Abstract
Due to the increasing use of data analytics, information visualization is getting more and more important. However, as data get more complex, so does visualization, often leading to ad hoc and cumbersome solutions. A recent alternative is the use of the so-called knowledge-assisted visualization tools. In this paper, we present STMaps (Spatio-Temporal Maps), a multipurpose knowledge-assisted ontology-based visualization tool of spatio-temporal data. STMaps has been (originally) designed to show, by means of an interactive map, the content of the SILKNOW project, a European research project on silk heritage. It is entirely based on ontology support, as it gets the source data from an ontology and uses also another ontology to define how data should be visualized. STMaps provides some unique features. First, it is a multi-platform application. It can work embedded in an HTML page and can also work as a standalone application over several computer architectures. Second, it can be used for multiple purposes by just changing its configuration files and/or the ontologies on which it works. As STMaps relies on visualizing spatio-temporal data provided by an ontology, the tool could be used to visualize the results of any domain (in other cultural and non-cultural contexts), provided that its datasets contain spatio-temporal information. The visualization mechanisms can also be changed by changing the visualization ontology. Third, it provides different solutions to show spatio-temporal data, and also deals with uncertain and missing information. STMaps has been tested to browse silk-related objects, discovering some interesting relationships between different objects, showing the versatility and power of the different visualization tools proposed in this paper. To the best of our knowledge, this is also the first ontology-based visualization tool applied to silk-related heritage.
Highlights
The history of Europe is woven in silk
These objects are obtained after a query asking for those objects related to “espolín”, which might refer to a weaving technique or a type of fabric
This query returns a total of 1900 results in the current version of ADASilk, which can be depicted in STMaps (Figure 9a)
Summary
The history of Europe is woven in silk. This material has shaped the way our society is today. We show the methodology developed in the scope of the SILKNOW project [8], for the spatiotemporal representation of silk heritage objects and their relationships, using a combination of map-based tools that retrieve information from a knowledge graph In this way, the datasets that are visualized come from an ontology that it is used to harness the semantic information within the database of the project. The database upon which this ontology is built collects data—mainly images and textual information—from a series of museum catalogue records and other small institutions related to silk heritage Another ontology is used to define how data should be visualized, allowing our visualization tool to work with different datasets or even with different source-data ontologies designed for other CH applications or even for non-CH related problems.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
