| Abstract |
Timelines are a widespread concept for temporal information representation which exhibit events over time. In general, the aim of timelines is to present information regarding specific temporal periods in combination with an overview of all occurring events. The content of timelines can vary from historical events to extensive data representation and is limited only by the chronological nature which is compulsory for any type of information. Timelines are employed in various environments and contexts, including exhibition spaces, museums and education, due to their ability to provide a clear picture of temporal information.
In this context, this thesis reports on the design, development and evaluation of TimeTunnel, a system allowing the modeling, storing, visualization and multimodal interaction with timelines and related multimedia information. TimeTunnel uses ontologies as a formal data model to represent knowledge, which are a broadly accepted approach to efficiently store and retrieve semantic information.
In addition to the typical 2D view supported by most available interactive timelines, which provides a temporal overview of events occurring during a time period, TimeTunnel also provides an alternate view of the same information that is more suitable for experiencing the time dimension as well as for ‘first-hand’ exploration of the available information. This view employs a time tunnel metaphor, i.e., a long corridor along which events are placed in chronological order, using distance to represent time. On the tunnel sides, next to each event, exists an extendable ‘showcase’ comprising various multimedia information objects (e.g., texts, images, videos, 3D models).
TimeTunnel supports multiple multimodal interaction techniques, even in combination, so as to offer natural interaction in a wide range of hardware set-ups employing various display and input devices. Apart from interaction techniques oriented to desktop-based interaction (e.g., mouse, touch screen), additional approaches were studied and implemented specifically targeted to navigation and manipulation in 3D virtual environments. In this regard, TimeTunnel supports full-body kinesthetic interaction. Firstly, the system is location-aware, as the user’s position in space is tracked and handled as input. Moreover, users can interact with the system through gestures, using their bare hands to interact with items and their legs to navigate in virtual space. Furthermore, TimeTunnel integrates physical objects as supplementary means of tangible interaction (e.g. the Smart Box, a box with embedded sensors).
An evaluation study was conducted with 16 participants to assess TimeTunnel in terms of usability and user experience. The evaluation results were highly positive and promising, confirming the system’s usability and encouraging further research in this area. Furthermore, they provide interesting insights towards selecting appropriate interaction techniques for interacting with timelines in 3D space.
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TimeTunnel: Modeling and Interactive Information Visualization Using Three Dimensional Timelines
