Digital Geography and Geographic Information Systems Laboratory
About the laboratory:
Digital Geography and Geographic Information Systems Laboratory operates at the interface between geography and technology and lets the Faculty staff as well as the students of our courses use equipment and apparatus for research and didactic purposes. The equipment collected and described below serves to gain knowledge of a wide range of technologies applied in scientific and professional practice in the realm of socio-economic geography and spatial management. The descriptions below are to give an idea of the capabilities of the equipment, however we encourage consulting Dr. Michał Rzeszewski (mrz@amu.edu.pl), who takes care of the lab, for more information.
The activity
- Lending the equipment and apparatus for research and diploma theses
- Cooperation in research projects
- Demonstration of the equipment and presentations as part of science festivals and popularization events
- Assistance in organizing courses related to digital geography and GIS
- Consultations on GIS and digital geography topics
The available equipment
- Oculus Quest 2 (six pieces) – autonomous virtual reality (VR) glasses. They make it possible to use VR content without a desktop computer. There is a possibility of installing software from Oculus Store (necessary Facebook account), independent software with the help of Sidequest (sideloading) and using PCVR via cable (Oculus Link) as well as VR content accessible through a browser (e.g. Mozilla Hubs).
- Oculus Quest 1 (two pieces) – autonomous virtual reality (VR) glasses. They make it possible to use VR content without a desktop computer. There is a possibility of installing software from Oculus Store (necessary Facebook account), independent software with the help of Sidequest (sideloading) and using PCVR via cable (Oculus Link) as well as VR content accessible through a browser (e.g. Mozilla Hubs). As compared to Version 2, it has a lower resolution and a slightly smaller computing capacity.
- Hololens 2 (one piece) – autonomous augmented reality (AR) glasses. They make it possible to interact with specially created holograms tied to material space. They use the Windows system and the logging in is via Microsoft Teams. The software allows cooperation with, e.g., the SketchUP package.
- Empatica E4 (three pieces) – a biosensor wristband. It allows continuous measurement of the electrodermal activity (EDA), blood volume pulse (BVP) and temperature. It consists of the event button which helps an examined individual to indicate, e.g., the timing of the stimulus. Connected with a camera and locator, it creates a kit for biosensor and spatial perception research.
- GoPro Hero 7 Black (three pieces) – a sports camera. Water- and shock-resistant, small size, helmet-, gimbal- or chest-mounted with the help of the Chest set enclosed. It allows continuous recording in 4K. Connected with a biosensor wristband and locator, it creates a kit for biosensor and spatial perception research.
- Qstarz BT-Q818XT (ten pieces) – a Bluetooth GPS locator. A small device with its own power supply that makes it possible to record the current position with high accuracy. It operates independently or can be connected, e.g., to a smartphone. Monitoring on a single charge up to 60h. Connected with a biosensor wristband and camera, it creates a kit for biosensor and spatial perception research.
- Garmin GPSMAP 64SX (three pieces) – battery-powered GPS field locator (AA batteries). It allows obtaining the exact location in the field. Water- and shock-resistant, it enables indicating points in the field and route mapping. The screen displays maps stored on the MicroSD card.
- Google Chromecast (six pieces) – a device with HDMI connector, allowing cable-free image and sound transmission when connected to a monitor/television/projector, with the help of the Chromecast protocol. In this way, it is possible to transmit Oculus and mobile phone images (e.g. during a lecture).
- PC workstations (five pieces) – computers adjusted to work with VR and AR content and 3D modelling.
Suggested topics/areas of research, including diploma theses
With help of the software, infrastructure and equipment available in the laboratory, it is possible to conduct a series of research projects, including diploma theses, related to widely understood digital geography. The list of the topics is presented below, however, it is not limited in any way and we are open to all ideas. Should you be interested in any topic, or want to use the lab’s resources in the ongoing work, please contact Dr. Michał Rzeszewski; e-mail: mrz@amu.edu.pl
The list of potential topics and subject areas:
- Augmented and virtual reality – visualizations of models with AR and VR, creation of models of virtual environments and cities, BIM and CIM models and their application in spatial planning, development of tools and evaluation of the existing solutions, development of usage patterns, case studies (VR and AR glasses),
- Perception of places and space – studies with the application of biosensor measurements (biosensor wristbands, cameras, GPS, eye-tracking, also planned: mobile EEG),
- Games and geography – use of geography in games and games in the service of geography and spatial management, geographies of gaming worlds (e.g. serious games – games of utility) – topics can also be researched under the supervision of dr. Tomasz Sowada (tomasz.sowada@amu.edu.pl);
- Internet maps and geo-questionnaires – the use in participatory planning, visualizations, cartographic studies, PPGIS
- Smart cities – new digital dimensions of the city, spatial management with the use of new technologies, Internet of Things (IoT), Smart houses, Digital Twins.