On an approach to visualizing data of flying objects

The concept of temporal GIS utilizes a space-time cube based on a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system to represent spatio-temporal and moving objects. For a space-time cube, the elevation of object is not represented. This paper proposes an approach to visualizing data of flying objects. The proposed approach is a four-dimensional cube (4D cube) that is constituted by integrating a three-dimensional cube into a space-time cube so that they share the ground plane. In a 4D cube, a flying object is indicated by the ground coordinates, the elevation, and the present time point. The visualization of a flying object in a 4D cube enables user to cognize or monitor the movement of the object through its space trajectory, ground trajectory, and space-time path. The consideration of different flying objects visualized in a 4D cube based on space trajectories, ground trajectories, and space-time paths results in the information on the interaction between them. Following the movement of flying objects on the fly, user can estimate their possibility of collision. The 4D cube also assists user in making plan for a space trajectory of a new flying object in an area available several trajectories of different objects.