{"id":475651,"date":"2023-06-23T12:30:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-23T16:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?post_type=migration&p=475651"},"modified":"2023-08-22T14:43:49","modified_gmt":"2023-08-22T18:43:49","slug":"nasa-engineers-help-create-a-virtual-world-of-data","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/technology\/tech-transfer-spinoffs\/nasa-engineers-help-create-a-virtual-world-of-data\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA Engineers Help Create A Virtual World of Data"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>For almost as long as it\u2019s been a concept, NASA has been on the cutting edge of virtual reality (VR) technology. However, the space has seen a renaissance since the bulky headsets of the 1990s. Several high-profile companies now use VR for immersive video games and virtual chat rooms, but to some, this technology has a use beyond entertainment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California has been trying to improve data visualization for decades. When pictures come back from an alien world, scientists usually survey the environment with a panoramic photo, but this method has limitations. When observing a flat image, judging distances can be difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLooking at pictures on a screen is a much different experience to walking through a canyon,\u201d said Scott Davidoff, manager of the Human Centered Design Group at JPL.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/nasavr.png\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"985\" height=\"539\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/nasavr.png?w=985\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"Person wearing virutal reality goggles and looking around on Mars with rover near them.\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/nasavr.png 985w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/nasavr.png?resize=300,164 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/nasavr.png?resize=768,420 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/nasavr.png?resize=400,219 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/nasavr.png?resize=600,328 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/nasavr.png?resize=900,492 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 985px) 100vw, 985px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has experimented with virtual and mixed reality environments as ways to improve data analysis, particularly when it comes to judging the size and distance of geological features as seen from Mars rovers. These experiments were some of the initial tests that inspired the founders of Virtualitics to see how this technology could be used outside JPL. <strong>Credits: NASA<\/strong><\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Davidoff began experimenting with VR using image data from the Curiosity rover on Mars. There had been attempts to solve the visual distance issue, like using 3D imagery viewable with red and blue filtered glasses, but nothing made scientists feel like they were really there. Davidoff and his colleagues decided to wrap the panorama around the scientist in a virtual environment. Geologists using VR in this way reported feeling like they were in the real Martian environment. They could ascertain the distance and size of features much more quickly and accurately than they could with a flat display, which sparked another idea. Davidoff thought that if viewing imagery in VR helped, it could be a game changer for more complex \u201cmulti-dimensional\u201d data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen you look at a network diagram as a system in 3D, it turns out your perception does something different,\u201d Davidoff said. \u201cWe made a data world where an analyst could look at any science or engineering problem and see patterns and correlations more clearly than they can in a flat version.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the same time, Ciro Donalek and George Djorgovski at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) were researching how to use immersive environments for scientific data visualization and collaboration.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/vrscreenshot.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"985\" height=\"543\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/vrscreenshot.png?w=985\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"Virtual reality character looking at various screens with lots of content.\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/vrscreenshot.png 985w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/vrscreenshot.png?resize=300,165 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/vrscreenshot.png?resize=768,423 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/vrscreenshot.png?resize=400,221 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/vrscreenshot.png?resize=600,331 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/vrscreenshot.png?resize=900,496 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 985px) 100vw, 985px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">A researcher examines a data cloud in a virtual world created by Virtualitics software. NASA scientists need to sift through massive amounts of data generated by deep space missions. Efforts at JPL into using virtual reality to assist in this analysis led to the creation of Virtualitics. <strong>Credits: Virtualitics Inc.<\/strong><\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>The three of them teamed up to create software that uses 3D visualizations to examine relationships between points of data. Much like how viewing a three-dimensional Martian panorama allows for better interpretation, seeing data in virtual space makes spotting correlations easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Obtaining an exclusive license from Caltech, which manages JPL, Donalek, Djorgovski, and new CEO Michael Amori founded Virtualitics Inc. of Pasadena, California, in 2016, with Davidoff in an advisory role. To further build out the software, they\u2019ve incorporated features such as artificial intelligence to point out patterns and relationships in the visualized data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe call it intelligent exploration. You\u2019re using AI and 3D visualizations to quickly identify drivers and relationships in your data, and drive understanding in ways 2D graphs aren\u2019t capable of,\u201d Donalek, now CTO of Virtualitics, said. \u201cYou can start getting insights from your data right away because it\u2019s literally drag and drop.