MRI: Development of a Co-Located Multi-User Immersive Display Instrument

这个项目的目标是开发一种新型的显示系统，让多人一起体验虚拟世界。人们将以空间一致的方式感知世界，将共享的真实空间结合在一起，人们可以在其中工作、交流和协作，同时每个人都保持着自己的个人3D视图。这样的虚拟现实环境将使研究人员能够在不影响他们对问题的个人空间理解的情况下协作地讨论和解决问题。该仪器将被用作测试和开发平台，以更好地了解从基础和面向应用的角度协作使用虚拟现实的有效手段。它将为材料开发、化学、分子生物学、考古学、网络分析等领域的应用程序提供新的协作方式。该项目将吸引研究人员和学生开发一种新的可视化工具。该系统将把现有的3D立体显示组件与新的光学设计相结合，为多个用户提供他们个人的3D视图。它利用了高分辨率显示器和将作为该项目一部分开发的定制微透镜设计。这包括开发适当的模拟系统来定义和指定最佳镜片设计，以及考虑到微透镜可制造性的限制。其目标是在一个房间大小的环境中为4名或更多用户提供单独的共享空间的3D视图，该环境用3D屏幕包围他们。除了光学设计外，该项目还将开发软件基础设施，以驱动多用户显示。这包括计算正确的图像，以便每个用户都能看到他们当前位置和方向的正确视图，以及基本的交互方法和方法，使来自不同学科的用户能够快速、轻松地使用系统来有效地解决他们的问题。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The goal of this project is the development of a new kind of display system that allows multiple people to experience a virtual world together. The world will be perceived in a spatially consistent manner, combining a shared real space in which people can work, communicate and collaborate, while each maintaining their own personal 3D view. Such virtual reality environment will enable researchers to discuss and solve problems collaboratively without compromising their individual spatial understanding of the problem. This instrument will be used as a test and development platform to better understand effective means to collaboratively use Virtual Reality from a fundamental as well as application-oriented point of view. It will provide new ways to collaborate for applications in areas as diverse as material development, chemistry, molecular biology, archaeology, network analytics and others. The project will engage researchers and students in development of a new visualization instrument.The system will combine existing 3D stereo display components with a new optical design to provide multiple users with their individual 3D view. It takes advantage of high-resolution displays and a custom microlens design that will be developed as part of the project. This includes developing an appropriate simulation system to define and specify the optimal lens sheet design as well as accounting for limitations in manufacturability of microlenses. The goal is to provide a group of 4 or more users with individually separate 3D views of the shared space inside a room-size environment that surrounds them with 3D screens. In addition to the optical design the project will develop the software infrastructure to drive the multi-user display. This includes calculating the correct images so that each user sees the correct views for their current position and orientation as well as fundamental interaction methodologies and methods to enable users from different disciplines to quickly and easily use the system productively to attack their problems.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.