer) o ers innovative features in the user interaction and contains a set of three-dimensional algorithms both taken from the literature and proposed by the authors.

Organic chemists must be adept at relating different 2D diagrammatic representations of molecules while also understanding their 3D structure. Concrete (3D) models can aid students in developing these aspects of representational competence but a growing trend is to incorporate virtual 3D models into instruction. In this paper, we describe the design of a virtual reality system to investigate how students use virtual models, for learning about different structural diagrams common in organic chemistry. We follow with preliminary results of a study comparing the relative effectiveness of virtual versus concrete models. Participants performed tasks using either virtual or concrete models to match or to complete three different types of molecular diagrams. The preliminary results suggest a benefit of using virtual models over concrete models.