Here at CI we are looking at different ways of extracting meaning from data by using visualization tools. Working with our client Autodesk, we are also looking into innovative uses of geospatial software.

I read an article in The Economist about a data visualization that has been developed at MIT that is very thought provoking. It's called the Real Time Rome Project. Researchers at MIT collect anonymous data from mobile phone carriers in Rome. Then they overlay this information (how many mobile phones are being used and where) with 3D mapping of the city. They can then monitor the real time flow of people around Rome.

Such dynamic data visualization mashups could be used for all sorts of other applications. It could be used, for example, to monitor traffic. This could help not only with designing transportation routes, but it could also be merged with onboard navigation systems to plot the users fastest route to his or her destination. It could be used for city planning and appraising commercial property. For example, by determining how many pass a given store front, advertisers can determine how many eyeballs were exposed to specific buildings and billboards. It could also be used for monitoring leisure time preferences. The possibilities for putting an existing technology to a new use are endless.