An Online Semantically Rich 3D Information System for Collaborative Exploration of Planetary Surfaces

Abstract. Interpreting complex planetary surfaces is vital for successful exploration. Spatial and semantic information are central to perception and presenting them effectively supports better decision-making. This paper presents an online semantically rich 3D information system that offers an immersive, high-fidelity simulation environment, accurately reproducing lighting and terrain conditions to support multi-disciplinary investigation of planetary surfaces. Built for both desktop and Virtual Reality (VR) environments, it allows researchers to transition from conventional isolated analysis to fully immersive collaborative exploration, where semantic perception and cognitive engagement are significantly enhanced. In the VR mode, researchers can experience spatial and semantic information simultaneously, improving the comprehension of topographic relationships and semantic classifications (Lv et al., 2017). The framework embodies the principles of Human–Data Interaction (HDI) (Sedig and Parsons, 2022), positioning users as active participants in the analytical process rather than passive observers. The collaborative exploration includes two major aspects: (1) user–system interactions, which establish coherent logic and facilitate the structured interpretation of spatial data and semantic information; and (2) user–user interactions, which support real-time communication through extension tools such as pointers or markers within the spatial and semantic domains, fostering deeper understanding among researchers across multiple disciplines (Seo and Gibbons, 2021). Using candidate landing sites at the lunar south pole as case studies, we evaluate the performance of the proposed online semantically rich 3D information system. Preliminary results indicate that the system enables users to interpret complex surface data more efficiently and intuitively than conventional observation methods.