An interactive globe device may include a base, a spherical globe rotatable around an axle mounted to the base, and a stylus for selecting locations on the spherical globe. The base may include an integrated display, and control buttons for switching the operating mode of the interactive globe device. The spherical globe may have dot patterns printed on its surface, and the stylus may include an optical sensor configured to detect the dot patterns on the spherical globe as locations being selected by the user. The interactive globe device may also include a processor to dynamically adjust mapping of the dot patterns into different regions based on the operating mode of the interactive globe device, determine which of the regions for the operating mode corresponds to a dot pattern detected by the stylus, and render interactive content on the integrated display based on the determined region.

An interactive globe device may include a base, a spherical globe rotatable around an axle mounted to the base, and a stylus for selecting locations on the spherical globe. The base may include an integrated display, and control buttons for switching the operating mode of the interactive globe device. The spherical globe may have dot patterns printed on its surface, and the stylus may include an optical sensor configured to detect the dot patterns on the spherical globe as locations being selected by the user. The interactive globe device may also include a processor to dynamically adjust mapping of the dot patterns into different regions based on the operating mode of the interactive globe device, determine which of the regions for the operating mode corresponds to a dot pattern detected by the stylus, and render interactive content on the integrated display based on the determined region.

A smart globe includes: a sphere having a hollow interior; a projection module configured to form a projection image on an inner surface of the sphere; and a processor electrically coupled to the projection module and configured to control the projection module based on received location information, to have the projection module display geographic information corresponding to the location information. User interact with the globe can be realized through physical operations of the smart globe.

A smart globe includes: a sphere having a hollow interior; a projection module configured to form a projection image on an inner surface of the sphere; and a processor electrically coupled to the projection module and configured to control the projection module based on received location information, to have the projection module display geographic information corresponding to the location information. User interact with the globe can be realized through physical operations of the smart globe.

Cell-based augmented reality (AR) content positioning systems may include a reference grid of cells, each of which includes a 32-bit intracellular coordinate system based on a respective reference point of the cell. Cell topology is selected such that the intracellular coordinate systems may utilize single-precision floating point numbers while retaining the ability to define content positions with, e.g., millimeter-level precision. Accordingly, rendering of AR content may be performed at a high precision using 32-bit devices and methods.

An apparatus comprised of flexible gores that are serially connected to each other at their lateral adjoining edges. These gores have a hole in their polar region and a drawstring runs through the gores' holes such that, when the drawstring is pulled, the drawstring pulls the gores' polar regions together and a radial three dimensional shape forms.

An apparatus comprised of flexible gores that are serially connected to each other at their lateral adjoining edges. These gores have a hole in their polar region and a drawstring runs through the gores' holes such that, when the drawstring is pulled, the drawstring pulls the gores' polar regions together and a radial three dimensional shape forms.

A globe can include a plurality of pieces structured to inter-attach to form a surface of the globe, and an attachment system. Each piece can be substantially rigid, and can have an outer major surface shaped to form a portion of the surface of the globe. The plurality of pieces can include a first quantity of substantially identically-shaped polygonal pieces. The attachment system can be configured to attach at least some adjacent edges of the pieces, and can attach at least one edge of each of the pieces to an adjacent edge of another of the pieces. The attachment system can be configured such that the globe has sufficient structural integrity to substantially maintain a globular shape under its own weight. Each of a majority of the pieces can include a printed image on its outer major surface that is different than any printed image of any other piece.

A globe can include a plurality of pieces structured to inter-attach to form a surface of the globe, and an attachment system. Each piece can be substantially rigid, and can have an outer major surface shaped to form a portion of the surface of the globe. The plurality of pieces can include a first quantity of substantially identically-shaped polygonal pieces. The attachment system can be configured to attach at least some adjacent edges of the pieces, and can attach at least one edge of each of the pieces to an adjacent edge of another of the pieces. The attachment system can be configured such that the globe has sufficient structural integrity to substantially maintain a globular shape under its own weight. Each of a majority of the pieces can include a printed image on its outer major surface that is different than any printed image of any other piece.

Resource visualization, evaluation, and selection is often a difficult, complex, technically challenging endeavor. This is particularly true when there the resource set is extensive, the resources have widely varying attributes and capabilities, and the resources are also widely disbursed geographically. A multi-dimensional resource evaluation and visualization system implements technical solutions to these technical challenges.