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/66027_mockup_screen_1.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"985\" height=\"584\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/66027_mockup_screen_1.png?w=985\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"Person using Virtualitics software on a laptop.\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/66027_mockup_screen_1.png 985w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/66027_mockup_screen_1.png?resize=300,178 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/66027_mockup_screen_1.png?resize=768,455 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/66027_mockup_screen_1.png?resize=400,237 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/66027_mockup_screen_1.png?resize=600,356 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/66027_mockup_screen_1.png?resize=900,534 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 985px) 100vw, 985px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">The Virtualitics software also has a desktop mode for analyzing data. Even without a virtual reality headset, the ability to visualize data in 3D space helps scientists get a better grasp on the raw information they receive. <strong>Credits: Virtualitics Inc.<\/strong><\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>The software works on both desktop and VR and is compatible with several popular headsets. While the platform is designed for use anywhere there\u2019s a significant amount of data, it is currently most often used in banking, retail, and medical research. It can visualize anything from a spreadsheet to a large \u201cdata lake\u201d without having to move the data from where it resides. Donalek says the company maintains a relationship with JPL, and many of its 60 employees come from the center or Caltech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOne of them is from MIT, but we don\u2019t hold it against him,\u201d Donalek joked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether analysts are looking at science from the surface of Mars or stock trades on Wall Street, NASA\u2019s visualization efforts have led to a whole new dimension of research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>NASA has a long history of <a href=\"https:\/\/spinoff.nasa.gov\/disclaimer.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">transferring technology to the private sector<\/a>. The agency\u2019s Spinoff publication profiles NASA technologies that have transformed into commercial products and services, demonstrating the broader benefits of America\u2019s investment in its space program. Spinoff is a publication of the Technology Transfer program in NASA\u2019s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For more information on how NASA brings space technology down to Earth, visit:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/spinoff.nasa.gov\/\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>www.spinoff.nasa.gov<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>By Andrew Wagner <\/em><\/strong><strong><em><strong>NASA\u2019s Spinoff Publication<\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NASA Engineers Help Create A Virtual World of Data<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":258,"featured_media":476152,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":[],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[3817,3339,2827],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[4200],"coauthors":[10643],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"NASA Engineers Help Create A Virtual World of Data","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/technology\/tech-transfer-spinoffs\/nasa-engineers-help-create-a-virtual-world-of-data\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/technology\/tech-transfer-spinoffs\/nasa-engineers-help-create-a-virtual-world-of-data\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/nasavr.png?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/nasavr.png"},"articleSection":"NASA Directorates","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Andrew Wagner"}],"creator":["Andrew Wagner"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["Technology","Technology Transfer & Spinoffs","Spinoffs","Technology Transfer"],"dateCreated":"2023-06-23T16:30:00Z","datePublished":"2023-06-23T16:30:00Z","dateModified":"2023-08-22T18:43:49Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"NASA Engineers Help Create A Virtual World of Data\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/technology\/tech-transfer-spinoffs\/nasa-engineers-help-create-a-virtual-world-of-data\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/nasavr.png?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2023-06-23T16:30:00Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"NASA Directorates\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"Technology,Technology Transfer & Spinoffs,Spinoffs,Technology Transfer\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"Andrew Wagner\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":4,"time_ago":"12 months","featured_image":{"id":476152,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/nasavr.png","title":"nasavr","alt":"Person wearing virutal reality goggles and looking around on Mars with rover near them.","caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/475651"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/258"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=475651"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/475651\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":495362,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/475651\/revisions\/495362"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/476152"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=475651"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=475651"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=475651"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=475651"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=475651"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}