MACROVU ® ANALYTICS
NASA Strategic Research Display Project
Description
Our project has developed a series of knowledge map templates
that enable large amounts of complex information to be displayed
on paper, computer screens and on large murals. These tools have
been developed and used in NASA's Office of Biological and Physical
Research to manage the research projects that must be coordinated
with many potential missions (the new telescope planned for 7
years out, the possible return to the moon to build a base, the
possible trip to Mars as well as the more immediate needs of the
shuttle and international space station). The basic problem addressed
in our project was what kind of a display system is needed by
the various NASA managers and advisory committees to be able to
see streams of research in several dozen major research specialties
coordinating over 1,000 principal investigators annually.
Visual analytic goals
Our project emphasizes what is to be displayed, what is the
best visual form to enable the fastest and most reliable understanding
and decision-making to take place. Over the past two years, we
have been developing a series of thought templates to aid in thinking
bigger thoughts. These visual templates need to be tested on
increasingly larger and more complex tasks. This project is now
entering its second phase-mainly software design. Mr. Horn was
the project director on this project.
To view project presentations and outcomes:
Project report on PowerPoint and various designs for electronic
displays can be seen at: http://www.macrovu.com/PVT/NASA/RPC/NASA_RPCProjects.html
Visual language-information design aspects
A major assumption of our project is that visual analysis
can provide new avenues of thought, indeed, new ways of thinking
about complex issues. At the same time we also focus on improving
our ability to communicate difficult and complicated subject matters.
A major portion of our projects are focused on creating new templates to enable humans to learn complex subject matter or adapting previously developed templates to new subject matters. These information graphics enable people to think "bigger thoughts." At the same time, our projects are focused on solving real world problems, in this case attempting to understand more deeply how we are to think about the management of thousands of complex scientific research projects.
Project history.
This project began early in 2003 and was completed by the end
of that year.
Project support
NASA through the Texas A & M.
Status
Drafts. V.1
Copyright 2004 R. E. Horn