Brendan Harmon, North Carolina State University, presents the fascinating research that he, and c... more Brendan Harmon, North Carolina State University, presents the fascinating research that he, and co-authors, Helena Mitasova and Anna Petrasova, are conducting using "tangible GIS," a process that seamlessly links the digital processes of GIS, geographic simulations, and CAD-CAM with the more intuitive processes of analog design in a generative cycle. Topics include Kinect 3D scanning, 3D printing, CNC routing, human computer interaction, tangible user interfaces, spatio-temporal modeling, & open source GIS.
While there are numerical landscape evolution models that simulate how steady-state flows of wate... more While there are numerical landscape evolution models that simulate how steady-state flows of water and sediment reshape topography over long periods of time, r.sim.terrain is the first to simulate short-term topographic change for both steady-state and dynamic flow regimes across a range of spatial scales. This free and open-source Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based topographic evolution model uses empirical models for soil erosion and a physics-based model for shallow overland water flow and soil erosion to compute short-term topographic change. This model uses either a steady-state or unsteady representation of overland flow to simulate how overland sediment mass flows reshape topography for a range of hydrologic soil erosion regimes based on topographic, land cover, soil, and rainfall parameters. As demonstrated by a case study for the Patterson Branch subwatershed on the Fort Bragg military installation in North Carolina, r.sim.terrain simulates the development of fine-scale morphological features including ephemeral gullies, rills, and hillslopes. Applications include land management, erosion control, landscape planning, and landscape restoration.
This paper presents novel and effective methods for teaching about topography–or shape of terrain... more This paper presents novel and effective methods for teaching about topography–or shape of terrain–and assessing 3-dimensional spatial learning using tangibles. We used Tangible Landscape–a tangible interface for geospatial modeling–to teach multiple hands-on tangible lessons on the concepts of grading (i.e., earthwork), geomorphology, and hydrology. We examined students' ratings of the system's usability and user experience and tested students' acquisition and transfer of knowledge. Our results suggest the physicality of the objects enabled the participants to effectively interact with the system and each other, positively impacting ratings of usability and task-specific knowledge building. These findings can potentially advance the design and implementation of tangible teaching methods for the topics of geography, design, architecture , and engineering.
International Journal of Architectural Computing , 2018
We present Tangible Landscape – a technology for rapidly and intuitively designing landscapes inf... more We present Tangible Landscape – a technology for rapidly and intuitively designing landscapes informed by geospatial modeling, analysis, and simulation. Tangible Landscape is a tangible interface powered by a geographic information system that gives 3D spatial data an interactive, physical form so that users can naturally sense and shape it. It couples a physical and a digital model of a landscape through a real-time cycle of physical manipulation, 3D scanning, spatial computation, and projected feedback. Natural 3D sketching and real-time analytical feedback should aid landscape architects in the design of high performance landscapes that account for physical and ecological processes. We conducted a series of studies to assess the effectiveness of tangible modeling for landscape architects. Landscape architecture students, academics, and professionals were given a series of fundamental landscape design tasks – topographic modeling, cut-and-fill analysis, and water flow modeling. Their performance was assessed using qualitative and quantitative methods including interviews, raster statistics, morphometric analyses, and geospatial simulation. With tangible modeling participants built more accurate models that better represented morphological features than they did with either digital or analog modeling. When tangibly modeling they worked in a rapid, iterative process informed by real-time geospatial analytics and simulations. With the aid of real-time simulations they were able to quickly understand and then manipulate how complex topography controls the flow of water.
While free and open source software becomes increasingly important in geospatial research and ind... more While free and open source software becomes increasingly important in geospatial research and industry, open science perspectives are generally less reflected in universities' educational programs. We present an example of how free and open source software can be incorporated into geospatial education to promote open and reproducible science. Since 2008 graduate students at North Carolina State University have the opportunity to take a course on geospatial modeling and analysis that is taught with both proprietary and free and open source software. In this course students perform geospatial tasks simultaneously in the proprietary package ArcGIS and the free and open source package GRASS GIS. By ensuring that students learn to distinguish between geospatial concepts and software specifics, students become more flexible and stronger spatial thinkers when choosing solutions for their independent work in the future. We also discuss ways to continually update and improve our publicly available teaching materials for reuse by teachers, self-learners and other members of GIS community. Only when free and open source software is fully integrated into geospatial education we will be able to encourage a culture of openness, and thus enable greater reproducibility in research and development applications.
We present a new, affordable version of TanGeoMS, a tangible geospatial modeling and visualizatio... more We present a new, affordable version of TanGeoMS, a tangible geospatial modeling and visualization system designed for collaboratively exploring how terrain change impacts landscape processes. It couples a physical, three-dimensional model of a landscape with geospatial modeling and analysis through a cycle of scanning and projection. Multiple users can modify the physical model by hand while it is being scanned; by sculpting the model they generate input for modeling of geophysical processes. The modeling results are then visualized by projecting images or animations back on the physical model. This feedback loop is an intuitive way to evaluate the impacts of different scenarios including anthropogenic and natural landscape change. Integration with GRASS GIS, a free and open source geographic information system, provides TanGeoMS with a variety of easily accessible geospatial analysis and modeling tools. To demonstrate the environmental modeling applications of TanGeoMS, we will demonstrate how development can be planned based on feedback from landscape processes such as hydrologic simulation and wildfire modeling with variable fuel distribution.
