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The Liquid Galaxy is an open source project founded by Google. Created in 2008 by Google employee Jason Holt, the Liquid Galaxy started out as a panoramic multi-display Google Earth viewer, but has evolved to become a general data visualization tool for operations, marketing, and research. It brings rich satellite imagery, oceanic data, and points of interest from all over the globe.
Contents
The Liquid Galaxy gives the ability to fly around Google Earth, view panoramic video and photos, develop interactive tours, and graphically display GIS data in an immersive, panoramic environment.
Liquid Galaxies are regularly used by Google to showcase Google's geospatial technologies and to promote its image at trade shows and exhibits. Other nonprofit and commercial enterprises are using Liquid Galaxies inside company offices and at trade shows to attract attention with their own featured content.
Technology
Liquid Galaxy combines high-definition displays, multiple computers and the 3Dconnexion Space Navigator control to create an immersive global navigation experience. The view of the user, which spans across all the screens, curves around to fill the user's peripheral vision with the globe, countries, streets—essentially whatever the user is looking at. The multi-axis Space Navigator (also known as a 3D mouse) allows the user to turn, push and pull the button as if it were a helicopter joystick control. The user can upload photos, videos, web pages, YouTube videos, and more as graphic overlays so that dynamic exhibits and stories can be created.
Liquid Galaxy installations
This list includes some of the many Liquid Galaxies that have been installed around the world:
Development partners
For most of the life of the Liquid Galaxy project, Liquid Galaxy construction and support has been outsourced to End Point Corporation. Other companies like Tietronix and GLGteam have also produced Liquid Galaxy systems.