FOSS4G NA 2016
Tangible Landscape
Brendan Harmon, Anna Petrasova, Vaclav Petras, Helena Mitasova, & Ross Meentemeyer
Tangible Landscape
A tangible user interface powered by open source GIS
History
An evolution of Illuminating Clay and the Tangible Geospatial Modeling System
Image source: MIT Media Lab
Tanigble interaction with GIS
With Tangible Landscape you can hold a GIS in your hands - feeling the shape of the earth, sculpting its topography, and directing the flow of water.
How-it-works
Tangible Landscape couples a digital and a physical model through a continuous cycle of 3D scanning, geospatial modeling, and projection
Intuitive scientific modeling with Tangible Landscape
Tangible Landscape is designed to make scientific data, models, and simulations exploratory, engaging, and fun
Applications
Visibility analysis
Applications
Solar analysis
Solar irradiation and cast shadow
Applications
Trail planning
Optimized trail routing between waypoints based on energetics, topography, and cost maps with feedback including trail slopes and viewsheds
Serious gaming
Coastal flooding game
Save houses from coastal flooding by building coastal defenses
Structured problem solving with rules, challenging objectives, and scoring
Serious gaming
Termite infestation game
Manage the spread of termites across a city by treating city blocks
Using an epidemiological model in R
Open source
Fork us on GitHub
Tangible Landscape plugin for GRASS GIS
Open education
Open source software, open algorithms, open data, and open educational resources
Petras, V., Petrasova, A., Harmon, B., Meentemeyer, R.K., Mitasova, H. Integrating Free and Open Source Solutions into Geospatial Science Education. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information. 2015, 4, 942-956. doi:10.3390/ijgi4020942
Dependencies
| Program | Use |
|---|---|
| libfreenect2 | Drivers for Kinect v2 |
| PCL | Point cloud processing |
| GRASS GIS 7 | Geospatial modeling and visualization |
Software
| Components | Type | Use |
|---|---|---|
| grass-tangible-landscape | GRASS GIS plugin | Tangible interface for GRASS GIS |
| r.in.kinect | GRASS GIS addon | Import data from Kinect |
Hardware
| Type | Product | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Computer | System 76 Oryx Pro | $1500 |
| Projector | Optoma ML750 WXGA 700 DLP LED | $500 |
| 3D sensor | Xbox One Kinect | $100 |
| Kinect Adapter for Windows | $50 | |
| Stand | Avenger 40-Inch C-Stand with Grip Kit | $200 |
| Avenger 40-Inch C-Stand with Grip Kit | $200 | |
| Avenger F800 3-Inch Baby Wall Plate | $10 | |
| Avenger F800 3-Inch Baby Wall Plate | $10 | |
| Peripherals | HDMI cable | $10 |
| Extension cord | $10 | |
| Modeling media | Waba Fun Kinetic Sand 11 Lbs | $50 |
System setup
Modeling making
Data sources
| Data type | Data source |
|---|---|
| Lidar | United States Interagency Elevation Inventory |
| Earth Explorer | |
| Digital Coast | |
| Open Topography | |
| Digital elevation models | National Elevation Dataset |
| Orthoimagery | USGS EROS Orthoimagery WMS |
Modeling making
Hand sculpting
Modeling making
CNC milling
Modeling making
3D printing
Modeling making
Casting polymeric sand
In-situ digital fabrication
A 3-axis CNC milling machine to model a landscape in polymer-enriched sand using a plunge cut
Future work
In-situ robotic fabrication for Tangible Landscape
Future work
Real-time data and autonomous construction with Tangible Landscape
Further reading
Read our book and give it a try