Presenting a Large Urban Area in a Virtual Maquette: An Integrated 3D Model with a 'Tangible User Interface'

Providing information and combining information to make a decision on the most suitable location for locating a new building or office is not a new concept. However the approach which was used in the Holland Promotion Circle (HPC) is entirely new. Instead of paper maps and analogue 3D models, a tangible interface, augmented reality and a 3D virtual environment was used to provide information for foreign investors that are considering locating their business in the Randstad area of the Netherlands. To make a selection of suitable data on the database, profile recognition through RFID was used. The Pilot period of the completion of the HPC opened the possibilities to find out the advantages of using a TUI and to experiment with the use of an enormous dataset. How to cope with the fast amounts of data and how to present the appropriate data to the visitors of the HPC.