Digital matter as interdisciplinary commodity

Buffer analysis, a fundamental function in a geographic information system (GIS), identifies areas by the surrounding geographic features within a given distance. Real-time buffer analysis for large-scale spatial data remains a challenging problem since the computational scales of conventional data-oriented methods expand rapidly with increasing data volume. In this paper, we introduce HiBuffer, a visualization-oriented model for real-time buffer analysis. An efficient buffer generation method is proposed which introduces spatial indexes and a corresponding query strategy. Buffer results are organized into a tile-pyramid structure to enable stepless zooming. Moreover, a fully optimized hybrid parallel processing architecture is proposed for the real-time buffer analysis of large-scale spatial data. Experiments using real-world datasets show that our approach can reduce computation time by up to several orders of magnitude while preserving superior visualization effects. Additional experiments were conducted to analyze the influence of spatial data density, buffer radius, and request rate on HiBuffer performance, and the results demonstrate the adaptability and stability of HiBuffer. The parallel scalability of HiBuffer was also tested, showing that HiBuffer achieves high performance of parallel acceleration. Experimental results verify that HiBuffer is capable of handling 10-million-scale data.

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Designed Parameters: Advancing Parametric Software in the Architectural Design Process

10.26686/wgtn.17065397 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Thomas Le Comte

Keyword(s):

Built Environment ◽

Design Process ◽

Architectural Design ◽

Parametric Design ◽

Digital Fabrication ◽

Linear Process ◽

Planning Problem ◽

Architectural Space ◽

Digital World ◽

Parametric System

Architects use computers predominantly to digitise a design process that has been in use prior to the advent of the computer. Traditional analogue concepts are transferred into and sculpted through the digital world but the overall process has remained mostly unchanged for decades. Merely digitising a known process does not utilise the full power of the computer and its near limitless ability to compute. For an architect, design of the built environment is highly important especially if they are to optimise the physical, phenomenological and psychological aspects of the space. The process of designing an architectural space is riddled with possibilities or variables that architects have used historically to aid in the design of the built environment, including but not limited to: object relationships, climate, site conditions, history, habitibility and the clients input - all project requirements that must somehow be quantified into a built object. This information is key for an architect as it will inform and form the architecture which is to be designed for the project at hand. This information, however useful, is not easy to integrate into every aspect of the design without intensive planning, problem solving and an exploration of almost an infinite number of possibilities. This is where parametric design can be used to aid in the design. More of the fundamental aspects of the information gathered in a project can be programmed into a computer as parameters or relationships. Once this information has been quantified, the designer can run through iterations of a design which are defined by these parameters. This is not a random process. It is controlled by the designer and the outcome is a product of how the architect designs the parameters, or relationships between components of the design. Parametric design offers a shift from merely digitising design ideas to using programmed constraints derived through the design process to influence and augment the design envisioned by the architect. Parametric design allows the system to be changed holistically and updated through the alteration of individual components that will then impact the form of the design as a whole – creating a non-linear process that is connected throughout all design phases. This thesis seeks to explore parametric design through its implementation within a group design project to decipher how a parametric process grounded in an understanding of contemporary digital fabrication can inform architectural space. To explore parametric design, this thesis will practice this re-envisioned design process through three design phases. The first phase is the foundational knowledge stage where the applications of digital workflow, computer models, tools and material explorations are examined. Second is the production of a prototype to investigate lessons learnt from phase one and apply these lessons to an actual parametric system used to design a prototype. The final stage will be a developed design process that will further explore a parametric system and its architectural applications. These phases will be developed through a series of prototypes in the form of material explorations and scale artefacts which will explore how it would be used to address many of the designs facets from sensual to corporeal.

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28 Shifting to Virtual MDT in the COVID-19 Era and Beyond

British Journal of Surgery ◽

10.1093/bjs/znab134.001 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 108 (Supplement_2) ◽

Author(s):

D Vijayan ◽

K Malik ◽

K Natarajan ◽

J Berland ◽

D Morton ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Real Time ◽

Large Scale ◽

Mixed Reality ◽

Clinician Training ◽

Smart Glasses ◽

Digital Network ◽

Image Characteristics ◽

Microsoft Hololens ◽

2D And 3D ◽

Virtual Ecosystem

Abstract Aim The COVID19 pandemic has accelerated the need for staff to work remotely. Our aim was to demonstrate how a next-generation digital platform could be used to create a virtual MDT ecosystem in order to manipulate holographic 2D and 3D images in real-time. Method This study involved setting up a mock virtual MDT using de-identified DICOM files from a patient who had been treated for colorectal cancer and then subsequently found to have a liver metastasis. The image file was segmented and converted into a 2D and 3D format for visualisation within Microsoft HoloLens 2 ® (smart glasses) using Holocare Solutions ® (Mixed Reality software). Results A seamless cross-border pipeline was developed that involved "clinician" training, DICOM segmentation and virtual connection. We successfully performed a virtual MDT with participants able to visualise and manipulate a virtual 3D organ in real-time. The digital network remotely connected sites in England and Norway. The streaming quality was stable and HIPAA compliant. Each participant could observe others as "avatars" interacting with images within the virtual ecosystem allowing image characteristics to be highlighted. Conclusions We successfully conducted a virtual MDT using novel hardware and software. Our intention is to conduct a large-scale study to assess the platform's effectiveness in “Real World" MDTs.

