EcoFlux provides a new way for people to experience the inner working of ecosystems by using augmented or virtual reality to explore unseen ecological processes. This project used a human-centered design and development process to create a proof-of-concept technology that visualizes models of ecosystem processes using real-time, sensor-based data.
EcoFlux builds on the existing MIT Media Lab project DoppelMarsh, is a virtual environment that changes in response to real-time environmental conditions captured by the distributed sensor network at the Tidmarsh wetland site. EcoFlux is the first of its kind to visualize models of molecular motion and carbon flow in 3D, within the context of the physical site, and driven by real-time data.
Whether experienced remotely or integrated on site, EcoFlux can be used to inspire curiosity for visitors, enhance scientific understanding for researchers, and promote community development by demonstrating the value of ecological restoration. As environmental sensing becomes more ubiquitous in our daily lives, this thesis provides a foundation for making meaning from this wealth of information and harnessing human sensory systems to encourage new insights.