Innovative Lifelog Visualization and Exploration in Virtual Reality: A Comparative Study

Abstract

Visual lifelogs, comprising images captured automatically throughout the day, present significant challenges for effective access and analysis due to their large volume and lack of context. This study evaluates three innovative visualization methods in virtual reality (VR) to address these issues. The first method enhances contextual understanding by displaying sequential images as an animated GIF. The second and third methods further enrich context by overlaying images onto a 2D map and a 3D map, respectively. Virtual reality offers an immersive and interactive environment for users to explore these visualizations. A comparative study highlights the strengths and weaknesses of each approach, with animated GIFs demonstrating greater efficiency, while 3D maps offer deeper engagement and immersion. Based on these findings, we propose a hybrid design that allows users to seamlessly switch between visualization modes depending on their specific tasks and needs.