UTBiome Interactive Map platform Beta version is out!
The UTBIOME interactive web mapping platform is the digital face of UT envisioned as a living laboratory. After hours of tiring field sampling, the bulk of the data that makes the map is made available in a raw format that needs another day or two for curation. The raw data is checked for proper units, and the quality of the data is assessed before it is ready for public viewing through the online web mapping platform. A short overview of the data flow process includes data collection, data messaging and finally data publication. Once the raw data is quality checked and ready for public viewing a bunch of intermediate workflows are kicked in. The quality controlled data is converted into CSV and JSON files by using custom python scripts. Most of the collected data is available for download as CSV files through the online web mapping platform. The JSON files help in loading the folder hierarchy that allows the viewers to explore the data in a coherent and consistent manner. A web server and ArcGIS map server is used to host files and publish map services. By using the ArcGIS JS (javascript) web API, a custom map interface is built that puts all the things together.
Environmental data varies both in space and time. Thus it becomes essential, and at the same time challenging to show the spatio-temporal evolution of the environmental variables in a single platform. When we usually think of maps, we think about space and the time domain is often obscure. Maps are the most effective medium that are able to show the spatial variation of any variable in a proper context, to which most people can relate easily. When we think about time we usually think about a single variable at a given point in space, varying in time (a graph with time on the X axis and the desired variable value on the Y axis). Not all variables collected for the UTBIOME project have a dominant time component. Thus we have a mixture of variables in which some vary both in space and time while others vary only in space or time.
The figure above shows the web map interface for UTBIOME. The map in the center of the page, shows locations of the sampling points, and outlines of the UT campus. As users click on the sampling points a popup window shows relevant metadata about the sampling location and a folder structure is displayed on the left-hand side explore panel. Users can click on these folders, which will pull timeseries information for the variable and the display a time series plot on the dashboard in the right-hand side corner of the map. For variables that do not have a time component users can click on the features in the map and view or download metadata about the variables studied at that particular location. As more sampling data is processed the map is continuously updated with these datasets.
Images and photos are the best way to narrate a story. The image gallery at the bottom of the page, is an interactive gallery such that when users hover over the images, it shows a flag on the map at the location where the image was taken. Users can also click on the images, to see enlarged versions of the thumbnails. The image gallery not only helps in capturing the sampling events, but also provides a way to capture sampling techniques that otherwise would be difficult to explain.
A map is usually a 2D representation of our 3D world. With the advent of technology, it is now possible to visualize the world we live in 3D. The figure above has a link to 3D map where UT the living laboratory is envisioned in 3D. The 3D visualization helps in understanding the indoor environment in a compact way. It also helps in studying the differences in indoor and outdoor variables. The 3D visualization helps explore the variation in indoor air and water quality across buildings levels and across various buildings in the campus. These new avenues in 3D mapping of our living environment, serves as potential platforms to visualize energy usage, sustainability practices and environmental conditions of our indoor and outdoor settings.
The UTBIOME platform provides us with a unique opportunity to integrate a variety of environmental, energy and sustainability practices in a single portal, where people can interact with already populated datasets as well as enrich the data store by submitting their own datasets. The platform is self sustainable, and can be easily replicated by anyone who wants to showcase such a complex environment in a single coherent platform. By making use of the latest web technology, the UTBIOME interactive platform can serve as a starting point for many users who want explore and understand the complex interactions of our urban setting.
Harish Sangireddy.
PhD candidate at The University of Texas at Austin.