Augmenting Your 3D Networks
By: Andrew W Smith
Tags: Data Visualization, AR

Drawing 3D network visualizations in Augmented Reality.

The Linked Jazz project directed by Dr. Cristina Pattuelli reveals the relationships between the Jazz community

tl;dr — Researchers have found that a variety of visual styles for the edges of node graphs are comprehensible to users when rendered in augmented reality.

What if we could fill our living room with the history of jazz and relationships of its musicians? Node graphs and network visualizations offer engaging and intuitive pathways for understanding the relationships between things we care about. Artists and scholars are using node graphs to map out data representing everything from the relationships of the Jazz community to the modern and contemporary painters name dropped by rappers.

The “Picasso, Baby!” project by Tahir Hemphill maps the modern and contemporary paints name dropped by rappers in their rhymes

An augmented reality node graph developed in Vuforia

Augmented reality (AR) technologies offer the opportunity to transform these networks graphs into 3D visualizations virtually existing alongside our physical space. These immersive analytics have the potential to open new possibilities for interaction and enhance the ways we gain insights from network visualizations and node graphs.

While filled with potential, visualizing 3D node graphs in AR presents several design challenges. One of these challenges is how to represent the edges of node graphs — meaning the lines between each node. These edges are a key element because they represent the relationship between two nodes. It is crucial that designs for 3D node graphs visualize edges in ways that are clear to users.

Researchers Wolfgang Büschel, Stefan Vogt, and Raimund Dashselt set out to investigate how this could be done. They looked at six different types of edge variants split into two groups: directed and undirected.

Each variant represented a different visual style and the researchers worked with users in an experiment to learn which style worked best. The test was simple: how quickly and accurately could users find the relationships between two nodes by following the lines in-between.

Each user tested each visual style and the researchers recorded their accuracy and speed. In addition, users rated each visual style based on “suitability” and “aesthetics”.

The six edge variants used in the study: a) straight edge b) curved edge c) dashed edge d) animated edge e) glyph-based edge f) tapered edge.

Examples of the 3D AR node graphs generated for use in the study.

The findings from the study are promising; users performed with a high degree of accuracy across visual styles. While there were differences in speed between visual styles, the differences were not statistically significant. From the perspective of user ratings, there was a preference for straight edges among the undirected styles and animated edges among the directed styles.

At the most basic level, this research suggests that 3D AR network visualizations are possible and more than just visual candy — they can be accurately used to gain insights from data. As designers, the research also suggests that we have flexibility in our designs. Users are capable of understanding node graphs using a variety of visual styles which opens the door for creativity and variation.

The possibilities for augmented reality and 3D data visualizations are exciting and this research lends credence to their potential as an effective informational and analytical tool. Going forward, more visual styles should be explored and tested with a wider variety of users who operate across a range of visual abilities and modalities. Doing so will help designers create immersive experiences that are both functional and visually engaging for a wide variety of users.

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