This book presents a new type of modeling environment where users interact with geospatial simula... more This book presents a new type of modeling environment where users interact with geospatial simulations using 3D physical models of studied landscapes. Multiple users can alter the physical model by hand during scanning, thereby providing input for simulation of geophysical processes in this setting. The authors have developed innovative techniques and software that couple this hardware with open source GRASS GIS, making the system instantly applicable to a wide range of modeling and design problems. Since no other literature on this topic is available, this Book fills a gap for this new technology that continues to grow. Tangible Modeling with Open Source GIS will appeal to advanced-level students studying geospatial science, computer science and earth science such as landscape architecture and natural resources. It will also benefit researchers and professionals working in geospatial modeling applications, computer graphics, hazard risk management, hydrology, solar energy, coastal and fluvial flooding, fire spread, landscape, park design and computer games.
Brendan Harmon, North Carolina State University, presents the fascinating research that he, and c... more Brendan Harmon, North Carolina State University, presents the fascinating research that he, and co-authors, Helena Mitasova and Anna Petrasova, are conducting using "tangible GIS," a process that seamlessly links the digital processes of GIS, geographic simulations, and CAD-CAM with the more intuitive processes of analog design in a generative cycle. Topics include Kinect 3D scanning, 3D printing, CNC routing, human computer interaction, tangible user interfaces, spatio-temporal modeling, & open source GIS.
While there are numerical landscape evolution models that simulate how steady-state flows of wate... more While there are numerical landscape evolution models that simulate how steady-state flows of water and sediment reshape topography over long periods of time, r.sim.terrain is the first to simulate short-term topographic change for both steady-state and dynamic flow regimes across a range of spatial scales. This free and open-source Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based topographic evolution model uses empirical models for soil erosion and a physics-based model for shallow overland water flow and soil erosion to compute short-term topographic change. This model uses either a steady-state or unsteady representation of overland flow to simulate how overland sediment mass flows reshape topography for a range of hydrologic soil erosion regimes based on topographic, land cover, soil, and rainfall parameters. As demonstrated by a case study for the Patterson Branch subwatershed on the Fort Bragg military installation in North Carolina, r.sim.terrain simulates the development of fine-scale morphological features including ephemeral gullies, rills, and hillslopes. Applications include land management, erosion control, landscape planning, and landscape restoration.
This paper presents novel and effective methods for teaching about topography–or shape of terrain... more This paper presents novel and effective methods for teaching about topography–or shape of terrain–and assessing 3-dimensional spatial learning using tangibles. We used Tangible Landscape–a tangible interface for geospatial modeling–to teach multiple hands-on tangible lessons on the concepts of grading (i.e., earthwork), geomorphology, and hydrology. We examined students' ratings of the system's usability and user experience and tested students' acquisition and transfer of knowledge. Our results suggest the physicality of the objects enabled the participants to effectively interact with the system and each other, positively impacting ratings of usability and task-specific knowledge building. These findings can potentially advance the design and implementation of tangible teaching methods for the topics of geography, design, architecture , and engineering.
International Journal of Architectural Computing , 2018
We present Tangible Landscape – a technology for rapidly and intuitively designing landscapes inf... more We present Tangible Landscape – a technology for rapidly and intuitively designing landscapes informed by geospatial modeling, analysis, and simulation. Tangible Landscape is a tangible interface powered by a geographic information system that gives 3D spatial data an interactive, physical form so that users can naturally sense and shape it. It couples a physical and a digital model of a landscape through a real-time cycle of physical manipulation, 3D scanning, spatial computation, and projected feedback. Natural 3D sketching and real-time analytical feedback should aid landscape architects in the design of high performance landscapes that account for physical and ecological processes. We conducted a series of studies to assess the effectiveness of tangible modeling for landscape architects. Landscape architecture students, academics, and professionals were given a series of fundamental landscape design tasks – topographic modeling, cut-and-fill analysis, and water flow modeling. Their performance was assessed using qualitative and quantitative methods including interviews, raster statistics, morphometric analyses, and geospatial simulation. With tangible modeling participants built more accurate models that better represented morphological features than they did with either digital or analog modeling. When tangibly modeling they worked in a rapid, iterative process informed by real-time geospatial analytics and simulations. With the aid of real-time simulations they were able to quickly understand and then manipulate how complex topography controls the flow of water.
