From: iaf@uk.ac.cam.cl.ely (Innes Ferguson)
Subject: Re: VR and databases
Date: Mon, 3 Jun 91 13:09:04 GMT



In <1991May30.174424.19301@milton.u.washington.edu> M22367@mwvm.mitre.org
writes:

>IMHO, the representation of data as three dimensional VR objects is extremely
>desirable.  A database management system is, after all, an artifact introduced
>by the tools we are using (computers).  Once we can manipulate the
'objects' we are interested in (people, companies, data streams) using 'tools'
>that are not available to us in the 'real' world we will have achieved a 
>great deal.

You seem to be confusing representation of data (or knowledge, more
generally) with methods for visualizing it. Simply representing
data as 3-D objects doesn't even begin to address what is arguably the most
important issue in AI: knowledge representation.  Data/knowledge
items, 3-D or otherwise, still have to have a meaning, still have to be
associated with other knowledge items, still have be to inferenced
upon, etc. And these issues are completely tool-independent.

So, the same old questions that keep AI people busy are also going to
keep the visual database people busy. If anything, VR techniques will
generate more questions than answers since the techniques will create
so many new opportunities.

>Imagine examining a company's budget by watching the money actually
>flow in the door and to the various departments.  Using 'the hand of god', 
>you implement....

[rest deleted]

Your example is interesting, but it is just an example. As soon as
you start addressing common features among such examples, you'll be
faced with questions that have little to do with whether the 
data items are presented to the user as 3-D objects.

Regards... Innes

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Innes A. Ferguson          Computer Laboratory, University of Cambridge,
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