Atmospheric data visualization in mixed reality

Mixed reality taps into intuitive human perception by merging computer-generated views of digital objects (or flow fields) with natural views. Digital objects can be positioned in 3D space and can mimic real objects in the sense that walking around the object produces smoothly changing views toward the other side. Only recently have advances in gaming graphics advanced to the point that views of moving 3D digital objects can be calculated in real time and displayed together with digital video streams. Auxiliary information can be positioned and timed to give the viewer a deeper understanding of a scene; for example, a pilot landing an aircraft might “see” zones of shear or decaying vortices from previous heavy aircraft. A rotating digital globe might be displayed on a table top to demonstrate the evolution of El Niño. In this article, the authors explore a novel mixed reality data visualization application for atmospheric science data, present the methodology using game development platforms, and demonstrate a few applications to help users quickly and intuitively understand evolving atmospheric phenomena.