CAVCaM features a variety of computational, display and interface technologies to enhance simulation, communication and visualization efforts.

CAVE/FLEX

Student in the CAVE 4-sided immersive display

The CAVE™/FLEX™ four-sided immersive display is the current cornerstone of the CAVCaM visualization displays. As a FLEX system, this large display is able to convert between standard CAVE-mode, where the participants are nearly surrounded by projected computer imagery, and open-mode providing a 27 foot wide-screen projection system.

In both modes, this system provides for large-scale stereoscopic image projection combined with a 3D immersive interface that allows the participants to interact with the virtual worlds in an intuitive style.

The virtual worlds can be abstract or verisimilar representations of observed data, simulated data, or some combination of the two. CAVCaM staff are building a suite of tools that will allow many data formats to be read directly, with an ever expanding repetoire.

Visbox

The Visbox 3D immersive interface

The Visbox™ display is a smaller scale immersive display. It consists of a single screen, approximately 8 feet in diameter, with a stereoscopic image projected from behind.

Like the CAVE, the Visbox also provides a 3D immersive interface that tracks the movement of the participant, allowing for a more intuitive interface between the user and the virtual world.

The current Visbox display is located in room 13x of the newly remodeled Maxey building.

A second Visbox display, this one for the Las Vegas campus, is currently being chosen.

Six-sided CAVE-like display

Funding for the construction of a six-sided CAVE-like display has been approved and installation has begun in the new Computational Research and Visualization Building (CRVB) which opened in early 2009.

In addition to housing the new six-sided CAVE-like display and other virtual reality and visualization facilities, the new CRVB houses much of DRI's Information Technology group, plus groups from all divisions of DRI doing computational research.