Project Proposed: This project, developing a Scalable Omni-Presence Environment (ScOPE), a next generation visualization system for collaborative exploration of large volumes of data, provides an environment for analyzing, processing, and visualizing Big Data resulting from many different areas of science and engineering. The instrument serves as an integrative, virtual metaphor for a combined microscope and telescope, enabling users to explore data from the nano to macro to mega scale. ScOPE provides researchers the ability to study simulated and acquired data at a level of precision previously unmatched. It is expected to become the platform for training a new generation of users to be fluent in data analytics in collaborative environments. Initially, three universities will have direct access to the ScOPE instrument and all its features: U. California-San Diego (UCSD), Jackson State U. (JSU), and U of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB). Nonetheless, following the tradition of the project team (effectively done with earlier generations of visualization technologies (e.g., OptIPortal tile display walls now installed at more than 100 institutions worldwide), the critical components of the infrastructure will be broken such that they may be replicated for use at remote locations by other research or educational institutions. The developers anticipate that private-sector collaborators, such as Qualcomm and Intel, will help popularize use of specific components for the nation?s big-data analytics infrastructure. Notwithstanding, the broadest impact of the instrument should be evident in the discoveries and advances made by engineers and scientist that use ScOPE to enhance collaboration and analysis in the disciplines that have been singled out as ?Domain Drivers? for the project. These include projects led by researchers in ocean sciences (and ocean observatories); cyber-archaeology and cultural heritage diagnostics; real-time brain imaging; digital cinema and very-high quality digital media; integrative computational biology; underwater microscopy; molecular dynamics; structural biology and computational chemistry; and large-scale numerical simulation. In turn, these domain specialists will work alongside computer scientists who will address grand challenges in system architecture, data transport, security, representation, arching, processing multi-modal analytics, and human-computer interaction. ScOPE?s long-distance collaboration will be supported by telepresence at bandwidths ranging up to 40 Gigabits per second. Thus, the project creates a highly interactive collaboration space equipped with a natural human-computer interface and advanced 3D modeling and rendering at a sufficient scale to tackle complex experiments and analyze large amount of visual and numerical data pertaining to phenomena of wide dimensions and extreme time scales. Domain drivers have been identified to ensure that the resulting environment and tools are applicable to a broad array of scientific disciplines. These include earth system sciences, civil and structural engineering, mechanical and aerospace engineering, biomedical and electrical (and ocean observatories engineering, social sciences, and anthropology. This project takes a great leap forward into a new generation of collaborative environment that until recently was unthinkable. The display capabilities will no longer be passive; envisioned is a continuous spatial workspace imaging, including eye, skin response, and even mobile electroencephalography sensing, allowing ScOPE to respond to and infer user intent. The environment will be designed specifically to handle ?big data,? using a failure-tolerant and cloud-centric approach while also downsizing the supercomputer flash memory architecture. ?Big Data.? The instrument will enable scientific discoveries as well as research on how best to process, analyze, and visualize Scope will serve as a prototype for other similar instruments. The research enabled by ScOPE will have impacts in many areas of science. Broader Impacts: As previously mentioned, the ScOPE instrument provides researchers the ability to study simulated and acquired data at a level of precision previously unmatched. ScOPE is expected to become the platform for training a new generation of users to be fluent in data analytics in collaborative environments. The developers anticipate that private-sector collaborators, such as Qualcomm and Intel, will help popularize the use of specific components for the nation?s big-data analytics infrastructure. Notwithstanding, the broadest impact of the instrument should be evident in the discoveries and advances made by engineers and scientist that use ScOPE to enhance collaboration and analysis in the disciplines that have been singled out as ?Domain Drivers? for the project. These include projects led by researchers in ocean sciences (and ocean observatories); cyber-archaeology and cultural heritage diagnostics; real-time brain imaging; digital cinema and very-high quality digital media; integrative computational biology; underwater microscopy; molecular dynamics; structural biology and computational chemistry; and large-scale numerical simulation. In turn, these domain specialists will work alongside computer scientists who will address grand challenges in system architecture, data transport, security, representation, arching, processing multi-modal analytics, and human-computer interaction. The instrument will have direct impact on three universities, while the technology developed in building the instrument will inform the construction of similar instruments around the nation. To promote greater public appreciation of scientific research, the public will be invited to tour the visualization facilities, hopefully encouraging young people to enter career in science and engineering. The area of ScOPE accessible to the public will have significant impact on the public?s impression of academic research. ScOPE?s capabilities are likely to transform our ability to collaborate with distributed research teams and be directly applied to day-to-day research.
