Time-Varying Data Visualization Using Information Flocking Boids

This research demonstrates how principles of self-organization and behavior simulation can be used to represent dynamic data evolutions by extending the concept of information flocking, originally introduced by Proctor & Winter (1998), to time-varying datasets. A rule-based behavior system continuously controls and updates the dynamic actions of individual, three-dimensional elements that represent the changing data values of reoccurring data objects. As a result, different distinguishable motion types emerge that are driven by local interactions between the spatial elements as well as the evolution of time-varying data values. Notably, this representation technique focuses on the representation of dynamic data alteration characteristics, or how reoccurring data objects change over time, instead of depicting the exact data values themselves. In addition, it demonstrates the potential of motion as a useful information visualization cue. The original information flocking approach is extended to incorporate time-varying datasets, live database querying, continuous data streaming, real-time data similarity evaluation, automatic shape generation and more stable flocking algorithms. Different experiments prove that information flocking is capable of representing short-term events as well as long-term temporal data evolutions of both individual and groups of time-dependent data objects. An historical stock market quote price dataset is used to demonstrate the algorithms and principles of time-varying information flocking