Defining digital space through a visual language

Abstract

Current approaches toward digital spaces mainly mimic the physical space that surrounds us. While this approach is valid in a wide range of applications and research, the goal of this thesis is to propose an alternative approach towards digital space based on principles of vision and memory to provide a theoretical framework for the development of a model for accessing and monitoring information. The core idea is to incorporate the principle of dynamic reaction of the space model to the point of attention of the user through methodically scaling the level of detail. The intention behind the creation of such a model is to enhance the communication between the information and the user as well as to allow multiple users to collectively influence and expand the space they view. This involves the definition of a visual language, definition of the space model and multi-user relations. Techniques proposed in this thesis are gaze tracking to map the point of attention and the programming of visual interfaces that respond dynamically to user input.