{"id":31202,"date":"2010-03-03T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2010-03-03T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yorku.ca\/researchdev\/2010\/03\/03\/researchers-developing-next-generation-of-data-analysis-and-visualization-tools-2\/"},"modified":"2025-01-29T14:37:41","modified_gmt":"2025-01-29T19:37:41","slug":"researchers-developing-next-generation-of-data-analysis-and-visualization-tools-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yorku.ca\/research\/2010\/03\/03\/researchers-developing-next-generation-of-data-analysis-and-visualization-tools-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Researchers developing next generation of data analysis and visualization tools"},"content":{"rendered":"

$11.5 million interdisciplinary project includes computer scientists, vision scientists, designers, artists and social scientists at York, OCAD and U of T, with 14 industry partners<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

How do you look at millions of genomic patterns and see the diagnostic implications? How do you assimilate satellite data to better predict and visualize the effects of global warming, pollution, and weather patterns? How can you chart the global migration of millions of people under slavery? How do you assess the impact millions of blog entries have had on the print media economy? How do you sift global intelligence reports to identify the real threats?<\/p>\n

\"\"Each day, humanity poses thousands of similar questions as we produce massive data sets in every field \u2212 but as the data grows, the challenge becomes translating this data for the human senses and delivering the best analysis to solve real-world problems.<\/p>\n

The Centre for Innovation in Information Visualization and Data-Driven Design (CIV-DDD), led by York University<\/a> in partnership with the Ontario College of Art & Design<\/a> (OCAD), promises to develop the next generation of data discovery, design, and visualization techniques by developing new computational tools, representational strategies, and interfaces.<\/p>\n

<\/strong>The $11.5 million five-year project brings together a unique multidisciplinary team of over 50 researchers from York, OCAD, the University of Toronto, 14 industry partners, and significant international collaborators.<\/p>\n

John Tsot\"\"<\/strong>sos<\/a> (left), Canada Research Chair in Computational Vision and Distinguished Research Professor of Vision Science at York, is the project\u2019s principal investigator. Nick Cercone<\/a>, professor of artificial intelligence and data mining in the Faculty of Science & Engineering, will co-lead York\u2019s team of 14 researchers, who include Amir Asif<\/a>, professor and chair of the Department of Computer Science & Engineering, and Caitlin Fisher<\/a>, Canada Research Chair in Digital Culture and associate professor of film in the Faculty of Fine Arts.<\/p>\n

Sara Diamond, visualization design researcher and <\/strong>president of the Ontario College of Art & Design, will lead OCAD\u2019s team of 12 researchers, who include Vladimir Spicanovic, dean of the Faculty of Art, and Greg van Alstyne, professor in the Faculty of Design and director of Research, Strategic Innovation Lab.<\/p>\n

Ontario\u2019s Ministry of Research and Innovation<\/a> has provided over $3.8 million in funding through the Ontario Research Fund-Research Excellence Program; industry partners will contribute over $3.6 million, with the remaining $4.1 million coming from the project\u2019s institutional partners.<\/p>\n

\u201cHumans\u2019 capacity to interpret sensory stimuli is limited, which is why the human processing strategy is to attend to the relevant and ignore the irrelevant,\u201d says Tsotsos. \u201cDetermining what\u2019s relevant is a key task. Equally important is discovering how best to present such data in a form that is quickly and effectively understood. By combining our team\u2019s expertise in computer science, design, digital media, visual perceptual science, fine arts, and the social sciences, CIV-DDD will discover and provide new visualizations for underlying patterns, processes, and relationships within data sets. These in turn will suggest new research directions and applications, laying the foundation for a new wave of knowledge creation and technological products.\u201d<\/p>\n

CIV-DDD formalizes many existing research collaborations, both within York University\u2019s faculties and departments and among researchers at York, OCAD, and U of T. \u201cIn the new paradigm of data-driven discovery, art and design researchers have a profound role to play in partnership with scientists, making the invisible visible, heralding a new era of knowledge, cultural creation, and technological products,\u201d said Diamond. \u201cThis preeminent research hub for the development of next-generation data visualization techniques is unique in its level of interdisciplinary fire power, strong collaboration with end-users and international links. It aggregates and extends much successful collaboration amongst the researchers, and between OCAD and York University.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many techniques and technologies developed by research groups associated with CIV-DDD will become resources for the entire team as they focus on new data-driven design and information visualization solutions in four thematic areas:<\/p>\n