A 3-dimensional tangible mapping and data visualization interface for MIT campus

Abstract

In this thesis, I describe the design and development of a tangible mapping, discovery and data visualization interface for MIT's campus. The interface is intended for eventual placement in MIT's Atlas Center - a reinvented and consolidated service center for employees, students, and visitors that is due to open in 2017. The interface consists of a large touchscreen placed flat on a table, with translucent and touch-sensitive 3D-printed MIT buildings laid out on top of the touchscreen. Users can interact with the interface by touching or long-pressing the buildings, or by interacting directly with the data presented on the touchscreen. Users are able to view a large amount of location-based information about MIT campus, including upcoming events, shuttle times, directions for indoor and outdoor navigation on campus, and various live social feeds, ranging from Twitter to the beloved free-food mailing list. Users can also send much of this information to their mobile device by scanning a QR code. The main contribution of this research is a tangible, extensible and aesthetically pleasing map of MIT's campus, which will be used for data visualization and discovery by the employees and visitors of MIT's Atlas Center.