Pervasive Visualization in Augmented Reality for Software Monitoring

Context

Monitoring the behavior of a software system can be challenging for engineers. Analyzing the data coming from logs to look for anomalies can be tedious and error-prone. A software visualization can provide engineers great support to monitor the system's behavior by enabling them to identify visual patterns that might lead to actual anomalies in the system. However, the main challenge for engineers who are monitoring a running system is to maintain the focus in the tool to not miss data while performing other tasks.

We argue that visualizations for monitoring that are rendered in the standard computer screen exhibit low user engagement, which obstructs the ability of engineers to detect anomalies. Instead, we propose that a pervasive visualization in augmented reality can boost the ability of engineers to monitor system's behavior while performing other tasks.

Approach

In this project we will implement lightweight software visualizations using an augmented reality device such as the Microsoft HoloLens. Then, we will conduct an experiment to evaluate the user performance and user experience to compare our implementation to similar visualizations rendered in the computer screen.

Contact

Leonel Merino