Mars Landing: Multimedia Sites

Last week, NASA landed the Curiosity rover on Mars’ surface. NASA's website has a terrific set of multimedia resources which demonstrate the mission in a dynamic, interactive fashion.

The JPL Multimedia website includes the following:


Eyes on the Solar System
Curiosity Rover Landing on Mars is an in-depth Java application which uses real-time data to show the current status of the Mars mission. The interface has many settings and takes some exploration to operate.

This application may take a while to load.


Curiosity's Descent
Follow Curiosity's descent to Mars is an animation depicts the now-famous descent sequence in real time. (The "play" button is on the upper right of the screen.) The viewer can pause the action and manually adjust the event time. Each stage has an onscreen description.

Also the motion can be forwarded or reversed by using the window's scroll bar.

Curiosity Photosynth interactive image
The Mars Science Laboratory Rover in the JPL Mars Yard uses Microsoft "Photosynth" process to give a pseudo-3d view of the test rover on earth. The app uses several hundred individual photos taken of the rover from different angles, and combines them into a whole.

Unfortunately, the photo series is too uneven to give a clear illusion of a 3-dimensional object. Dragging the cursor to rotate the view gives a jumpy and jumbled effect. However, the page provides a good collection of perspectives.

Interactive Software and Embodied Learning

One of the interesting potentials of interactive applications such as games is the ability to create highly effective, dynamic instructional materials.

Interactive software, through the combined engagement of visual, audio and motor feedback, enables the user to learn by doing. Software designers can use this to convey complex ideas to the user in a memorable and engaging fashion.

In my experience, several playthroughs of 2d or 3d games resulted in vivid and detailed recollection of each game level. Following gameplay, large portions of each map could be described verbally or with visual media long afterwards. The interactivity and visual information seemed to make a significant mental impression almost automatically.   

Interactive 2d and 3d interfaces are typically applied to simulations of physical objects and processes. Interaction with a spatial object, such as a map (i.e., google maps), 3 dimensional spaces (such as a walk-through architectural plan), and models of devices are useful for demonstrating the real-life use and interaction with the objects represented.

This interactive metaphor can also be used for the representation of abstract concepts and relationships. Infographics designers regularly represent concepts such as quantities, processes, and taxonomic relationships in visual terms. Interactive media could introduce additional dimensions, allowing the user to explore the data as if it were in physical space.

For example, a user could “physically” move back and forth through time to visualize events taking place during some historical period. In a graphical representation of the biological tree of life, a user could wander through the tree like a maze, encountering the creatures that live in its branches. Quantities could be represented by physical areas or volumes. Relationships between ideological and cultural movements could be represented as pathways, displaying historical figures, documents, and iconographic representation in a memorable format.

These models could be used as a type of audiovisual mnemonic for the user, creating strong, long-term mental impressions.

Spatial and motor memory - the same skills that the mind uses to navigate and explore our physical environment - could help reinforce the understanding of relationships between concepts as well as physical objects.

Tranquility Command Blog

In this blog I’ll be discussing art, games and interactive software. I’m currently interested in concepts underlying game design and educational or ‘serious’ games.

In addition, I'll be posting science-related and science fiction illustration projects I'm working on.