Awards

Thomas Ortner's research work in the field of Geospatial Visualization even made it to Mars as part of NASA's Perseverance mission and also provides innovative solutions for tunnel safety, to name just one example. At the TÜV Austria Science Award 2021, his Ph.D. thesis "Tight Integration of Visual Analysis and 3D Real-Time Graphics" has been shortlisted as one of three finalists in the university/university of applied sciences category.

Thomas Ortner, who heads the GeoSMAQ Group at VRVis since 2021, demonstrates in his PhD thesis the possibilities of tight integration of 3D spatial and abstract visualizations for tunnel documentation, spatial planning, and geology.

In disciplines driven by 3D spatial data, such as civil engineering, spatial planning, or geology, experts are confronted with complex geometric data that also contain abstract attributes. Length, orientation, or moisture of cracks determine the structural integrity of a tunnel surface. In addition to statistical analysis, inspectors must also consider the position and shape of cracks and relate them spatially. Spatial planners want to quantify how new buildings affect the cityscape and how historic sightlines are affected. Geologists work with high-resolution digital reconstructions of rock formations and need to present their analyses in a comprehensible way. A framework developed by Thomas Ortner addresses the various needs of all these application fields with thoughtful visualization and interaction design and enables tight integration of 3D spatial and abstract data in an innovative way.

The winning projects of the TÜV Austria Science Award were honored on November 18, 2021, during a hybrid event in the Kuppelsaal of TU Wien.

Vienna, November 19, 2021