Discovery without Marketing: Lotus Petal Architecture and Parametric Geometry

In the digital age we have lost something: the experience of browsing in a vast record shop or bookstore, discovering intriguing choices next to familiar ones. We are inundated by information, but most remains unseen. Lotus Petal Architecture reveals this invisible information.

Lotus Petal Architecture (LPA) is an interactive 3D data visualization toolset accessible from any web browser or mobile device. Built with three.js and extensible with node.js, it can dynamically represent thousands of links on-screen at any time. Visual hints and cues give context. The schema is fractal, so there is no limit to the total amount of data that can be referenced. The result is a richer, broader experience of the data ecosystem.

LPA combines parametric geometry with hyperlinks to render thousands of clickable Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs) visible on a single phone, tablet, or computer screen at the same time, with visual cues providing metadata, context, and navigational hints. The result is an interactive, 3D data map, accessible from any browser or mobile device. They require no external software and are compatible with most REST and JSON API’s.

Any type of filter may be applied but the Lotus Chart structure is well suited for machine learning flags and identifying growth trends across a data ecosystem. Applications include securities trading, scientific literacy, epidemiology, real estate, e-commerce, entertainment, market research, online dating, human resources, security, and fraud detection: in short, any occupation or pastime where humans are asked to scan through and make decisions at-a-glance on hundreds or thousands of extremely similar data points each day.

The clickable URIs are referred to as geometric links. Geometric links typically take the form of lines, curves, or geometric shapes. The Information Discovery Module is a system capable of generating a large number of geometric links in 3D space. The module arranges these links to resemble shapes and patterns found in nature, abstract design, and human-made objects, scenes, symbols, and environments. The Information Discovery Module uses specific protocols to interact with representations of an information or content resource over a network, typically the World Wide Web. Use of the Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) convention permits interaction across networks and transforms the Information Discovery Module from a static display into a dynamic navigation system.

A geometric link format confers several advantages:

-Text links are an inefficient use of screen “real estate.” Most search engines and database queries only display between 5 and 50 results at one time. Several thousand unique links can be displayed on-screen at one time when generated and rendered through parametric geometry.

- Geometric links rather than text-based links require no language translation.

- Geometric links can resize easily to fit various aspect ratios and mobile device screens.

- Geometric links can display additional qualities and attributes of the data referenced through visual cues, making it possible to quickly and intuitively make at-a-glance assessments.

At any one time, only a subset of geometric links will be visible, highlighted, and/or clickable. However the user interface of the Information Discovery Module allows the user to easily toggle the selection of active geometric links and preview link content before navigating to a new destination. The user interface may be a graphical user interface containing predefined searches and filters, or it may include a search tool or query builder. Any given query may result in a different number and position of geometric links being activated on the screen. These links can then be previewed via mouseover or automatic scrolling to deliver more detailed information about the link destination.

Examples:

Lotus Petal Architecture can be viewed in action with two live implementations:

- Technical analysis of altcoin prices at http://dev.lotus.fm/B_U_/examples/index.html (L-DOH)

- Top 400 music videos from Portland, Oregon at https://lotus.fm (Lotus.fm)

Background:

Definition of Parametric Geometry:

Generation of geometry representing a parametric surface. (Source: https://threejs.org/docs/#api/en/geometries/ParametricGeometry) Parametric geometry is a subfield of computer graphics in which complex geometric shapes and scenes are generated solely using mathematical equations and parametric inputs. Geometry may be 2D or 3D. Tools used include three.js (JavaScript library for client-side 3D modeling), Grasshopper, and CAD. Lotus Petal Architecture encompasses implementations of parametric geometry, parametric design, procedural modeling, and generative modeling that result in algorithmically generated geometric links. Node.js integration enables real-time, asynchronous update of interactive data maps with no screen refresh required.

Applications:

The Information Discovery Module may be compared to a front-end for big data. The module allows systems performing complex data analysis and machine learning operations to output a far wider range of results in a format that will be intelligible and relevant for humans. The structure helps users discover the most relevant information, and then takes them where they want to go. The Information Discovery Module is well suited to exploring online content properties, such as music, movies, books, and social media. Because geometric links can be shown more compactly than text links, the Information Discovery Module enables the user to browse through and become aware of a far greater range of content. The technology expands user choice and provides exposure to niche and emerging artists as well as blockbusters and celebrities. Visual cues and filters allow at-a-glance sorting through a more sophisticated selection criteria than simply “likes” and “number of plays.” They enable users to see what is trending in a given geographic area, amongst critics and experts, other artists, and their friends.

Use Cases:

Lotus Petal Architecture takes its name from an Information Discovery Module in the shape of a three-dimensional lotus flower. In this implementation, geometric links are rendered using parametric geometry as three-dimensional curves (“chart lines”) arranged to resemble veins on the surface of a lotus petal. The height and placement of each chart line conveys information about its relative popularity according to a system-defined scoring system that may include such factors as social media follows and “likes,” total number of plays, and other criteria. Color is used to identify active links. Placement of a geometric link on one of the outermost petals indicates lower relative popularity than links situated in the middle and inner petals. A highlighted link may indicate a content property with a strong growth trend. In this invention, machine learning may be combined with parametric geometry to flag and identify geometric links or provide metadata and context for geometric links and other elements of the Information Discovery Module system. For instance, machine learning (artificial intelligence) may be used to flag a hyperlink or hyperlinks pointing to content properties identified as a potential risk for click fraud and/or fake likes and followers.