This project, enabling and fabricating low-cost, high-performance interconnected spatially immersive visualization facilities, perfects and exploits the technology of immersive environments. The aim is to build and operate systems economically using commodity elements, and to run software that readily supports the development of highly interactive immersive applications. Supporting cross-campus collaboration, the system will utilize commodity computers, commodity projectors, and open source software. In each system, a networked visual computer cluster will drive a surrounding high-resolution polyhedral display surface formed from many identical modular components. Cutting across many disciplines, the facility enables the following research activities: -Perceptual optimization for data visualization, Modeling watershed flooding, -Importance-based visualization, Brain network visualization, -Empirical study of creative cognition, Spatial hypertext, -Robust operation on curved geometry, 4D construction visualization, -Architectural design environments, Physically-based simulation, Gesture-based interfaces, -Fundamental human interaction design, Historic anthropological site reconstruction, -Interactive science education, Self-relevance of social cognition, -Auditory/visual perceptual integrating and comprehension, and -Immersive telecommuting.
Broader Impact: The project expects to considerably lower cost by building and operating an immersive system constructed entirely using commodity components. The operating experience and design expertise gained in this project should make construction of immersive visualization systems possible at institutions with more modes means. The design guidelines, and software will be made available through a project website. The immersive systems will be used for the development of informal educational experiences.
