Animations of crime maps using virtual reality modeling language
The utility of crime maps for law enforcement purposes and criminological inquiries has been accepted unequivocally. Maps are commonly used to depict crime distributions and to analyze its spatial and longitudinal patterns. Nonetheless, crime maps have restricted applicability because of the difficu...
| VerfasserInnen: | ; |
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| Medienart: | Elektronisch Aufsatz |
| Sprache: | Englisch |
| Veröffentlicht: |
1999
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| In: |
Western criminology review
Jahr: 1999, Band: 1, Heft: 2 |
| Online-Zugang: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Verfügbarkeit prüfen: | HBZ Gateway |
| Schlagwörter: |
| Zusammenfassung: | The utility of crime maps for law enforcement purposes and criminological inquiries has been accepted unequivocally. Maps are commonly used to depict crime distributions and to analyze its spatial and longitudinal patterns. Nonetheless, crime maps have restricted applicability because of the difficulty in presenting more than a limited amount of data on a static, two-dimensional map. However, current developments in computer graphics provide new techniques that address these shortcomings. This paper introduces the Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) to criminal justice practitioners. VRML can animate and investigate complex crime maps. It is a technique that allows the user to conveniently examine a map by walking around or flying through it, as if it were a small object held at arm's length. This process significantly enhances understanding a map by offering a feeling of reality beyond a picture on the computer screen. The paper demonstrates the usefulness of VRML by presenting the animation of different types of crime maps. This technique permits the user to navigate through these maps by translating, rotating, zooming, and tilting them to gain a better understanding of the data. Although a VRML browser or plugin such as CosmoPlayer is needed to view VRML scenes, the reader does not need the CosmoPlayer plugin to examine them. This paper is motivated by our belief that new techniques and technology need to be applied to criminal justice data for the discipline to move forward. We also suggest applications for criminal justice practitioners. |
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