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Interactive and Online Buffer-Overlay Analytics of Large-Scale Spatial Data

ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information ◽

10.3390/ijgi8010021 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 21 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Mengyu Ma ◽

Ye Wu ◽

Luo Chen ◽

Jun Li ◽

Ning Jing

Keyword(s):

Real Time ◽

Spatial Data ◽

Large Scale ◽

Optimization Method ◽

Spatial Index ◽

Overlay Analysis ◽

Analysis Model ◽

Time Buffer ◽

Real World Datasets ◽

Processing Architecture

Buffer and overlay analysis are fundamental operations which are widely used in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for resource allocation, land planning, and other relevant fields. Real-time buffer and overlay analysis for large-scale spatial data remains a challenging problem because the computational scales of conventional data-oriented methods expand rapidly with data volumes. In this paper, we present HiBO, a visualization-oriented buffer-overlay analysis model which is less sensitive to data volumes. In HiBO, the core task is to determine the value of pixels for display. Therefore, we introduce an efficient spatial-index-based buffer generation method and an effective set-transformation-based overlay optimization method. Moreover, we propose a fully optimized hybrid-parallel processing architecture to ensure the real-time capability of HiBO. Experiments on real-world datasets show that our approach is capable of handling ten-million-scale spatial data in real time. An online demonstration of HiBO is provided (http://www.higis.org.cn: 8080/hibo).

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Segmentation of Illuminated Areas of Light Using CNN and Large-Scale RGB+D Dataset for Augmented and Mixed Reality Systems

10.51130/graphicon-2020-2-4-58 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. short58-1-short58-7

Author(s):

Maksim Sorokin ◽

Dmitriy Zhdanov ◽

Andrey Zhdanov

Keyword(s):

Neural Networks ◽

Real Time ◽

Convolutional Neural Networks ◽

Large Scale ◽

Mixed Reality ◽

Depth Map ◽

Light Sources ◽

Realistic Rendering ◽

Visual Difference

This work is devoted to the problem of restoring realistic rendering for augmented and mixed reality systems. Finding the light sources and restoring the correct distribution of scene brightness is one of the key parameters that allows to solve the problem of correct interaction between the virtual and real worlds. With the advent of such datasets as, "LARGE-SCALE RGB + D," it became possible to train neural networks to recognize the depth map of images, which is a key requirement for working with the environment in real time. Additionally, in this work, convolutional neural networks were trained on the synthesized dataset with realistic lighting. The results of the proposed methods are presented, the accuracy of restoring the position of the light sources is estimated, and the visual difference between the image of the scene with the original light sources and the same scene. The speed allows it to be used in real-time AR/VR systems.

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QOS MANAGEMENT IN REAL-TIME SPATIAL BIG DATA USING FEEDBACK CONTROL SCHEDULING

ISPRS Annals of Photogrammetry Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences ◽

10.5194/isprsannals-ii-3-w5-243-2015 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol II-3/W5 ◽

pp. 243-248 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

S. Hamdi ◽

E. Bouazizi ◽

S. Faiz

Keyword(s):

Big Data ◽

Feedback Control ◽

Real Time ◽

Spatial Data ◽

Large Scale ◽

The Real ◽

Remote Sensors ◽

Spatial Big Data ◽

Active Research ◽

Access To Data

Geographic Information System (GIS) is a computer system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present all types of spatial data. Spatial data, whether captured through remote sensors or large scale simulations has always been big and heterogenous. The issue of real-time and heterogeneity have been extremely important for taking effective decision. Thus, heterogeneous real-time spatial data management has become a very active research domain. Existing research has principally focused on querying of real-time spatial data and their updates. But the unpredictability of access to data maintain the behavior of the real-time GIS unstable. In this paper, we propose the use of the real-time Spatial Big Data and we define a new architecture called FCSA-RTSBD (Feedback Control Scheduling Architecture for Real-Time Spatial Big Data). The main objectives of this architecture are the following: take in account the heterogeneity of data, guarantee the data freshness, enhance the deadline miss ratio even in the presence of conflicts and unpredictable workloads and finally satisfy the requirements of users by the improving of the quality of service (QoS).