While free and open source software becomes increasingly important in geospatial research and ind... more While free and open source software becomes increasingly important in geospatial research and industry, open science perspectives are generally less reflected in universities' educational programs. We present an example of how free and open source software can be incorporated into geospatial education to promote open and reproducible science. Since 2008 graduate students at North Carolina State University have the opportunity to take a course on geospatial modeling and analysis that is taught with both proprietary and free and open source software. In this course students perform geospatial tasks simultaneously in the proprietary package ArcGIS and the free and open source package GRASS GIS. By ensuring that students learn to distinguish between geospatial concepts and software specifics, students become more flexible and stronger spatial thinkers when choosing solutions for their independent work in the future. We also discuss ways to continually update and improve our publicly available teaching materials for reuse by teachers, self-learners and other members of GIS community. Only when free and open source software is fully integrated into geospatial education we will be able to encourage a culture of openness, and thus enable greater reproducibility in research and development applications.
We present a new, affordable version of TanGeoMS, a tangible geospatial modeling and visualizatio... more We present a new, affordable version of TanGeoMS, a tangible geospatial modeling and visualization system designed for collaboratively exploring how terrain change impacts landscape processes. It couples a physical, three-dimensional model of a landscape with geospatial modeling and analysis through a cycle of scanning and projection. Multiple users can modify the physical model by hand while it is being scanned; by sculpting the model they generate input for modeling of geophysical processes. The modeling results are then visualized by projecting images or animations back on the physical model. This feedback loop is an intuitive way to evaluate the impacts of different scenarios including anthropogenic and natural landscape change. Integration with GRASS GIS, a free and open source geographic information system, provides TanGeoMS with a variety of easily accessible geospatial analysis and modeling tools. To demonstrate the environmental modeling applications of TanGeoMS, we will demonstrate how development can be planned based on feedback from landscape processes such as hydrologic simulation and wildfire modeling with variable fuel distribution.
This book presents a new type of modeling environment where users interact with geospatial simula... more This book presents a new type of modeling environment where users interact with geospatial simulations using 3D physical models of studied landscapes. Multiple users can alter the physical model by hand during scanning, thereby providing input for simulation of geophysical processes in this setting. The authors have developed innovative techniques and software that couple this hardware with open source GRASS GIS, making the system instantly applicable to a wide range of modeling and design problems. Since no other literature on this topic is available, this Book fills a gap for this new technology that continues to grow. Tangible Modeling with Open Source GIS will appeal to advanced-level students studying geospatial science, computer science and earth science such as landscape architecture and natural resources. It will also benefit researchers and professionals working in geospatial modeling applications, computer graphics, hazard risk management, hydrology, solar energy, coastal and fluvial flooding, fire spread, landscape, park design and computer games.
Uploads
Talks by Anna Petrasova
Papers by Anna Petrasova
a landscape with geospatial modeling and analysis through a cycle of scanning and projection. Multiple users can modify the physical model by hand while it is being scanned; by
sculpting the model they generate input for modeling of geophysical processes. The modeling results are then visualized by projecting images or animations back on the physical
model. This feedback loop is an intuitive way to evaluate the impacts of different scenarios including anthropogenic and natural landscape change. Integration with GRASS GIS, a free and open source geographic information system, provides TanGeoMS with a variety of easily accessible geospatial analysis and modeling tools. To demonstrate the environmental modeling applications of TanGeoMS, we will demonstrate how development can be planned based on feedback from landscape processes such as hydrologic simulation and wildfire modeling with variable fuel distribution.
Books by Anna Petrasova
The authors have developed innovative techniques and software that couple this hardware with open source GRASS GIS, making the system instantly applicable to a wide range of modeling and design problems. Since no other literature on this topic is available, this Book fills a gap for this new technology that continues to grow.
Tangible Modeling with Open Source GIS will appeal to advanced-level students studying geospatial science, computer science and earth science such as landscape architecture and natural resources. It will also benefit researchers and professionals working in geospatial modeling applications, computer graphics, hazard risk management, hydrology, solar energy, coastal and fluvial flooding, fire spread, landscape, park design and computer games.
a landscape with geospatial modeling and analysis through a cycle of scanning and projection. Multiple users can modify the physical model by hand while it is being scanned; by
sculpting the model they generate input for modeling of geophysical processes. The modeling results are then visualized by projecting images or animations back on the physical
model. This feedback loop is an intuitive way to evaluate the impacts of different scenarios including anthropogenic and natural landscape change. Integration with GRASS GIS, a free and open source geographic information system, provides TanGeoMS with a variety of easily accessible geospatial analysis and modeling tools. To demonstrate the environmental modeling applications of TanGeoMS, we will demonstrate how development can be planned based on feedback from landscape processes such as hydrologic simulation and wildfire modeling with variable fuel distribution.
The authors have developed innovative techniques and software that couple this hardware with open source GRASS GIS, making the system instantly applicable to a wide range of modeling and design problems. Since no other literature on this topic is available, this Book fills a gap for this new technology that continues to grow.
Tangible Modeling with Open Source GIS will appeal to advanced-level students studying geospatial science, computer science and earth science such as landscape architecture and natural resources. It will also benefit researchers and professionals working in geospatial modeling applications, computer graphics, hazard risk management, hydrology, solar energy, coastal and fluvial flooding, fire spread, landscape, park design and computer games.