Improving aviation safety with information visualization

Information Visualization

Poon

Aldering

et al. 2009

Self Cite

We present a novel collaborative visual analytics application for cognitively overloaded users in the astrophysics domain. The system was developed for scientists who need to analyze heterogeneous, complex data under time pressure, and make predictions and time-critical decisions rapidly and correctly under a constant influx of changing data. The Sunfall Data Taking system utilizes several novel visualization and analysis techniques to enable a team of geographically distributed domain specialists to effectively and remotely maneuver a custom-built instrument under challenging operational conditions. Sunfall Data Taking has been in production use for 2 years by a major international astrophysics collaboration (the largest data volume supernova search currently in operation), and has substantially improved the operational efficiency of its users. We describe the system design process by an interdisciplinary team, the system architecture and the results of an informal usability evaluation of the production system by domain experts in the context of Endsley's three levels of situation awareness.

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Using Visual Analytics to Develop Situation Awareness in Astrophysics

Information Visualization

Poon

Aldering

et al. 2009

Self Cite

“…Usability studies of pilots and first responders have demonstrated the effectiveness of simplifying visualizations that provide key information aligned to human cognitive abilities [6][7][8]. Adapting such guidelines to the astrophysics domain, our system features a visualization consisting of a mapping of the sky to a rectilinear grid, where astronomical objects move linearly from left to right over time, enabling easy prediction of multiple object movement and visibility throughout the night.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using visual analytics to maintain situation awareness in astrophysics

2008 IEEE Symposium on Visual Analytics Science and Technology

Poon

Aldering

et al. 2008

Self Cite

We present a novel collaborative visual analytics application for cognitively overloaded users in the astrophysics domain. The system was developed for scientists needing to analyze heterogeneous, complex data under time pressure, and then make predictions and time-critical decisions rapidly and correctly under a constant influx of changing data. The Sunfall Data Taking system utilizes several novel visualization and analysis techniques to enable a team of geographically distributed domain specialists to effectively and remotely maneuver a custom-built instrument under challenging operational conditions. Sunfall Data Taking has been in use for over eighteen months by a major international astrophysics collaboration (the largest data volume supernova search currently in operation), and has substantially improved the operational efficiency of its users. We describe the system design process by an interdisciplinary team, the system architecture, and the results of an informal usability evaluation of the production system by domain experts in the context of Endsley's three levels of situation awareness [1].

“…Studies from the aviation domain have demonstrated that scene-linked symbology for head-up displays (synthetic context information projected on a pilot's cockpit windshield, that appears to be placed within and move with the external physical environment) minimizes inappropriate distractions and provides significant performance advantages [2,13]. We propose an analogy for computer displays, and define the term context-linked to describe a system where both task information (immediately pertinent to the job at hand) and context information (background processes and events in the environment) are directly included in a shared communication space.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Context-linked virtual assistants for distributed teams

Poon¹,

Thomas

Proceedings of the 2008 ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work

et al. 2008

Self Cite

There is a growing need for distributed teams to analyze complex and dynamic data streams and make critical decisions under time pressure. Via a case study, we discuss potential guidelines for the design of software tools to facilitate such collaborative decision-making. We introduce the term context-linked to characterize systems where both task and context information are included in a shared space. We describe a novel, lightweight, context-linked event notification/virtual assistant system developed to aid a cross-cultural, geographically distributed team of astrophysicists to remotely maneuver a custom-built instrument under challenging operational conditions, where critical decisions must be made in as little as 45 seconds. The system has been in use since 2005 by a major international astrophysics collaboration. We describe the design and implementation of the event notification system and then present a case study, based on event log analysis and user interviews, of its effectiveness in substantially improving user performance during time-critical science tasks. Finally, we discuss the implications of context linking for supporting common ground in distributed teams.