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Adaptive hybrid arbiter design for real-time traffic-aware scheduling

Circuit World ◽

10.1108/cw-10-2020-0268 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Afshan Amin Khan ◽

Roohie Naaz Mir ◽

Najeeb-Ud Din

Keyword(s):

Real Time ◽

Design Methodology ◽

Large Scale ◽

Fault Tolerant ◽

Integrated Design ◽

Traffic Information ◽

Special Focus ◽

Design Environment ◽

Content Type ◽

Real Time Traffic

Purpose This work focused on a basic building block of an allocation unit that carries out the critical job of deciding between the conflicting requests, i.e. an arbiter unit. The purpose of this work is to implement an improved hybrid arbiter while harnessing the basic advantages of a matrix arbiter. Design/methodology/approach The basic approach of the design methodology involves the extraction of traffic information from buffer signals of each port. As the traffic arrives in the buffer of respective ports, information from these buffers acts as a source of differentiation between the ports receiving low traffic rates and ports receiving high traffic rates. A logic circuit is devised that enables an arbiter to dynamically assign priorities to different ports based on the information from buffers. For implementation and verification of the proposed design, a two-stage approach was used. Stage I comprises comparing the proposed arbiter with other arbiters in the literature using Vivado integrated design environment platform. Stage II demonstrates the implementation of the proposed design in Cadence design environment for application-specific integrated chip level implementation. By using such a strategy, this study aims to have a special focus on the feasibility of the design for very large-scale integration implementation. Findings According to the simulation results, the proposed hybrid arbiter maintains the advantage of a basic matrix arbiter and also possesses the additional feature of fault-tolerant traffic awareness. These features for a hybrid arbiter are achieved with a 19% increase in throughput, a 1.5% decrease in delay and a 19% area increase in comparison to a conventional matrix arbiter. Originality/value This paper proposes a traffic-aware mechanism that increases the throughput of an arbiter unit with some area trade-off. The key feature of this hybrid arbiter is that it can assign priorities to the requesting ports based upon the real-time traffic requirements of each port. As a result of this, the arbiter is dynamically able to make arbitration decisions. Now because buffer information is valuable in winning the priority, the presence of a fault-tolerant policy ensures that none of the priority is assigned falsely to a requesting port. By this, wastage of arbitration cycles is avoided and an increase in throughput is also achieved.

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Architecture as Ornament

10.26686/wgtn.15177483 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Kathryn Turner

Keyword(s):

Architectural Design ◽

Large Scale ◽

Industrial Revolution ◽

Computational Design ◽

Digital Fabrication ◽

Digital Tools ◽

Small Scale ◽

Parametric Modelling ◽

Visual Scripting ◽

Contemporary Architecture

We are currently in the middle of the 4th industrial revolution, where digital technology and fabrication tools have the potential to drastically change the way we think about architecture. Contemporary architectural design is now being driven by an influx of digital tools, including parametric modelling, digital fabrication, and robotics. These tools allow designers to create forms with complexity, creating new textures, patterns and styles, they are however being under-utilised. Because the focus of these methods remains on mass-production and efficiency, as they were from the second industrial revolution, architecture has now become sleek and un-ornamental. When ornamentation is used it is now generally limited to façade design, and the focus is towards ideas such as tessellation and repetition. These styles can sometimes be successful, however they lack the sense of depth and craft that classical ornamentation once had. A variety of social, cultural, technological and historical influences means that contemporary ornamentation no longer holds the significance and importance it once had. This research questions this reality and explores the use of contemporary computational design and fabrication techniques to understand how ornamentation can be revitalised and reimagined in contemporary architecture. By building upon literature and case study analysis, this research uses the architectural column as a design mechanism, and parametric modelling to redefine the place that ornamentation has in contemporary architecture. By using a process of visual scripting and digital modelling, these techniques are used to explore how digital tools and the influence of history can reimagine ornamentation. This research process begins with small-scale digital tests which then translate into small-scale prototypes through the use of additive manufacturing. After an evaluation and critical-reflection of these prototypes, these ideas are translated into clay prototypes by using robotic fabrication. To further refine and finalise the designs the research is then applied to an architectural design context, and a final large-scale column is robotically fabricated. This final stage works to clearly show the design intent, to understand not only how traditional ideas and nature can be translated into contemporary designs, but also how the process of parametric design can create design variation, rather than identically replicated components. This research found that there is an immense amount of potential for using these visual scripting tools and methods of digital fabrication for revitalising ornament, creating mass-customisable architecture, not mass-replications.

