Cesium: Geo-Scale Data Visualization in a Web Browser

GRAND Seminar October 23, 12 noon, Tuesday, 2012, ENGR 4201

Patrick Cozzi
Analytical Graphics, Inc. and University of Pennsylvania

Host: Jan Allbeck

Talk slides: pptx.zip

Abstract:

With WebGL, it is now possible to have hardware-accelerated 3D and 2D graphics in a web browser without a plugin. In this talk, we present Cesium, an open-source virtual globe and map engine for the web built on WebGL. We demo Cesium, including streaming and rendering large real-world datasets of terrain and imagery; streaming and rendering server-side analysis including satellite propagation, sensors, and visibility calculations; and modeling scenarios such as the North Korea Unha-3 launch. We also discuss current platform support and adoption of WebGL, and its future outlook for thin-client visualization.

Short Bio:

Patrick is a software developer, teacher, and writer. At Analytical Graphics, Inc., he started Cesium, an open-source virtual globe and map for the web. At the University of Pennsylvania, Patrick teaches C++ and a graduate-level course on GPU Programming and Architecture. He is coauthor of 3D Engine Design for Virtual Globes, coeditor of OpenGL Insights, and active in the graphics community by publishing, reviewing, and generally trying to move the field forward. Patrick has a master's degree in Computer and Information Science from the University of Pennsylvania.