Uncertainty-Aware Visual Analysis of Force Networks in 2D Granular Materials.
Marina Evers, Abrar Naseer, Tejas G. Murthy, Vijay Natarajan, Talha Bin Masood, Daniel Weiskopf, and Ingrid Hotz.Computer Graphics Forum (EuroVis 2026), 45(3), 2026, e70438. [Eurographics Digital Library Link]
Abstract
Uncertainty in experimental measurements makes it challenging to determine which features are intrinsic to the phenomenon and which are most stable and reliable. Granular materials, such as sand, form a complex system in which the forces between individual particles influence the material’s macroscopic behavior. However, these forces are also subject to uncertainty, as repeated measurements can yield different results. In this paper, we investigate how to model and visually analyze the uncertain structure of forces in granular materials. We adopt different perspectives on uncertainty by considering it as variance, probability, or additional variable. For a nuanced analysis of granular material data, we propose combining visualizations that represent these perspectives into a single visual analytics approach. We integrate uncertainty-aware spatial visualizations that convey the probability of features, visualizations of derived measures and their variance over changes in the packing fraction, and overviews of varying probability thresholds. Finally, we evaluate our proposed approach in a case study conducted together with geotechnical engineers for the example of a 2D ensemble of photoelastic disks.[PDF]