How users interact with a 3D geo-browser under time pressure

Abstract

Interactive 3D geo-browsers, also known as globe viewers, are popular, because they are easy and fun to use. However, it is still an open question whether highly interactive, 3D geographic data browsing, and visualization displays support effective and efficient spatio-temporal decision making. Moreover, little is known about the role of time constraints for spatio-temporal decision-making in an interactive, 3D context. In this article, we present an empirical approach to assess the effect of decision-time constraints on the quality of spatio-temporal decision-making when using 3D geo-browsers, such as GoogleEarth, in 3D task contexts of varying complexity. Our experimental results suggest that while, overall, people interact more with interactive geo-browsers when not under time pressure, this does not mean that they are also more accurate or more confident in their decisions when solving typical 3D cartometric tasks. Surprisingly, we also find that 2D interaction capabilities (i.e., zooming and panning) are more frequently used for 3D tasks than 3D interaction tools (i.e., rotating and tilting), regardless of time pressure. Finally, we find that background and training of tested users do not seem to influence 3D task performance. In summary, our study does not provide any evidence for the added value of using interactive 3D globe viewers when needing to solve 3D cartometric tasks with or without time pressure.