CAVIS - Center for Analysis and Visualization of large Information Spaces

Motivation

Never before in history has information been generated at such high volumes as it is today. Managing, exploring and analyzing complex and dynamic information spaces has become a central challenge in many disciplines and applications. The central objective of the center is to turn today's information overload into an opportunity by combining analysis and visualization techniques to enable a user-centred interactive discovery of new knowledge. Linking quantitative with qualitative methods will enable new insights in complex information spaces and encourage new hypotheses to the end of better problem-solving and gaining deeper domain understanding. The wide spectrum of methods and techniques provided by the center is important for numerous applications in the natural, social and economic sciences.

Objectives

The goal of the center is to institutionalize the internationally recognized, agenda-setting research in the area of analysis and visualization of large information spaces and thus supports the knowledge discovery process in science, politics, and industry. The center fosters integration and visibility, and serves as an interface facilitating interdisciplinary research, both internally and externally, and for industry cooperation. Its main objective is to advance inter-departmental research collaborations and encourage new research initiatives. The center brings the competences, which are available within the university together, fosters the collaborations among the participating departments, and serves as a competence center for external research collaborations. The center is also a central component of both graduate schools, requested within the excellence initiative.

Research Projects

Public Funding

Mixed Abstract and Real Visualization Methods for Participative Planning Processes (within BW-FIT Research Network)            

Deussen

State BW

2006-2009

"User-Interaction for High-Resolution Displays (within BW-FIT Research Network)"          

Reiterer 

State BW

2006-2009

"Visualization of Network Time-Series Data (within BW-FIT Research Network)"             

Keim

State BW

2006-2009

"High-Resolution LCD Display Wall (within BW-FIT Research Network)"             

Deussen/ Keim/ Reiterer

State BW

2006-2009

Mining of Heterogeneous Information Repositories             

Berthold

GATC/BMBF

2006-2007

Analysis and Visualization of Social Networks (within DFG Research Priority Program on Algorithmic Aspects of Large and Complex Networks)             

Brandes

DFG

2001-2007

Graphical Support for Network Evolution Models (within a European Collaborative Research Project).

Brandes

DFG

2006-2009

A Network Approach to Assessing the Public Policy Value of Open Innovation Networks (with Patrick Kenis, Department of Organization Studies, Tilburg University)

Brandes

Nederlandse Organisatie for Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO)

2007-2010

Visualization of complex landscapes

Deussen

German-Israeli Foundation 

2006

Sehen, verstehen, Umsetzen - Akteursbeteiligung in der Landschaftsplanung   

Deussen

Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU)

2002-2006

Incomplete Model Checking for Concurrent Object Oriented Systems (IMCOS)             

Leue

DFG

2007-2009

Directed Model Checking in the Analysis of Real-Time and Probabilistic Systems (DiRePro) 

Leue

DFG

2006-2007

MedioVis             

Reiterer

DFG

2006-2008

Industrial Funding

Interactive Exploration and Analysis of Cell Assay Images             

Berthold

Steinbeis Transferzentrum IMT

2005-2008

Interactive Exploration of Heterogeneous Knowledge Sources

Berthold

ALTANA Pharma, KN

2005-2008

Visual Navigation (with Albert KŸmmel-Schnur and Felix ThŸrlemann, Department of Literature, Arts and Media, University of Konstanz)             

Brandes

Volkswagen Stiftung

2006-2009

Virtual Earth Academic Collaboration         

Deussen

Microsoft, Seattle, USA   

2007

Text Analysis and Visualization           

Keim

Siemens Postal Automation, Konstanz 

2007-2009

Visualization of E-Commerce Data

Keim

Hewlett-Packard Research, CA, USA

2000-2008

Visual Exploration of Geo-Spatial and Network Data            

Keim

AT&T Shannon Research Labs, NJ, USA

2000-2007

Similarity Search and Visualization of 3D Model Databases

Keim

SD&M AG, Munich

2004-2007

"Powerwall - High Resolution Display Wall (Powerwall Equipment Support)"

Keim

BARCO, Brussels

 

BEST - Usability Engineering, Interaction Design and Visualization

Reiterer

DaimlerChrysler Research, Ulm

2000-2007

Data Thinning for Assimilation in Weather Forecast Simulations             

Saupe

"Deutscher Wetterdienst" (DWD), Offenbach

2005-2008

Analysis and Visualization of Performance Parameters in Endurance Sports          

Saupe

Sport Equipment Manufactures

2006-2009

 

Activities

The Center for Analysis and Visualization integrates a number of research activities:

Title

Coordinator

Funding Agency

Time Period

Research Training Group (GK)
"Explorative Analysis and Visualization of Large Information Spaces"

Saupe

DFG

2004-2008 (renewable until 2013)

BW-FIT research network
"Information at your fingertips"

Deussen

State BW

2006-2009

Coordination of Priority Program (SPP)
"Scalable Visual Analytics"

Keim

DFG

2007-2013

Powerwall

The Powerwall consists of a 5,20 x 2,15 meter large back projection screen, which is powered by 8 networked and synchronized projectors. The soft-edge-blending technology and the high resolution of 4640 x 1920 pixels create a large homogeneous projection, which in turn enable visual data analysis up to the smallest details.

Read more about the Powerwall...

Application areas

The powerwall is attractive for a large spectrum of application areas, among them data exploration as carried out in the faculty of computer science and in industrial research collaborations. Further potential application areas are controlling, simulations, marketing analysis, traffic management systems, medicine, bioinformatics, etc.