Interactive Solar System Exploration for Highschool Education - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Interactive Solar System Exploration for Highschool Education Stephan Wondrak, Lorenz Hurni | | Stephan Wondrak, Lorenz Hurni 29-Aug-13 1

Overview • Introduction • Goals • The Model • Demonstrations • Technical Annotations • Conclusions and Outlook | | Stephan Wondrak, Lorenz Hurni 29-Aug-13 2

Introduction • Swiss World Atlas • Official Swiss school atlas • Upper Elementary and High School education • 100th Anniversary celebration in 2010 • Swiss World Atlas Interactive • Web Version of the Swiss World Atlas • Since October 2010 • First (current) Release is a Java-Webapplication • Second Version (2015) will be based on HTML5 | | Stephan Wondrak, Lorenz Hurni 29-Aug-13 3

Presented Work • Development of an interactive tool • Major objects in the Solar System (diameter >100 km) • Physical and orbital characteristics • Various illustrations from different perspectives • Capability of scale and time span modification | | Stephan Wondrak, Lorenz Hurni 29-Aug-13 4

Goals • Visualization of real proportions and distances • No inexplicit scale distortions (!) • Investigation of the capabilities of SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) | | Stephan Wondrak, Lorenz Hurni 29-Aug-13 5

The Model • Objects • Sun, Planets, Dwarf Planets, Moons • Physical Characteristics • Size (Diameter), Flattening, Rotation Velocity, Axial Tilt • Orbital Characteristics • Average Radius, Speed, Period • Number of Satellites | | Stephan Wondrak, Lorenz Hurni 29-Aug-13 6

Why 2D? • 2D: + Scale is always determinable + Reduction to essential information − Depictions are not realistic/complete • 3D: + Realistic impressions/complete depictions + Complex issues are visible − Scale alters and is hardly determinable | | Stephan Wondrak, Lorenz Hurni 29-Aug-13 7

Solar System Overview (Illustration 1) • Features: • Sun, Planets, Moons, Orbits • Characteristics: • Size, Distances, Orbital Speed • User Interaction: • Zoom (Predefined Scales/Positions), Pan (Position) | | Stephan Wondrak, Lorenz Hurni 29-Aug-13 8

| | Stephan Wondrak, Lorenz Hurni 29-Aug-13 9

Solar System Overview (Illustration 2) • Features: • Sun, Planets, Moons, Orbits • Characteristics: • Size, Distances, Orbital Speed • User Interaction: • Zoom (Predefined Scales/Positions), Pan (Position) | | Stephan Wondrak, Lorenz Hurni 29-Aug-13 10

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Distances in our Solar System (Illustration 3) • Features: • Sunlight, Virtual Camera, Sun, Planets, Orbits • Characteristics: • Distances, Speed of Light, Natural View • User Interaction: • Information detection (Arrival time, Natural view) | | Stephan Wondrak, Lorenz Hurni 29-Aug-13 12

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Planet Sizes and Movements (Illustration 4) • Features: • Planets • Object Characteristics: • Size, Flattening, Axial Tilt, Rotational-, Orbital Speed • User Interaction: • Definition of Time spans (Realtime/Animation) • Information detection (Animation Data) | | Stephan Wondrak, Lorenz Hurni 29-Aug-13 14

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All Objects (Illustration 5) • Features: • Planets, Dwarf Planets, Moons (Diameter > 100 km) • Object Characteristics: • Size • User Interaction: • Definition of Scale (Slider) | | Stephan Wondrak, Lorenz Hurni 29-Aug-13 16

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Sunsets (Illustration 6) • Features: • Sun, Planets • Object Characteristics: • Rotational Speed, Orbital Distance • User Interaction: • Start of Animation | | Stephan Wondrak, Lorenz Hurni 29-Aug-13 18

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Technical Annotations • HTML5 (Webpage) • SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) • JavaScript (Interactivity) • jQuery (JS-Library) • CSS (Graphic Styles) | | Stephan Wondrak, Lorenz Hurni 29-Aug-13 20

Conclusions • Essential information became apparent • Inexplicit scale distortions were avoided • Scalability allows the depiction of the whole Solar System • Combination of various illustrations is important | | Stephan Wondrak, Lorenz Hurni 29-Aug-13 21

Outlook • 3D-extension as the next main goal • Augmented user interface • Sounds in combination with interaction and/or animation | | Stephan Wondrak, Lorenz Hurni 29-Aug-13 22

Thank you for your attention! • Questions? ... Comments? ... • Contacts: • Stephan Wondrak: wondrak@karto.baug.ethz.ch • Lorenz Hurni: lhurni@ethz.ch • Website of the Swiss World Atlas: www.swissworldatlas.ch | | Stephan Wondrak, Lorenz Hurni 29-Aug-13 23

Interactive Solar System Exploration for Highschool Education Stephan Wondrak, Lorenz Hurni | | Stephan Wondrak, Lorenz Hurni 29-Aug-13 24