- When it comes to transport data the amount can be infinite so in the transport visualization world finding out how you give people access to a material that becomes understandable is a major issue, says Beata Stahre, PhD, currently holding a post-doc position in Visualization at Chalmers University of Technology.

While a text has to be interpreted by the reader a picture might, due to greater complexity, be a simplification. Visualization, on the other hand, can by using advanced images and simulations convey complex information in a more apprehendable way. Interactive digital 3D models, simulators and aerial photography are some examples of visualization. They are ways of facilitating understanding between different actors and groups and also between the general public, politicians and academia.

- It is about visualizing the complexity in different perspectives. Put simply, visualization is a tool for communication, says Monica Billger, Professor in Visualization and architecture at Chalmers University of Technology.

Within infrastructure and transport research there is a significant need and interest for visualization, in everything from vehicle development, freight and passenger transport to infrastructure. Modern technologies are making this easier, more affordable and more accesible.

Beata Stahre is just about finished with an overview of the existing visualization tools in the transport sector, and a survey of what needs researchers and practitioners in the field have for different types of visualization. The project represents a step in the process of developing a visualization platform, the Spatial Layer Toolbox, for infrastructure and transportation related projects in the region.

One furhter step is taken on March 27 when Visual Arena Lindholmen will be inaugurated, as the latest addition to Lindholmen Science Park. The vision is to create a world-class visualization environment that offers academic, business and community actors a common platform for interaction and innovation using for example geodata, transportdata and environmental data.

- By showing new solutions and new ways to think, visualization makes it possible to test the future, says Monica Billger.

Beata Stahre’s doctorate thesis; Defining reality in virtual reality can be found on her Chalmers website.