Overview of Immersive Data Visualization: Enhancing Insights and Engagement Through Virtual Reality

Muhammad Faique Memon; Muhammad Shehram Shah Syed; Sajida Memon; Noor ul Ain Mushtaq; Junaid Baloch

Authors

Muhammad Faique Memon Department of Computer Systems Engineering (Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Pakistan)
Muhammad Shehram Shah Syed Department of Software Engineering (Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Pakistan)
Sajida Memon Department of Computer Systems (Dawood University of Engineering and Technology, Pakistan)
Noor ul Ain Mushtaq Department of Computer Systems Engineering (Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Pakistan).
Junaid Baloch Department of Software Engineering (Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Pakistan).

Keywords:

Data Visualization, Data Analysis, 3D visualization, Immersive Virtual Reality

Abstract

In recent years, the explosion of data has been immense, especially in terms of volume and velocity which poses a new challenge in the visualization of data and extracting patterns from it efficiently. Visualization is one the most critical aspects of data analysis as it also helps in the selection of an appropriate model for machine learning. However, this changes when we are dealing with complex data or hyper-dimensional datasets. 2D visualization of this complex or hyper-dimensional dataset can be hard to visualize owing to the inherent loss of information due to spatial constraints which consequently hinders the extraction of meaningful patterns for the development of machine learning models. In recent years, there has been substantial advancement in immersive technologies like Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality and adoption in various sectors especially in gaming, entertainment, and training. However, when it comes to data analysis and data visualization, immersive technology is at an emerging stage but has promising potential. This review research paper, through a series of application domains, aims to uncover this promising potential of virtual reality by shedding light on its capabilities and its limitations in representing complex and hyper-dimensional data to uncover new insights, pattern recognition, and decision-making processes.

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