Physical 3D model shows climate effects for urban heat education
Climate Physicalization: Bridging Tangible Interaction and Data Visualization for Environmental Communication
Human-Computer Interaction
Summary
Communicating complex climate data like city heat can be hard for many people to understand. The authors created a tangible 3D model of a neighborhood that shows heat radiation as layers and includes different climate adaptation options. The model uses lights to show the sun’s path, making it more interactive and easier to explore. People who tested it found the model helpful for understanding the information and liked its hands-on approach.
What this means in practice
- •For urban planners: Use tangible 3D models to communicate urban heat effects and adaptation options to stakeholders and the public during planning.
- •For museum exhibit designers: Create interactive environmental exhibits that allow visitors to explore climate data through hands-on physical models with lighting effects.
Authors
Milena Vuckovic, Marlene Huber, Fabrizia Bando-Bechtold, Daniel Cornel, Daniel Pahr
Abstract
Raising awareness of climate topics, such as urban heat mitigation, requires communicating complex data to a broad audience. Data physicalization has emerged as a novel method to connect audiences to such complex topics through tangible forms while also leveraging interactivity to foster deeper engagement. This paper introduces an situated geospatial thermal physicalization prototype, designed to enhance communication and education of environmental information through hands-on engagement. The physical model depicts a 3D model of an urban neighborhood, with radiation data represented as a layered contour structure. The model incorporates three interchangeable climate adaptation scenarios, alongside an externally mounted, electronically driven solar path representation featuring multiple discrete LEDs that can be switched on and off at will. To investigate how people engage with the model, we conducted a hands-on qualitative lab study with 16 participants, using think-aloud, observational, and questionnaire protocols. Overall, participants responded very favorably to the model, highlighting the novelty of the visualization approach and its capacity to improve the interpretability of the presented information.