1/5/09

3D Arlington - Leading the Way

A recent article in the Washington Post highlights efforts by Arlington County government to bring the region into the flourishing world of interactive 3d. Resident John Feather is volunteering his time to get these advanced technology initiatives off the ground and making sure they get the attention they deserve.

Much of the article is devoted to area presences in Second Life. Feather (avatar name: Theatre Magic) leads reporters and other interested parties on guided tours of some of these spaces, making sure to show the power and flexibility of the environment:

One recent evening, Theatre was shepherding a reporter toward the county's online office space for a tour when he sent a text message suggesting a detour. "Want to go swimming?" he wrote. He then teleported to a lake surrounded by Japanese maples and did a summersault from a cliff with an animated Buddha nearby. It was a long way from the Arlington office, but what better place to ponder the future of government?

We need more people like John! It's great to see people in previously untapped areas of life getting the interest and enthusiasm for interactive 3d that us pros have been shouting about for years. I found the following note most interesting:

In November, he started working on a 3D map of Arlington's major buildings. Touching images on the map calls up Web pages about them, and he and his colleagues want to add real-time rent data and detailed visuals from architects and developers so that "when you click on that building, you go in the door."

This sounds like a great idea that even non-techies can see the benefit of. Incorporating spatial data (buildings and locations) with other info (rent data, etc.) will allow people to explore data in a new and relevant way while helping them to answer important questions (where should I live?).

Keep it up John! We applaud your enthusiasm and hope that it inspires others. Let us know if there is anything we can do to help!

No comments: