Immersive ExaBrick: Visualizing Large AMR Data in the CAVE

Rendering large adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) data in real-time in virtual reality (VR) environments is a complex challenge that demands sophisticated techniques and tools. The proposed solution harnesses the ExaBrick framework and integrates it as a plugin in COVISE, a robust visualization system equipped with the VR-centric OpenCOVER render module. This setup enables direct navigation and interaction within the rendered volume in a VR environment. The user interface incorporates rendering options and functions, ensuring a smooth and interactive experience. We show that high-quality volume rendering of AMR data in VR environments at interactive rates is possible using GPUs

Hybrid Silhouette Detection for Real-Time Shadow Volume

In shadow volume, the most expensive computation is silhouette detection. In this paper, the triangular algorithm (TA) and visible-non-visible (VnV) algorithm that are famous algorithms to detect the outline of occluder are renewed. In this paper, we proposed a hybrid algorithm based on TA and VnV, namely Hybrid Silhouette Detection (HSD) algorithm. HSD is an improved algorithm that can recognize silhouette for generating real-time shadow volume. Our algorithm involves detecting silhouette and decreases the cost of implementation for shadow volume rendering. The last shadow volume algorithm using stencil buffer is rewritten and an algorithm for shadow volume using HSD with respect of culling invisible parts of scene is proposed. An accurate mathematical comparison between TA, VnV and HSD algorithms is undertaken. The obtained results confirm superiority of our proposed algorithm in terms of processing and rendering time. Our algorithm can be used in virtual environment to increase the frame per second and to enhance the realistic of games programming

Spatial Orientation in Cardiac Ultrasound Images Using Mixed Reality: Design and Evaluation

Spatial orientation is an important skill in structural cardiac imaging. Until recently, 3D cardiac ultrasound has been visualized on a flat screen by using volume rendering. Mixed reality devices enhance depth perception, spatial awareness, interaction, and integration in the physical world, which can prove advantageous with 3D cardiac ultrasound images. In this work, we describe the design of a system for rendering 4D (3D + time) cardiac ultrasound data as virtual objects and evaluate it for ease of spatial orientation by comparing it with a standard clinical viewing platform in a user study. The user study required eight participants to do timed tasks and rate their experience. The results showed that virtual objects in mixed reality provided easier spatial orientation and morphological understanding despite lower perceived image quality. Participants familiar with mixed reality were quicker to orient in the tasks. This suggests that familiarity with the environment plays an important role, and with improved image quality and increased use, mixed reality applications may perform better than conventional 3D echocardiography viewing systems.publishedVersio

Real-time Volume Rendering Interaction in Virtual Reality

Volume visualization using Direct Volume Rendering (DVR) techniques is used to view information inside 3D volumetric data. Data is classified using a transfer function to emphasize or filter some parts of volumetric information, such as that from Computed Tomography (CT) or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). In this paper, we introduced an application for real-time volume rendering interaction with 1D transfer functions using Virtual Reality (VR) technology based on the Oculus Rift headset and Oculus Touch controllers. Resulting images were visualized stereoscopically at 60 frames per second using a ray-casting shader, which works based on Graphics Processing Unit (GPU). To evaluate the system, 20 participants interacted with the application to complete three tasks, including a free viewpoint scan, clipping planes renderer, and an editable transfer function in the virtual environment. Then, a survey was carried out using a questionnaire to gather data. Findings showed that the average usability score for the application was 87.54, which suggested that it was highly usable

Assessing the accuracy of peak and cumulative low back analyses when human anthropometry is scaled in a virtual environment.

This study addressed the effect of scaling subjects in a virtual reality environment when performing ergonomic evaluations for assembly automotive tasks. Ten male and ten female automotive employees participated in this study. Subjects were selected to fit into one of 4 anthropometric groups (n=5/group); 5th percentile female (5F), 50th percentile female (50F), 50th percentile male (50M), or 95th percentile male (95M). Each subject was asked to perform 3 automotive assembly tasks while interacting with a digital rendering of a vehicle in virtual reality. The subjects were represented in virtual reality as a human manikin (Classic Jack, UGS) whose actions were driven by their actual motions captured via motion tracking (EvaRT, MotionAnalysis). Each subject performed the tasks under 4 different conditions; in one condition, the subject appeared as their true size, and in the three other conditions, they were scaled to appear as the size of the other three subject groups. (Abstract shortened by UMI.) Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 44-03, page: 1426. Thesis (M.H.K.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 2005

Developing serious games for cultural heritage: a state-of-the-art review

Although the widespread use of gaming for leisure purposes has been well documented, the use of games to support cultural heritage purposes, such as historical teaching and learning, or for enhancing museum visits, has been less well considered. The state-of-the-art in serious game technology is identical to that of the state-of-the-art in entertainment games technology. As a result, the field of serious heritage games concerns itself with recent advances in computer games, real-time computer graphics, virtual and augmented reality and artificial intelligence. On the other hand, the main strengths of serious gaming applications may be generalised as being in the areas of communication, visual expression of information, collaboration mechanisms, interactivity and entertainment. In this report, we will focus on the state-of-the-art with respect to the theories, methods and technologies used in serious heritage games. We provide an overview of existing literature of relevance to the domain, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the described methods and point out unsolved problems and challenges. In addition, several case studies illustrating the application of methods and technologies used in cultural heritage are presented