Evaluating an Extended Reality Prototype for Multi-Modal Geophysical Data Visualisation Through Expert Stakeholder Interviews

The interconnectedness and complexity of subsurface structures present challenges for their identification and visualisation. To address this, geophysicists routinely integrate multiple non-destructive sensing techniques to map underground utilities. These resulting sensor outputs are predominantly two-dimensional (2D) products, typically visualised as maps and sections, using 2D Geographic Information System (GIS) software [1], or more recently, as three-dimensional (3D) objects that encode depth information. However, despite the use of 3D representations, these visualisations are still commonly viewed via 2D projection media, such as monitors or mobile screens. Since these visualisations directly inform professional interpretation, it is essential to understand how stakeholders, those responsible for analysing, validating, and acting on geophysical data, engage with these platforms in practice.

Advances in three-dimensional visualisation technologies, such as Extended Reality (XR), offer new opportunities to overcome these limitations. XR environments enable the integration of heterogeneous geophysical datasets within a single, interactive spatial framework, potentially enhancing spatial comprehension and interpretative accuracy. Recent studies have consequently begun exploring XR applications for subsurface and geophysical data visualisation [2]. A recent study [3] visualised drone-based Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and magnetometric data in a Virtual Reality (VR) prototype, identifying frame-rate instability and high GPU utilisation as key technical limitations.

However, technical performance alone does not determine the success of a visualisation tool; stakeholder perspectives are critical to ensuring XR outputs align with the analytical requirements and decision-making practices of geophysical professionals. Building on prior work, the present study extends this prototype for preliminary user testing with six expert geophysical stakeholders. These participants were selected based on their extensive professional experience, ensuring the evaluation reflects real-world interpretative conditions rather than abstract usability testing. Feedback collected through semi-structured interviews was analysed thematically, yielding four key insights: (1) the necessity of adjustable colour maps to enhance data intensity interpretation; (2) the requirement for interactive selection of colour values to reveal metadata; (3) the importance of stakeholder-centred visualisation design; and (4) the implementation of a data catalogue to allow selective dataset visualisation.

Future work will focus on refining the prototype based on these expert recommendations. This iterative process will involve a second round of evaluation to validate the updates, followed by pilot testing with broader stakeholder groups to evaluate the tool's effectiveness in real-world settings.

 

Keywords: Extended Reality; Multi-sensor Datasets; Human-in-the-loop; Data Visualisation

 

Acknowledgements: This research was funded by the Vice-Chancellor’s PhD Scholarship at the University of West London.

 

References

[1] QGIS.org, "QGIS Geographic Information System," Http://Www.Qgis.Org, vol. 2026, 2026.

[2] M. Janeras, J. Roca, J.A. Gili, O. Pedraza, G. Magnusson, M.A. Núñez-Andrés and K. Franklin, "Using Mixed Reality for the Visualization and Dissemination of Complex 3D Models in Geosciences—Application to the Montserrat Massif (Spain)," Geosciences, vol. 12, -10-07. 2022.

[3] E.D. Atsakpo, F. Mercogliano, S. Uzor, P. Saadati, A. Barone, F. Accomando, R. Castaldo, I. Catapano, P. Tizzani and F. Tosti, "Visualising Multi-Modal Geophysical Data in Extended Reality," 2025 6th International Conference on Computer Vision and Data Mining (ICCVDM), pp. 195, -09-12. 2025.