Brown U Prof Helps Scientists Visualize Research with VR

Brown U Prof Helps Scientists Visualize Research with VR

A computer visualization expert at Brown University is helping scientists understand their fields in new ways with a range of technologies from virtual reality to 360-degree theaters.

Benjamin Knorlein is an application scientist in the university's Center for Computation and Visualization. Earlier this year, Knorlein was invited to join a team of scientists from across the United States on a research voyage across the Pacific Ocean. Along the way, he used 3D microscopy instruments aboard the ship to create "an immersive visualization in which scientists can not only see the plankton up close, but also move around among them to observe how they function within their environment," according to information released by Brown. Scientists were then able to view the project through VR headsets or Brown's YURT theater, which employs 69 HD projectors, 145 mirrors, 20 nodes of a high-performance-computing cluster and pixels so fine they can't be resolved by the human eye at normal viewing distances.

"Right now virtual reality has a great interest for society, but a lot of people don't really see the potential it can have for science," Knorlein said in a prepared statement. "If you think about it, computation nowadays is more or less in every field of science. A lot of the data people are looking at are also inherently three-dimensional."

About the Author

Joshua Bolkan is contributing editor for Campus Technology, THE Journal and STEAM Universe. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • person signing a bill at a desk with a faint glow around the document. A tablet and laptop are subtly visible in the background, with soft colors and minimal digital elements

    California Governor Signs AI Content Safeguards into Law

    California Governor Gavin Newsom has officially signed off on a series of landmark artificial intelligence bills, signaling the state’s latest efforts to regulate the burgeoning technology, particularly in response to the misuse of sexually explicit deepfakes. The legislation is aimed at mitigating the risks posed by AI-generated content, as concerns grow over the technology's potential to manipulate images, videos, and voices in ways that could cause significant harm.

  • close-up illustration of a hand signing a legislative document

    California Passes AI Safety Legislation, Awaits Governor's Signature

    California lawmakers have overwhelmingly approved a bill that would impose new restrictions on AI technologies, potentially setting a national precedent for regulating the rapidly evolving field. The legislation, known as S.B. 1047, now heads to Governor Gavin Newsom's desk. He has until the end of September to decide whether to sign it into law.

  • illustration of a VPN network with interconnected nodes and lines forming a minimalist network structure

    Report: Increasing Number of Vulnerabilities in OpenVPN

    OpenVPN, a popular open source virtual private network (VPN) system integrated into millions of routers, firmware, PCs, mobile devices and other smart devices, is leaving users open to a growing list of threats, according to a new report from Microsoft.

  • interconnected cubes and circles arranged in a grid-like structure

    Hugging Face Gradio 5 Offers AI-Powered App Creation and Enhanced Security

    Hugging Face has released version 5 of its Gradio open source platform for building machine learning (ML) applications. The update introduces a suite of features focused on expanding access to AI, including a novel AI-powered app creation tool, enhanced web development capabilities, and bolstered security measures.