Robert's Project 2 In-Class Activity

Comparing US Census Data Visualization: 2D map vs VR

• Part 1: The first data visualization is an interactive map on the US Census Bureau's website (look at this on your laptop)

  • Feel free to check data for any states or counties that you're interested in

• Part 2: After taking a look at the map, you can move on to the WebVR Census data, which is accessible at this link: tinyurl.com/vrcensus

  • This app generally works best in Firefox Reality, so I would recommend using that over the Oculus Browser if you can

  • Once you open the page, you can click the VR button in the bottom right corner to enter VR mode. You may have to wait while the page fetches the data from the Census API before doing this

  • Controls for VR mode:

    • Moving the left controller will zoom in and out when the grip/trigger is held

    • Moving the right controller will move you across the map when the grip/trigger is held

  • Feel free to explore the map and make note of any features or data that you think would be beneficial to add

• Part 3: Finally, we will look at a basic census map in a collaborative VR space. This is currently just a proof of concept, and will be developed further based on your ideas and feedback!

  • You can access the WebVR app here: tinyurl.com/vrcensus2

    • Either Firefox Reality or the Oculus Browser should work for this one

  • Once you're in the space, you can look down to see a map from the Census Bureau.

  • Some questions to consider for the feedback form: 

    • What data would you like to see overlayed on a map like this?

    • Would a 3D effect (similar to the app in Part 2) be beneficial for this?

When you finish, please fill out this feedback form: https://forms.gle/dvF5b1ARzkZ7hHjk8