Weekend Inspirations - Big Data Visualizations, Innovative Man-Machine Interactions

A bunch of interesting/inspiring topics for the weekend…

Designing “Big Data”

Jeff Veen from Small Batch Inc. gave a 20-minutes talk at the Web2.0 Expo at San Francisco.
During the talk he focuses on some classic examples for information visualization (John Snow pump, Minard‘s map, the tube map, and so on), the challenge of making data more accessible and understandable vs. just “decorating” it and the emerging challenge in Web 2.0 to empower users to find and create their own stories using the data.

And on the same topic of dealing with “big data”, check out the AlloSphere. A system developed by scientists and artists at the University of California for exploring huge sets of data as a visual and audible 3D world:

Cool New Computer Interaction Technology

I saw this amazing UI concept watching the TED podcast:

The concept as computers as tiny blocks that can react to each other is just amazing and the possibilities here, especially in education, are endless…

Kiva Robots Invade the Warehouse

If a bunch of tiny computers interacting can change personal computing here’s what it can do in the enterprise optimize warehouses supply chain:

The servers work in real-time, receiving orders, immediately dispatching robots to bring the required pods to the worker fulfilling the order, and then returning the pods to their storage locations. The robots receive their orders wirelessly, while using cameras to read navigational barcode stickers on the warehouse floor.

Have a great weekend!