Outreach of ERI's Research Results Using Interactive Rich Contents Display System

We have developed an interactive display system operated by a touch panel as one of the best ways to reach out the visitors by showing the outcomes of the Earthquake Research Institute (ERI). In this paper, we report some of the contents and the benefits of the interactive display. Research results are summarized as movies or high resolution graphics which we call rich-contents”. We provide and inch touch panels connected to PCs which run Vizlmpress enVision software developed by SGI, Japan. The rich-contents consist of three parts : ) Introduction of Earthquakes and Volcanoes, ) Outline of ERI, and ) Research Highlights. Part provides an animation of asperity, historical earthquake prints (Namazu-e) and disaster pictures, photos from “The Great Earthquake in Japan ” taken by J. Milne and W.K. Burton, and a high resolution map of the world seismicity. Part includes a general description and history of ERI, photos of researchers, and ERI booklets such as brochures, annual reports or newsletters. Part presents videos of observation sceneries from the top of the active volcanoes or from the cruise for settling ocean bottom seismometers. Computer simulations of strong ground motions, Tsunamis, mantle convection, and seismic shaking of buildings are also included. One of the most enjoyable contents is the -dimensional seismicity map around Japan, from which you can rotate Japan and get to know how the oceanic plates subduct beneath Japan. This system was demonstrated at the exhibition booths of the Japan Geoscience Union meetings in and , and Cities on Volcanoes conference in , and got the attention of visitors including high school students. The key factors of this captivation, in addition to the attractive and dynamic research results themselves, may be brought from ) the quick response of the touch panel as well as the smooth zoom-in and zoom-out, and ) a close distance between the audience and the presenter so that the presenter can be viewed as a part of the screen. Hiromichi TSUJI* , Satoko OKI*, Kiyoshi TAKANO** ***, Hiroshi TSURUOKA*** and Shigeki NAKAGAWA*** Progress in Outreach of ERI’s Research Results Using Interactive Rich