Collaborative Visualization Environments

Edward J. WegmanCenter for Computational

StatisticsGeorge Mason University

Collaborative Visualization Environments Immersive Environments CAVE and PlatoCAVE

Design Issues MiniCAVE

Further Design Considerations

Immersive Environments

Immersive Environments Immersive Multisensory

Vision – 3-D Stereo Sound Sometimes tactile

Visually Large Not a computer screen Not VRML

Immersive Environments

We have tended to see VR in three generic categories Individual Immersive Environments Group Immersive Environments Augmented Reality

Immersive Methods

Immersive Methods

Our system originally consisted of Virtual Research Head Mounted Displays (HMD), Flock of Birds Tracking Unit, and a SGI Crimson VGXT. This was eventually replaced with a Onyx RE2 and later with a SGI Onyx II with infinite reality engine.

Immersive Methods

Immersive Methods Problems with HMD

Low resolution High tracking latency No group interaction

PlatoCave Motivated by Plato’s Republic Motivated by Star Trek Holodeck Motivated by $$$ from ONR, ARO, NSF

Immersive Methods

Immersive Methods

Immersive Methods

Immersive Methods

Immersive Methods

PlatoCAVE PlatoCAVE Construction

Room 20 ft each side 1 Projection Wall - 15 ft Diagonal SGI Onyx II with Infinite Reality

Graphics Stereographics Projector

120 Frames per second CrystalEyes Shutter Glasses

PlatoCAVE

PlatoCAVE

PlatoCAVE

PlatoCAVE

The PlatoCAVE is an example of an augmented reality environment. We say “augmented reality” because the shutter glasses are transparent when being used. So not only is the wearer able to see the computer generated images in stereoscopic 3-D, but also the real environment including others in the PlatoCAVE and also his or her own body. This is generally not possible with HMDs.

CAVE CAVE Construction

Carolina Cruz-Neira 12 Foot Cube 3 Walls + Floor SGI VGX 4 CRT Projectors CrystalEyes Shutter Glasses Head TRacking

CAVE

Design Considerations

Design Considerations

Design Considerations

Design Consideration

Design Considerations

Design Considerations

Design Considerations Angular Parallax

Large parallax impedes stereo fusion Synchronization of Focus and

Parallax Placement Behind Screen Improves

Both Issues

Design Considerations

Head Tracking 6 degrees of freedom for HMD 3 degrees of freedom for Projection

Systems Optimal for one viewer only

Distortion and Latency Not good for group interaction

Compromise Select one nominal viewpoint

Design Considerations

Design Considerations

MiniCAVE Replace SGI with PC running NT

and AGP graphics card with -channel

Replace CRT projector with stereo pairs LCD Projector

Add voice recognition

MiniCAVE

MiniCAVE

MiniCAVE

MiniCAVE

MiniCAVE

MiniCAVE

Acknowledgements Funding: ARO, ONR, NSF Principal Collaborators: Qiang Luo,

Jürgen Symanzik Other Collaborators: Patrick Vanderluis,

Xiaodong Fu, Ying Zhu, Rida Moustafa, Nkem-Amin Khumbah, Fernando Camelli, Antoinette Dzubay, Robert Wall

Present Status MiniCAVE is awaiting permanent

installation. U.S. Patent has been issued for

MiniCAVE environment. Implemented for <$20,000.

Inside a Metal Matrix

Inside a Human Head

Fractal Virtual Landscapes

Flying through a Virtual World

References

Wegman, E. J., Poston, W. L. and Solka, J. L. (1996) “Immersive methods for mine warfare,” MASEVR ‘95: Proceedings of the Second International Conference on the Military Applications of Synthetic Environments and Virtual Reality, 203-218

Wegman, E. J., Luo, Q., Chen, J. X. (1998) “Immersive methods for exploratory analysis,” Computing Science and Statistics, 29(1), 206-214

Wegman, E. J., J. Symanzik, J.P. Vandersluis, Q. Luo, F. Camelli, A. Dzubay, X. Fu, N-A. Khumbah, R. Moustafa, R. Wall and Y. Zhu, (1999) “The MiniCAVE - A voice-controlled IPT environment,” Proceedings of the Third International Immersive Projection Technology Workshop, (H.-J. Bullinger and O. Riedel, eds.), Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 179-190

References

Wegman, E. J. (2000) “Affordable environments for 3D collaborative data visualization,” Computation in Science and Engineering, 2(6), 68-72, 74

Wegman, E. J. and Symanzik, J. (2001) “Data visualization and exploration via virtual reality: An overview,” Bulletin of the International Statistical Institute, LIX(2), 76-79

Wegman, E. J. and Symanzik, J. (2002), “Immersive projection technology for visual data mining,” Journal of Computational and Graphical Statistics, 11(1)