Reality-virtuality fusional avatar-based noise measurement and visualization in online virtual geographic environment

Abstract

This article presents a method of noise measurement using reality-virtuality fusional avatar and the real-time visualization of noise in an online virtual geographic environment (VGE). The reality-virtuality fusional avatar links the user with his/her avatar in the virtual world. Therefore, noise data collected by the users in the real world can be simultaneously visualized in the virtual world. A framework of reality-virtuality fusional avatar was proposed and implemented based on OpenSimulator (OpenSim). The noise data was collected by mobile phones with a sensing application called ISEISense. Preliminary experiment was carried out in the Chinese University of Hong Kong campus. It is expected that such a reality-virtuality fusional avatar will be able to support public-participated noise measurement through online VGE. © 2014 Taylor & Francis.