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3D MAP DESIGN

As Designer Director for Austrian startup blackshark.ai I rebranded the company to align our presence with the company's unique patented AI-technology approach to producing a semantic digital twin of the entire planet, based on satellite imagery and other geospatial data, using its end-to-end ML/AI-driven geospatial platform, Now focusing on improving UI/UX of the company's various tools, and evolving our design organization to meet the enterprise-level needs of our current and future customers.

 

As Principal Designer  and Sr. Design Manager for HERE Technologies' next-generation high-definition 3D maps, initially I designed of the UI for the company's internal 3D map data editing tool. Designed visual concepts for 3D map product features, developing interactive UX prototypes -- to explore, engage, inform, and inspire -- while building and directing a production team of 40 to build initial 3D map product samples and define efficient workflows and processes for scaled production in India. 

All of these 3D map initiatives feel like a synthesis of all the other 3D work in my career - CGI, games, rendering - only now helping build the whole world in 3D. Fun to merge it all together, getting ready for a time when maps are no longer just navigation aids, evolving into a dynamic 3D canvas we'll paint with the information, activities and location data of our lives.

All images below have been publicly displayed and are copyright and property of blackshark.ai and HERE Technologies

HERE - 3D Map Concept and Prototype project compilation
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blackshark.ai 3D digital twin

blackshark.ai 3D digital twin

Semantic 3D digital twin of entire planet, based on patented AI-driven end-to-end geospatial platform. blackshark.ai is the Austrian startup that provided the entire 3D earth in Microsoft's most recent Flight Simulator.

Luxia: HMI Design Tool

Luxia: HMI Design Tool

Aspirational proof-of-concept prototype application demonstrating game-changing design-user workflow and productivity enhancements possible from combining the power of Unity 3D Engine and HERE 3D location data. Project was collaboration between HERE and Unity.

San Francisco Digital Twin

San Francisco Digital Twin

Custom high-detail 3D Digital Twin of San Francisco waterfront area Being used in autonomous vehicle simulators.

IoT Scenario Showcase

IoT Scenario Showcase

Custom digital twin and showcase application for smart city technology center, featuring 3D visualizations of autonomous vehicle and IoT device test data with touchscreen presentation UI

3D Network Visualizations

3D Network Visualizations

3D Map UX prototype

3D Map UX prototype

Touchscreen 3D map prototype exploring various UX and visualization concepts like focused styles, de-cluttering, napkin and schematic maps, dynamic transitions, and more

CAMINO: HD Map Visualizer

CAMINO: HD Map Visualizer

Directed the development of an interactive prototype to visually demonstrate the features of the new HERE HD Map -- a high-definition lane-level hidden "dark" map for autonomous vehicle navigation. This prototype was shown at HERE's booth at CES in 2016 and 2107. Audi thanked us for "making the invisible visible."

HERE 3D Map sample

HERE 3D Map sample

The last several years I've been working on both the design and tools to produce HERE's new 3D Map content, enabling compelling new use-cases for automotive, mobile, IoT, and other location-based applications and industries.

Chicago at Magic Hour

Chicago at Magic Hour

3D map with custom 'magic hour' style

HD map test track

HD map test track

Custom private mapping of test track and live testing of obstacle avoidance application and visualization, in collaboration with major telco and HERE engineering

3D Map skyline

3D Map skyline

Part of my work at HERE has been to infuse Entertainment Design concepts into the more traditional approach to cartography. Cameras, lighting, textures, animation, and other 3D topics are new to mapping, and the 3D map offers an exciting new canvas for compelling and innovative location-based visual infotainment solutions.

Reduced Map

Reduced Map

Concept for the visual appeal and increased comprehension possible from dynamically reducing map detail for certain use cases.

3D roadways

3D roadways

Early concept for spatial comprehension advantages of a 3D road model

3D Map: Munich

3D Map: Munich

Sample of 3D map of Munich

3D Map customization

3D Map customization

The same map data, different styles. Worked closely with rendering team to define features and parameters that enable extensive map customization.

Heat map prototype

Heat map prototype

Layering on 3rd party data and displaying on the indexed 3D map objects opens up new insights from the added 3rd dimension.

HERE EarthScape UI

HERE EarthScape UI

Designed the UI for HERE’s internal 3D map editing application. A flexible framework, with multiple work flows, display and edit many layers of geo-spatially aligned data. From concept through multiple released versions, the tool in is use at scale in HERE's global production centers.

3D Map: San Francisco

3D Map: San Francisco

Took several years to create tools and backend capable of producing, publishing, and delivering indexed lane-level 3D map at scale.

3D Map with lane-level road model

3D Map with lane-level road model

HD Map: lane-level accuracy

HD Map: lane-level accuracy

Combining a 2D link-and-node map with scanned LiDAR (and other) data, with both automatic and manual processing, produces a high-definition lane-level 3D map suitable for autonomous vehicle localization and control.

Lidar and HD Map data alignment

Lidar and HD Map data alignment

Concept: Lane level navigation

Concept: Lane level navigation

Abstraction to essentials

Abstraction to essentials

Detail reduction to essentials for compact indexed representation of reality.

The value of indexed map objects

The value of indexed map objects

With indexing, everything has a place and everything is in its place, enabling a variety of novel custom visualization opportunities.

3D interior maps

3D interior maps

interactive indoor map browsing prototype

Concept: 3D map navigation use-case

Concept: 3D map navigation use-case

Navigation at close range on a 3D map presents new challenges and opprtunities for at-a-glance comprehension

Graphic textured 3D landmarks

Graphic textured 3D landmarks

HERE's 3D landmark portfolio was redesigned by my team for a new clean appearance that plays well with the custom styling capabilities of the rest of the map.

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