AR Visualization of Migration Flows in Europe

Information

• Publication Type: Bachelor Thesis
• Workgroup(s)/Project(s):
  • Visualization Group
• Date: March 2025
• Date (Start): September 2024
• Date (End): March 2025
• Matrikelnummer: 12024752
• First Supervisor:
  • Daniel Pahr
  • Renata G. Raidou

Abstract

Origin-Destination (OD) flow maps are a tool for visualizing movement patterns in domains such as transportation, trade, or migration. OD flow maps visualize movement using a network of directional and weighted curves. Traditional 2D OD flow maps often suffer from visual clutter and occlusion, limiting their ffectiveness in conveying complex spatial relationships. This thesis explores the use of Augmented Reality (AR) for OD flow map visualization of migration data to enhance interactivity, data comprehensibility, and spatial awareness. By extending OD flow maps to the third dimension of time, users can interact with the data dynamically and view OD connections from multiple perspectives across a span of years. This thesis develops an approach to visualize and encode the time component using a Space-Time Cube (STC), which encodes the time as an additional spatial dimension. The research involves the implementation of a force-directed layout algorithm based on work by Jenny et al. and the development of a marker-based AR phone application prototype capable of visualizing migration data for EU countries spanning from 2008-2022. This thesis contributes to the fields of data visualization, computer graphics, and human-computer interaction, providing insights into how immersive technologies can enhance spatio-temporal data visualization

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BibTeX

@bachelorsthesis{walchhofer_ar_flowmaps,
  title =      "AR Visualization of Migration Flows in Europe",
  author =     "Gabriel Walchhofer",
  year =       "2025",
  abstract =   "Origin-Destination (OD) flow maps are a tool for visualizing
               movement patterns in domains such as transportation, trade,
               or migration. OD flow maps visualize movement using a
               network of directional and weighted curves. Traditional 2D
               OD flow maps often suffer from visual clutter and occlusion,
               limiting their  ffectiveness in conveying complex spatial
               relationships. This thesis explores the use of Augmented
               Reality (AR) for OD flow map visualization of migration data
               to enhance interactivity, data comprehensibility, and
               spatial awareness. By extending OD flow maps to the third
               dimension of time, users can interact with the data 
               dynamically and view OD connections from multiple
               perspectives across a span of years. This thesis develops an
               approach to visualize and encode the time component using a
               Space-Time Cube (STC), which encodes the time as an
               additional spatial dimension. The research involves the
               implementation of a force-directed layout algorithm based on
               work by Jenny et al. and the development of a marker-based
               AR phone application prototype capable of visualizing
               migration data for EU countries spanning from 2008-2022.
               This thesis contributes to the fields of data visualization,
               computer graphics, and human-computer  interaction,
               providing insights into how immersive technologies can
               enhance spatio-temporal data visualization",
  month =      mar,
  address =    "Favoritenstrasse 9-11/E193-02, A-1040 Vienna, Austria",
  school =     "Research Unit of Computer Graphics, Institute of Visual
               Computing and Human-Centered Technology, Faculty of
               Informatics, TU Wien ",
  URL =        "https://www.cg.tuwien.ac.at/research/publications/2025/walchhofer_ar_flowmaps/",
}