SBIR Phase II: The Visual Database: Portable, Extensive Markup Language (XML)-Based Middleware For Media Representation, Interaction and Exchange

This Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase II project will create a portable representational and interaction metaphor for digital media embedded in a 3D context. Popular document technologies remain text oriented-that is, content is organized into pages and viewed in reading order. The company is creating a novel information exchange paradigm that is generally applicable to information that is best understood in an interactive 3D environment. Applications of this technology include embedded routes on maps, electronic medical records, biological atlases, digital tours of 3D environments such as buildings, and mechanical assembly/disassembly diagrams. Analogous to a PDF file, but designed for a 3D interaction environment, the proposed solution defines an open, portable schema that can be efficiently represented using the portable Extensible Markup Language XML. In Phase II the company will specialize the editor for geospatial application, atlas creation, and assembly planning; addressing such technical challenges as large data and user interaction. If successful the technology will enhance the ability of researchers, teachers, businesses, and consumers to record, describe and exchange complex 3D content. This innovation has the potential to improve the productivity of individuals and firms that create and communicate with such information; and to enhance the effectiveness of researchers and teachers to convey abstract concepts to others. This project defines a novel metaphor for working with information that goes beyond traditional organizational metaphors such as books and web pages. The proposed product supports complex 3D information; and takes advantage of recent developments in 3D graphics and visualization technology. The representational schema is simple enough to be supported by small portable devices such as PDA's, and sophisticated enough to support complex human/computer interaction in a 3D visualization environment.