These instruments give visual and auditory feedback, allowing the user to browse through the data, setting up and running experiments until they have collected the data they need. The SANDBOX allows users to become immersed in the DB. SANDBOX gives the investigator an environment to work in, rather than just a screen to look at.
A prototype of the SANDBOX on a subset of NASA’s FIFE scientific database using the CAVE virtual reality theatre to access climatology theatre has already been implemented. The CAVE is a projection based virtual reality system.