The Visual Information Universe Model

One key area that has not received adequate attention - or more accurately, has not been sufficiently understood - is the next generation user-interface for enterprise information management. We submit that this next generation technology will and must go beyond the present concept of GUI (graphical user interface) and VR (virtual reality).

It should feature a new paradigm of information visualization with metaphors suitable for cyberspace type of ideas and applications; should possess contextual knowledge of the underlying information resources to assist end users acquire and assemble any pieces of information desired from everywhere needed; and should, thereby, effect a virtual environment for information access over networks where the user fly freely and query globally with little or no prior technical knowledge about the system.

The new concept will be exemplified as the Visual Information Universe (VIU) in this project, using the new Globe metaphor (representing information resources), some basic VR tools (for direct spatial manipulation), and a metadatabase (containing models and other contextual knowledge).

The VIU model will be further connected with network protocols and interfaces such as Mosaic to support immediately the huge user community of Internet as well as the information management needs in distributed enterprises.