Virtual Reality and Immersive Collaborative Environments: the New Frontier for Big Data Visualisation

TL;DR

This paper discusses the development of iDaVIE, an immersive virtual reality software for visualizing and analyzing astronomical data in a room-scale environment, enhancing data interaction and interpretation.

Contribution

It introduces iDaVIE, a VR software that imports astronomy data formats, processes them in Unity, and offers tools for intuitive 3D data exploration and analysis.

Findings

Successful integration of volumetric and catalog data in VR environment

Enhanced user interaction with astronomical data in immersive space

Performance optimizations for seamless data visualization

Abstract

The IDIA Visualisation Laboratory based at the University of Cape Town is exploring the use of virtual reality technology to visualise and analyse astronomical data. The iDaVIE software suite currently under development reads from both volumetric data cubes and sparse multi-dimensional catalogs, rendering them in a room-scale immersive environment that allows the user to intuitively view, navigate around and interact with features in three dimensions. This paper will highlight how the software imports from common astronomy data formats and processes the information for loading into the Unity game engine. It will also describe what tools are currently available to the user and the various performance optimisations made for seamless use. Applications by astronomers will be reviewed in addition to the features we plan to include in future releases.