A virtual GIS room: interfacing spatial information in virtual environments

Abstract

This chapter provides a new kind of interaction with spatial information in general, and with geographic information systems (GIS) in particular, using transparently integrated virtual environments and GIS systems. There are two broad and opposing classes of models within spatial information. The application of this technology to spatial information is based upon the exploratory characteristics of VR. Virtual environments facilitate human-computer interaction by the use of a three-dimensional representation and direct manipulation of virtual objects. The real-virtual correspondence is extended to the working space representation, i.e. the virtual space is a virtual GIS room with objects and operations similar to those that occur in the real space. A Polhemus is used on the head to track the user's position and orientation, providing a very natural method of navigation in the virtual environment. There is a correspondence between cell sizes in the virtual environment and the simulation environment that is established when the model starts running.