Worldview AR: An Interactive Augmented Reality Prototype for NASA Earth Observing Satellite Imagery

NASA's Earth Observing System Data Information System (EOSDIS) and specifically the Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), provides access to over 700 satellite imagery products. While there are a vast amount of satellite imagery data sets available, it is not always easy to visualize and interact with them. Web applications such as Worldview, also from EOSDIS, allow users to overcome this issue by providing the tools to visualize, interact with, and download data sets. While these applications are extremely useful, the emerging technology of Augmented Reality (AR) presents a unique opportunity to enhance user engagement and allow for multi-user experiences in a shared environment. By tracking the physical environment and displaying computer-generated images over a view of the real world, novel visualization and interaction techniques are possible.

Worldview AR is an application that capitalizes on the benefits of AR specifically for satellite imagery. This application was developed for commodity tablets and smartphones to maximize accessibility to the public. By ingesting satellite imagery from GIBS, Worldview AR is able to display numerous data sets mapped to a spatially located map and globe appearing in the real world. Interaction tools such as a color probe, data set comparison and magnifying glass are included to help users understand these data sets in novel new ways. In addition, a gamified trivia mode was developed to provide a guided experience for outreach purposes. Players are directed to the correct data set and tool to answer questions in a fun and intuitive manner. Furthermore, multiple players can compete against each other in shared environment resulting in increased engagement.