Perhaps the best way to explain worldwide changes and show global phenomena is to place the datasets on a spherical display that allows visitors to imagine them on the actual surface of the Earth. With this idea in mind, Ideum collaborated with NASA’s EOS Project Science Office to develop a comprehensive exhibit for a variety of settings, such as tradeshows and their visitor center, on a spherical display known as the Magic Planet.
The NASA Science Explorer exhibit allows the public to access and control unique spherical datasets that provide information on various global phenomena. For example, visitors can explore ocean temperatures and see how the EL Niño phenomenon affects global weather. Rich data from a variety of NASA Earth orbit satellites is included.
The Magic Planet display was created by Global Imagination. Ideum has developed half a dozen exhibits using the Magic Planet over the past few years. This is the first time that Ideum has incorporated multitouch capabilities into the touchscreen interface that controls the Magic Planet.
The touchscreen has a 16:10 ratio aspect and a huge 1680 x 1050 pixel display. The display looks crisp even on a huge 22″ touchscreen. While the application is multitouch-enabled, it is designed so that it works with standard touch screens as well.
The application is fully extensible. An XML structure allows NASA to update information, images, and even change the application’s parameters. The custom software was developed with Adobe Flash and Ideum’s own GestureWorks framework, which allows Flash developers to easily develop their own custom multi-touch applications.
You can learn more about NASA Goddard’s EOS Project Science Office on their Website. To learn more about the Magic Planet visit the Global Imagination Website.
