1,222 research outputs found
Inviwo -- A Visualization System with Usage Abstraction Levels
The complexity of today's visualization applications demands specific
visualization systems tailored for the development of these applications.
Frequently, such systems utilize levels of abstraction to improve the
application development process, for instance by providing a data flow network
editor. Unfortunately, these abstractions result in several issues, which need
to be circumvented through an abstraction-centered system design. Often, a high
level of abstraction hides low level details, which makes it difficult to
directly access the underlying computing platform, which would be important to
achieve an optimal performance. Therefore, we propose a layer structure
developed for modern and sustainable visualization systems allowing developers
to interact with all contained abstraction levels. We refer to this interaction
capabilities as usage abstraction levels, since we target application
developers with various levels of experience. We formulate the requirements for
such a system, derive the desired architecture, and present how the concepts
have been exemplary realized within the Inviwo visualization system.
Furthermore, we address several specific challenges that arise during the
realization of such a layered architecture, such as communication between
different computing platforms, performance centered encapsulation, as well as
layer-independent development by supporting cross layer documentation and
debugging capabilities
Virtual reality for 3D histology: multi-scale visualization of organs with interactive feature exploration
Virtual reality (VR) enables data visualization in an immersive and engaging
manner, and it can be used for creating ways to explore scientific data. Here,
we use VR for visualization of 3D histology data, creating a novel interface
for digital pathology. Our contribution includes 3D modeling of a whole organ
and embedded objects of interest, fusing the models with associated
quantitative features and full resolution serial section patches, and
implementing the virtual reality application. Our VR application is multi-scale
in nature, covering two object levels representing different ranges of detail,
namely organ level and sub-organ level. In addition, the application includes
several data layers, including the measured histology image layer and multiple
representations of quantitative features computed from the histology. In this
interactive VR application, the user can set visualization properties, select
different samples and features, and interact with various objects. In this
work, we used whole mouse prostates (organ level) with prostate cancer tumors
(sub-organ objects of interest) as example cases, and included quantitative
histological features relevant for tumor biology in the VR model. Due to
automated processing of the histology data, our application can be easily
adopted to visualize other organs and pathologies from various origins. Our
application enables a novel way for exploration of high-resolution,
multidimensional data for biomedical research purposes, and can also be used in
teaching and researcher training
Immersive analytics for oncology patient cohorts
This thesis proposes a novel interactive immersive analytics tool and methods to interrogate the cancer patient cohort in an immersive virtual environment, namely Virtual Reality to Observe Oncology data Models (VROOM). The overall objective is to develop an immersive analytics platform, which includes a data analytics pipeline from raw gene expression data to immersive visualisation on virtual and augmented reality platforms utilising a game engine. Unity3D has been used to implement the visualisation. Work in this thesis could provide oncologists and clinicians with an interactive visualisation and visual analytics platform that helps them to drive their analysis in treatment efficacy and achieve the goal of evidence-based personalised medicine. The thesis integrates the latest discovery and development in cancer patients’ prognoses, immersive technologies, machine learning, decision support system and interactive visualisation to form an immersive analytics platform of complex genomic data. For this thesis, the experimental paradigm that will be followed is in understanding transcriptomics in cancer samples. This thesis specifically investigates gene expression data to determine the biological similarity revealed by the patient's tumour samples' transcriptomic profiles revealing the active genes in different patients. In summary, the thesis contributes to i) a novel immersive analytics platform for patient cohort data interrogation in similarity space where the similarity space is based on the patient's biological and genomic similarity; ii) an effective immersive environment optimisation design based on the usability study of exocentric and egocentric visualisation, audio and sound design optimisation; iii) an integration of trusted and familiar 2D biomedical visual analytics methods into the immersive environment; iv) novel use of the game theory as the decision-making system engine to help the analytics process, and application of the optimal transport theory in missing data imputation to ensure the preservation of data distribution; and v) case studies to showcase the real-world application of the visualisation and its effectiveness
Implementation of Virtual Reality (VR) simulators in Norwegian maritime pilotage training
With millions of tons of cargo transported to and from Norwegian ports every year, the
maritime waterways in Norway are heavily used. The high consequences of accidents and
mishaps require well-trained seafarers and safe operating practices. The normal crews of vessels
are supported by the Norwegian Coastal Administration (NCA) pilot service when operating
vessels not meeting specific regulations.
