Open Tech Calendar

This session is about non-standard displays, immersive environments, multimodality, and experiences. We have two speakers that night: Professor Aaron Quigly on "Our Conversion to Immersion---The Seven Stages of Immersive Analytics"

>Canceled: the presentation by Pufferfish and visualizing geographic and climate change data on spherical displays: pufferfishdisplays.com

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Professor Aaron Quigley: Our Conversion to Immersion---The Seven Stages of Immersive Analytics

Immersive Analytics is an emerging field of research and development that seeks a deeper engagement with the analysis and data and can involve technologies such as Augmented and Virtual reality, large display spaces or more direct interaction. However, the field heavily draws on the various meanings of the term "immersive" coupled with the different approaches to analytics, giving rise to slightly different interpretations. There are two primary facets related to the term immersive analytics.

The first, and more literal aspect, is to be immersed or submerged in the data and analytic task. This gives rise to the examination of the range of human senses, modalities and technologies which might allow one to have their various senses fully immersed.

A second facet, is the provision of computational analysis methods which facilitate a deep mental involvement with the task and data. Smooth interaction with the data and analytic task might allow people to concentrate and focus their attention, allowing them to enter a “flow state” which affords them the depth of thought required to be fully immersed.

The ultimate goal of immersive analytics is to computationally support individual and collective human thinking as it happens, in our minds. By focusing our attention and concentrating on a particular problem we can exhibit a deep mental involvement with the task and data. In this, computation should augment, not replace our thinking. When we examine the elements or structure of a problem, situation or object we want to be able to draw in new information which we don’t currently know. The new information or computational process should be available in such a fluid manner that we don’t need to expend additional mental effort to access it. When we turn our thinking to the analysis of the elements or structure of a problem, situation or object then our detailed thinking brings forth data, as required, to undertake this examination.

This talk will seek to engage the audience in discussions and thinking about the stages of immersion and the research and development challenges this will present.

Professor Aaron Quigley is the Chair of Human Computer Interaction in the School of Computer Science at the University of St Andrews. In 2011 Aaron co-founded SACHI, the St Andrews Computer Human Interaction research group and served as its director from 2011-2018. Within the University of St Andrews he serves as the Director of Impact in the school of computer science along with serving on the International and Brexit Preparedness committees.

sachi.cs.st-andrews.ac.uk

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Thanks to Cirrus Logic for sponsoring our food and refreshments.

Cirrus Logic's engineers and data scientists design intelligent audio chips that power the smartphone in your pocket, consumer and car audio systems, and smart homes. As a major presence in the buzzing local tech ecosystem, Cirrus Logic is proud to sponsor the Edinburgh Data Visualisation Meetup.

As usual, there will be space if you have anything to share. We're also open to suggestions for topics and speakers, so let us know if you have someone or something in mind.

Please do circulate this invitation. Everyone welcome. We're in an accessible space. Bring colleagues, family, friends, & kids.

Brendan, Ben, Uta, and Gordon