Enhancing Ocean Data Visualization: Immersive VR on Your Laptop

1. Recent advances in immersive visualization of ocean data: Virtual Reality through the web on your laptop computer Albert J. Hermann Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and the Oceans, UW/NOAA/PMEL, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115 Chris W. Moore (JISAO/PMEL) Nancy N. Soreide (PMEL) Funded by NOAA/HPCC and NOAA/ESDIM

2. The Problem • New technologies = huge datasets • 3D models with >106 grid points • Multi-year simulations • How to visualize this much output? • Simple contours and vectors • Shaded plots, colored vectors • Surfaces in three dimensions • Surfaces viewed with binocular (stereo) vision -> immersion , a.k.a virtual reality

3. What do we gain by immersion? • Surfaces reveal all scales of 3D features; contour plots hide smaller scales, patchy distributions (e.g. “clouds”) • Eulerian velocities / Lagrangian paths really are 3-dimensional! Examine u,v,w vectors and paths of animated particles (or fish) • Binocular vision reveals spatial information quickly; faster exploration of data via “real world” type of experience

4. Immersive techniques • Shutterglasses ($$ - $$$$) • alternate left eye/right eye view rapidly in time; wear shutterglasses to synchronize vision in left/right eye with left/right images on monitor • Autostereo ($$$) • No glasses required, special monitor with lenses • Polarization ($$$) – Superimpose two images with different polarization of light; wear passive polarized lenses to view • Anaglyphs ($) • Superimpose two images with different color (red/blue); wear passive colored lenses to view – just like 3D comics!

5. Alaska Cook Inlet Kodiak Island TRY THE GLASSES! (BLUE LENS ON RIGHT EYE)

8. Goals (VR for the masses) • Immersive visualization of numerical model run, during or after execution • Accessible to any scientist/educator anywhere, through the web • Inexpensive methods

9. Virtual Reality through the Web • Based on Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) • Use Live Access Server to select region • Render isosurface of chosen variable • Send through the web as VRML world; client renders in stereo

10. Datasets VTK Model LAS netCDF Vis5D VRML Ferret GIF, ps… Server Client

12. LAS uses mean value of variable in chosen region for iso-surface, adds 3D velocity vectors at 40 m depth and bathymetry Bathymetry Alaska Kodiak I. Velocity vectors (10 m depth) Density isosurface

14. Low-cost Immersive Gear • Desktop or laptop PC with web browser • High speed/large RAM not essential • VRML client for web browser • Download free viewer (which supports stereo) at http://www.parallelgraphics.com/products/cortona/ • Graphics card with stereo driver • Widely available for gaming market • May already be present in your PC • Shutterglasses or Red/Blue anaglyph glasses • Many inexpensive graphics cards now include shutterglasses to support stereo-enabled games in full color • Joystick • Programmable buttons nice, but not essential • For example…………

15. A virtual ocean on your laptop!

16. Conclusion • Immersion (a.k.a. “Virtual Reality”) • is a powerful exploratory tool • is possible on a modest budget • More information and demos • VRML web server for model output http://ferret.pmel.noaa.gov/globec • Stereo techniques, hardware and software http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/~hermann/vrml/stereo.html