Simulator training is used as part of the toolset designed to educate, train, and advance the
knowledge of maritime pilots in order to improve their operability. The NCA is working on an
internal project to distribute Virtual Reality (VR) simulators to selected pilot stations along the
coast and train and familiarize maritime pilots with the tool. There has been a lack of research
on virtual reality simulators and how they are implemented in maritime organizations. The goal
of this research is to see if a VR-simulator can be used as a training tool within the Norwegian
Coastal Administration's pilot service. Furthermore, the findings of this study contribute to the
understanding of VR-simulators in the field of Maritime Education and Training (MET). The
thesis is addressing two research questions:
1. Is the Virtual Reality training useful in the competence development process of
Norwegian maritime pilots?
2. How can the Virtual Reality simulators improve training outcomes of today’s maritime
pilot education?
The data gathered from the systematic literature review corresponds to the findings of the
interviews. Considering the similarities with previous study findings from sectors such as
healthcare, construction, and education, it is concluded that the results of the interviews can be
generalized. For maritime pilots, the simulator offers recurrent scenario-based training and a
high level of immersion. Pilots can learn at home, onboard a vessel, at the pilot station, and in
group settings thanks to the system's mobility and user-friendliness. In terms of motivation and
training effectiveness, the study finds that VR-simulators are effective and beneficial. The
technology received positive reviews from the pilots. The simulator can be used to teach both
novice and experienced maritime pilots about new operations, larger tonnage, and new
operational areas, according to the findings of the research.
After the NCA has utilized VR-simulators for some time, additional research may analyze
the success of VR-simulators using a training evaluation study and investigate the impact of
VR-training in the organization
Advanced Visualization and Intuitive User Interface Systems for Biomedical Applications
Modern scientific research produces data at rates that far outpace our ability to comprehend and analyze it. Such sources include medical imaging data and computer simulations, where technological advancements and spatiotemporal resolution generate increasing amounts of data from each scan or simulation. A bottleneck has developed whereby medical professionals and researchers are unable to fully use the advanced information available to them. By integrating computer science, computer graphics, artistic ability and medical expertise, scientific visualization of medical data has become a new field of study. The objective of this thesis is to develop two visualization systems that use advanced visualization, natural user interface technologies and the large amount of biomedical data available to produce results that are of clinical utility and overcome the data bottleneck that has developed.
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a tool used to study the quantities associated with the movement of blood by computer simulation. We developed methods of processing spatiotemporal CFD data and displaying it in stereoscopic 3D with the ability to spatially navigate through the data. We used this method with two sets of display hardware: a full-scale visualization environment and a small-scale desktop system. The advanced display and data navigation abilities provide the user with the means to better understand the relationship between the vessel\u27s form and function.
Low-cost 3D, depth-sensing cameras capture and process user body motion to recognize motions and gestures. Such devices allow users to use hand motions as an intuitive interface to computer applications. We developed algorithms to process and prepare the biomedical and scientific data for use with a custom control application. The application interprets user gestures as commands to a visualization tool and allows the user to control the visualization of multi-dimensional data. The intuitive interface allows the user to control the visualization of data without manual contact with an interaction device. In developing these methods and software tools we have leveraged recent trends in advanced visualization and intuitive interfaces in order to efficiently visualize biomedical data in such a way that provides meaningful information that can be used to further appreciate it
Increasing awareness of climate change with immersive virtual reality
Previous research has shown that immersive virtual reality (VR) is a suitable tool for visualizing the consequences of climate change. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether visualization in VR has a stronger influence on climate change awareness and environmental attitudes compared to traditional media. Furthermore, it was examined how realistic a VR experience has to be in order to have an effect. The VR experience consisted of a model of the Aletsch glacier (Switzerland) melting over the course of 220 years. Explicit measurements (new environmental paradigm NEP, climate change scepticism, and nature relatedness) and an implicit measurement (implicit association test) were collected before and after the VR intervention and compared to three different non-VR control conditions (video, images with text, and plain text). In addition, the VR environment was varied in terms of degrees of realism and sophistication (3 conditions: abstract visualization, less sophisticated realistic visualization, more sophisticated realistic visualization). The six experimental conditions (3 VR conditions, three control conditions) were modeled as mixed effects, with VR versus control used as a fixed effect in a mixed effects modeling framework. Across all six conditions, environmental awareness (NEP) was higher after the participants (N = 142) had been confronted with the glacier melting, while no differences were found for nature relatedness and climate change scepticism before and after the interventions. There was no significant difference between VR and control conditions for any of the four measurements. Nevertheless, contrast analyses revealed that environmental awareness increased significantly only for the VR but not for the control conditions, suggesting that VR is more likely to lead to attitude change. Our results show that exposure to VR environments successfully increased environmental awareness independently of the design choices, suggesting that even abstract and less sophisticated VR environment designs may be sufficient to increase pro-environmental attitudes
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