Data Retrieval Through Virtual Experimentation

In this paper we describe a new interface to scientific databases, the SANDBOX: Scientists Accessing Necessary Data Based On eXperimentation. The SANDBOX is a virtual reality tool allowing an investigator to visualize the contents of a scientific database while retrieving data. As the data in these databases was typically collected through experimentation, an investigator can use the SANDBOX to retrieve data from the database by placing virtual instruments into a virtual reenactment of the original experiment. These instruments give visual and auditory feedback, allowing the user to browse through the data, setting up and running experiments until they have collected the data they need. We have implemented a prototype of the SANDBOX on NASA's FIFE scientific database using the CAVE virtual reality theatre.