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Designed Parameters: Advancing Parametric Software in the Architectural Design Process

10.26686/wgtn.17065397.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Thomas Le Comte

Keyword(s):

Built Environment ◽

Design Process ◽

Architectural Design ◽

Parametric Design ◽

Digital Fabrication ◽

Linear Process ◽

Planning Problem ◽

Architectural Space ◽

Digital World ◽

Parametric System

Architects use computers predominantly to digitise a design process that has been in use prior to the advent of the computer. Traditional analogue concepts are transferred into and sculpted through the digital world but the overall process has remained mostly unchanged for decades. Merely digitising a known process does not utilise the full power of the computer and its near limitless ability to compute. For an architect, design of the built environment is highly important especially if they are to optimise the physical, phenomenological and psychological aspects of the space. The process of designing an architectural space is riddled with possibilities or variables that architects have used historically to aid in the design of the built environment, including but not limited to: object relationships, climate, site conditions, history, habitibility and the clients input - all project requirements that must somehow be quantified into a built object. This information is key for an architect as it will inform and form the architecture which is to be designed for the project at hand. This information, however useful, is not easy to integrate into every aspect of the design without intensive planning, problem solving and an exploration of almost an infinite number of possibilities. This is where parametric design can be used to aid in the design. More of the fundamental aspects of the information gathered in a project can be programmed into a computer as parameters or relationships. Once this information has been quantified, the designer can run through iterations of a design which are defined by these parameters. This is not a random process. It is controlled by the designer and the outcome is a product of how the architect designs the parameters, or relationships between components of the design. Parametric design offers a shift from merely digitising design ideas to using programmed constraints derived through the design process to influence and augment the design envisioned by the architect. Parametric design allows the system to be changed holistically and updated through the alteration of individual components that will then impact the form of the design as a whole – creating a non-linear process that is connected throughout all design phases. This thesis seeks to explore parametric design through its implementation within a group design project to decipher how a parametric process grounded in an understanding of contemporary digital fabrication can inform architectural space. To explore parametric design, this thesis will practice this re-envisioned design process through three design phases. The first phase is the foundational knowledge stage where the applications of digital workflow, computer models, tools and material explorations are examined. Second is the production of a prototype to investigate lessons learnt from phase one and apply these lessons to an actual parametric system used to design a prototype. The final stage will be a developed design process that will further explore a parametric system and its architectural applications. These phases will be developed through a series of prototypes in the form of material explorations and scale artefacts which will explore how it would be used to address many of the designs facets from sensual to corporeal.

Download Full-text

Architecture as Ornament

10.26686/wgtn.15177483.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Kathryn Turner

Keyword(s):

Architectural Design ◽

Large Scale ◽

Industrial Revolution ◽

Computational Design ◽

Digital Fabrication ◽

Digital Tools ◽

Small Scale ◽

Parametric Modelling ◽

Visual Scripting ◽

Contemporary Architecture

We are currently in the middle of the 4th industrial revolution, where digital technology and fabrication tools have the potential to drastically change the way we think about architecture. Contemporary architectural design is now being driven by an influx of digital tools, including parametric modelling, digital fabrication, and robotics. These tools allow designers to create forms with complexity, creating new textures, patterns and styles, they are however being under-utilised. Because the focus of these methods remains on mass-production and efficiency, as they were from the second industrial revolution, architecture has now become sleek and un-ornamental. When ornamentation is used it is now generally limited to façade design, and the focus is towards ideas such as tessellation and repetition. These styles can sometimes be successful, however they lack the sense of depth and craft that classical ornamentation once had. A variety of social, cultural, technological and historical influences means that contemporary ornamentation no longer holds the significance and importance it once had. This research questions this reality and explores the use of contemporary computational design and fabrication techniques to understand how ornamentation can be revitalised and reimagined in contemporary architecture. By building upon literature and case study analysis, this research uses the architectural column as a design mechanism, and parametric modelling to redefine the place that ornamentation has in contemporary architecture. By using a process of visual scripting and digital modelling, these techniques are used to explore how digital tools and the influence of history can reimagine ornamentation. This research process begins with small-scale digital tests which then translate into small-scale prototypes through the use of additive manufacturing. After an evaluation and critical-reflection of these prototypes, these ideas are translated into clay prototypes by using robotic fabrication. To further refine and finalise the designs the research is then applied to an architectural design context, and a final large-scale column is robotically fabricated. This final stage works to clearly show the design intent, to understand not only how traditional ideas and nature can be translated into contemporary designs, but also how the process of parametric design can create design variation, rather than identically replicated components. This research found that there is an immense amount of potential for using these visual scripting tools and methods of digital fabrication for revitalising ornament, creating mass-customisable architecture, not mass-replications.

Download Full-text