Air Transport

VIDEO: Real-time aviation data shown in virtual world Second Life

By Barbara Cockburn

Virtual worlds agency Daden Ltd and aircraft tracking specialists fboweb.com have devised an innovative visualisation technology that allows you to walk around airspace and touch aircraft to display real-time aviation data.

This video demonstrates that you can see aircraft as small models in virtual world Second Life technology, flying around Los Angeles airspace.

Each aircraft shows its flight number, location and altitude in real-time as it mirrors the actual aircraft. However, the data is subjected to a five minute time delay for FAA security purposes. 

David Burden, managing director of Daden Ltd, said: “This is an example of the power of Second Life, and virtual worlds in general, in providing a shared visualisation system....offering possibilities for both the consumer and for business operations and scientific research. Being able to walk around data, and view it with others, can bring out insight and analysis that would be impossible in 2D systems, or PC-based 3D systems."