Virtual Reality (VR) technology is being used to provide a superior environment for gathering expert knowledge.

Expert Elicitation using Virtual Reality

Present day approaches for obtaining expert knowledge from environmental experts involves holding interviews, supported by 2D images and other related information, to help the interviewer obtain detailed insights from the expert in question.

We improve on this approach by placing the expert into a VR headset, to more fully experience the details of the reef to be explored.  Research is showing that such immersive environments assist experts in remembering key details, helping them to provide higher quality information.   This information is then used to generate an improved reef health model

Citizen Science Platform

Experts are not the only people to participate.  A map-based web platform enables lay people to upload personal reef images into the modelling database.  Selected images are processed and used to estimate coral cover using advanced mathematical modelling.  Citizens can then view their uploaded images online, along with those submitted by others, observing how their data contributes to the overall reef health modelling effort.