Patterns (Nov 2020)
Wiz: A Web-Based Tool for Interactive Visualization of Big Data
Abstract
Summary: In an age of information, visualizing and discerning meaning from data is as important as its collection. Interactive data visualization addresses both fronts by allowing researchers to explore data beyond what static images can offer. Here, we present Wiz, a web-based application for handling and visualizing large amounts of data. Wiz does not require programming or downloadable software for its use and allows scientists and non-scientists to unravel the complexity of data by splitting their relationships through 5D visual analytics, performing multivariate data analysis, such as principal component and linear discriminant analyses, all in vivid, publication-ready figures. With the explosion of high-throughput practices for materials discovery, information streaming capabilities, and the emphasis on industrial digitalization and artificial intelligence, we expect Wiz to serve as an invaluable tool to have a broad impact in our world of big data. The Bigger Picture: As data become bigger and more complex, ready-to-use visualization techniques are crucial in discovering patterns in unstructured data. Most methods to visualize big data effectively require access to commercial software or expertise in a programming language. Here, we introduce Wiz, a freely accessible web app that anyone with a browser can use to interactively visualize their data in multi-dimensions. Wiz serves as a framework for interactive dashboards that can be utilized by researchers to make their publication data available or commercially for Industry 4.0 applications via serving real-time data from process equipment. Wiz will continue to grow in functionality to be a one-stop-shop for both interactive data visualization and data analysis in the coming years.
