Facilities
The Centre for Virtual Environments (CVE) is a unique facility that houses what is probably the world's most extensive range of equipment and resources dedicated to the research and application of Virtual Environments, along with leading researchers in this domain. The has five major Virtual Reality immersive display installations, a powerful array of graphics computers - updated with two SGI Prism in 2005 - as well as an extensive collection of high-end graphics PCs and Sun and SGI supercomputers.
Building
CVE is located on the Peel Park campus in a recently-refurbished building with dedicated research laboratories, a teaching laboratory, and lecture theatres.
Graphics Super Computers
Next to a powerful array of workstations, the Centre for Virtual Environments boasts several SGI Onyx InfiniteReality machines, a SGI Onyx2 with 14 processors and 5 graphics pipelines, a SunFire 6800 rack, and recently two SGI Prism visualisation systems with each 6 Itanium2 processors, 4 graphics pipelines and 6GB memory to drive the five major Virtual Reality installations.
Display Systems
The following major virtual reality installations are controlled by several SGI graphics supercomputers and Intel PC workstations:
The ReaCTor
The ReaCTor is a fully immersive cubic display system with 4 active surfaces (screens) — 3 back projected and 1 front projected. This display system is controlled by a 6-processor SGI Prism visualisation system, providing compelling stereographic projections. The ReaCTor also incorporates a spatialised 3D sound system, and magnetic head and hand tracking allowing up to 5 users to enter, experience, and interact with the virtual environment in an intuitive and natural manner.
We believe Cubic Displays, such as the CAVE™ to be the most powerful virtual reality display system. This is because people can observe and use their body in a natural way to move within and interact with a holographic environment that surrounds them. Many users who have experienced this system liken it to the Holodeck from Star Trek. We are using it to develop applications including surgical planning and training, command and control, engineering and training for search and rescue operations.
The Reality Room
The Reality Room is a semi-immersive display system consisting of a front projected spherical screen which provides a 160-degree horizontal field of view. This display system is controlled by a 6-processor SGI Prism visualisation system.
The Reality Room is essentially a small IMAX theatre. It can accommodate audiences of up to 35 people, providing a uniquely productive environment where people can work together in collaboration and interaction. Unlike an IMAX theatre, this is used to demonstrate real time interactive environments such as a populated city model or a steerable simulation of a new engine design. The most complex, data intensive projects can be worked on by a group in real-time enabling individual members to contribute and interact spontaneously and naturally.
The Centre also has a Relocatable Reality Room, controlled by a 4-processor SGI Onyx2 graphics super computer, which can also support advanced virtually enhanced video conferencing.
The V-Desk6
The V-Desk 6, which is the result of a collaborative partnership between Trimension Systems and the Centre for Virtual Environments, combines the highest possible image quality with the most compact design of any system in its class, and has built-in stereo viewing, optical head and hand tracking and a sophisticated audio system.
Designed as the ultimate tool for the individual user, the V-Desk 6 also accommodates small groups working collaboratively.
The V-Desk displays a holographic image out of a bench, and is ideal for applications where the user needs to view and interact with virtual objects in front of them without being completely surrounded by the virtual environment. Tracking of hand and head allow object manipulation through hand movement and perspective changes to follow head movement, so that the user can inspect the object from different angles. This display is driven by a dual processor XENON 3.2 GHz computer with PCI express and an Nvidia Quadro FX3000 graphics card.
Barco Trace
With the Barco TRACE, the Centre for Virtual Environments has 1 new display system. It enables teams to visualise data in a well-lit room, allowing for better eye-to-eye collaboration.
Active 3D stereo display enhances intuitive understanding and accurate analysis of the complex data. Real time interaction with the data leads to quick team decision-making. An optical VICON motion tracking system, almost identical to those used in motion capture in the games industry, gives the user intuitive control without the hassle of cables attached, as is normally found in other tracking systems.
Each of the two display systems is controlled by a dual processor XENON 3.2 GHz computer with a Nvidia Quadro FX3000 graphics card.
Head-mounted Displays
The Centre for Virtual Environments houses also three Head-mounted Display (HMD) systems. There are two VRi Visette Pro and one Virtual Research V8, providing true VGA (640x480) in color. We use the HMDs in fundamental research comparing head-mounted display systems with spatially immersive display types.
The HMDs are driven by a high-end PC with Nvidia Quadro graphics cards to roduce the dual view output.
