Touch and See - Visualization at Public Venues

This talk will show how data visualization can be used to provide public visitor venues, such as museums, science centres and zoos with unique interactive learning experiences. The talk will focus on the on how to bridge the distance from basic research to implementation in the galleries discuss issues such as interaction design and storytelling.  The talk will take its starting point in volumetric medical data captured with the latest modalities. By combining visualization techniques with technologies such as interactive multi-touch tables and intuitive user interfaces, visitors can conduct guided browsing of large volumetric image data. The visitors then themselves become the explorers of the normally invisible interior of unique artefacts and subjects. Demonstrations of the Inside Explorer software will be used as examples. The talk will then discuss the use of large scale immersive environments, such as dome theatres, for science communication. The unique technical and design challenges in producing content for both playback interactive demonstrations will be discussed. Examples will be taken from shows produced at the Norrköping Visualization Center. A live demo of the new NASA funded OpenSpace software initiative will conclude the talk.