The SANDBOX: a virtual reality interface to scientific databases

Much of the data that is stored in scientific databases is collected through experimentation. We propose a new interface to scientific databases: the SANDBOX: Scientists Accessing Necessary Data Based On eXperimentation. The SANDBOX is a virtual reality tool which allows an investigator to recreate the original experiment. The investigator places virtual instruments into a virtual reenactment of the original experiment and collects data from the scientific database in much the same way that the original data was collected. These instruments give visual and auditory feedback, allowing the user to browse through data of any type. We have implemented a prototype of the SANDBOX on NASA´s FIFE scientific database using the CAVE virtual reality theatre