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By NASA
4 Min Read GRUVE Lab
The CAVE in the GRUVE Lab is capable of running highly immersive VR experiences through powerful projectors, mirrors, an infrared motion tracking system, and active-shutter glasses. Credits: NASA About
The GRUVE (Glenn Reconfigurable User-Interface and Virtual Reality Exploration) Lab is located within the GVIS Lab. It is home to the CAVE, which is predominantly used for mission scenarios and to tour virtual environments of NASA facilities.
GRUVE Lab VisualizationUsers virtually explore a facility at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.NASA GRUVE Lab DemonstrationA user analyzes a visualization of a prototype structure.NASA GRUVE Lab VisualizationA user analyzes a visualization of a prototype structure that will be used for a fire experiment on the Moon.NASA GRUVE Lab VisualizationA Graphics and Visualization Lab (GVIS) intern in the Cave Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE).NASA GRUVE Lab TourA user takes a virtual tour of a facility at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.NASA How GRUVE Works
GRUVE allows multiple people to view a visualization in 3D together. These visualizations include 3D models of NASA facilities and intricate images created from collected data.
Powerful projectors and mirrors, in combination with an infrared motion tracking system and active-shutter glasses, allow viewers to view 3D models and data in perfect perspective. 3D models effectively pop off the screen and remain proportional no matter where the user with the pair of tracking glasses moves in the environment.
The CAVE can be driven by either a Windows or Linux computer system, enabling the team to use the best environment for a given problem and software tool.
The CAVE setup immerses the user in 3D visualizations through walls on all sides, projectors from above, tracking cameras, and mirrors hidden behind the facade.Visbox, Inc. Benefits of GRUVE
The CAVE’s technology provides a unique advantage for researchers, scientists, engineers, and others. Seeing and analyzing forces and data that would otherwise not be viewable to the human eye allows the observer to understand their subject matter in more detail.
Benefits of GRUVE to research include:
Providing an immersive environment: with large screens to fill peripheral vision and stereoscopic projection for a real sense of three-dimensional space, more parts of the brain are engaged, and the user is better able to understand problems and solve them faster More effective collaboration: the ability to see each other in the virtual reality environment makes GRUVE better for collaboration than traditional VR technology Seeing complex data and flows in 3D: this makes it easier for both experts and non-experts to understand the data Providing greater resolution and larger display size: this allows details to be displayed without losing their context Delivering faster and more accurate manipulation and viewing of models, including CAD data, with fewer errors: this results in a faster time to market and less re-work All members of NASA Glenn may use GRUVE for their projects.
Applications of Immersive 3D Environments
Fluid dynamics analysis (CFD) Point cloud data, e.g., LiDAR Virtual design reviews Virtual manufacturing testing Computer Aided Design (CAD) 3D imaging data Training and education Virtual procedures Biomedical research Molecular dynamics Virtual building walkthroughs Showroom “theater” Education and outreach Building Information Management (BIM) Big data and data mining Cybersecurity data analysis Safety systems analysis Microfocus CT scan data Electron microscopy 3D photos and videos Data Types Supported
Point cloud data Volume data Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) Computer Aided Design (CAD) Molecular dynamics GRUVE Hardware
Linux CAVE node Windows 10 CAVE node CAVE wall Stereo glasses Audio system Tracking system Wand Software Available in the GRUVE Lab
The Windows node attached to the GRUVE Lab runs middleware software, which enables Unity-developed applications to run in the CAVE. This greatly expands the number of VR applications that can be run. Vrui VR Toolkit-based applications such as LiDAR viewer and 3D visualizer VMD – Visual Molecular Dynamics ParaView COVISE– Collaborative Visualization and Simulation Environment Other Visualization Devices
The GVIS Lab maintains a large collection of computing, visualization, and user interaction devices including:
Virtual reality display devices Head-mounted displays Room-scale CAVE Augmented reality head-mounted displays 3D displays Psuedo-3D displays Pepper’s Ghost display Persistence of Vision (POV) LED display Light field technology- based displays Projection devices for projected AR Natural user interface devices Hand gesture recognition devices Motion capture devices Cameras for mixed reality Computing hardware High-end laptops High-end desktops High-end tablets and smartphones Cameras Stereo 3D camera 180/360 camera Flight simulators 3D printers All these devices are available for employees to try and test for possible application to their work.
A Graphics and Visualization Lab (GVIS) intern in the Cave Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE).NASA Contact Us
Need to reach us? You can send an email directly to the GVIS Team (GRC-DL-GVIS@mail.nasa.gov) or to the team leader, Herb Schilling (hschilling@nasa.gov).
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By European Space Agency
Image: On Friday 18 July, His Excellency Christian Stocker, Federal Chancellor of Austria, visited ESA Headquarters in Paris receiving a tour of the site from Director General Josef Aschbacher.
It was the Chancellor’s first visit to an ESA establishment following his swearing in earlier this year. Visiting the Astrolabe interpretive centre, Mr Stocker saw how Austria’s participation in ESA contributes to the goals of sustainable development and scientific excellence, and also heard how commercial space has undergone rapid development in Austria. He was accompanied by the Austrian ambassador to France, Barbara Kaudel-Jensen.
Austria became ESA’s 12th Member State when it ratified the ESA Convention in December 1986 and while always strongly committed to Earth observation and space applications, Austria has recently diversified its space interests, becoming more involved in launchers, navigation and human and robotic exploration. Austrian Carmen Possnig was selected as a member of ESA’s astronaut reserve in 2022 and will commence her second phase of training in the autumn. Carmen joined the visit and enthusiastically answered questions from the assembled Austrian media.
As part of Austria's innovation community, the ESA PhiLab opened last year and has a current call for proposals open until 8 October. Just last month, Austria hosted the Living Planet Symposium, which brought together 6500 members of the Earth observation community to present scientific results and plan future activities. It was supported by a citywide 'Space in the City' festival in Vienna, organised by the Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure (BMIMI) and Urban Innovation Vienna GmbH (UIV) and demonstrating the everyday connections between citizens and space.
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By European Space Agency
Video: 00:01:51 Space weather ‘reporter’ Vigil will be the world’s first space weather mission to be permanently positioned at Lagrange point 5, a unique vantage point that allows us to see solar activity days before it reaches Earth. ESA’s Vigil mission will be a dedicated operational space weather mission, sending data 24/7 from deep space.
Vigil’s tools as a space weather reporter at its unique location in deep space will drastically improve forecasting abilities. From there, Vigil can see ‘around the corner’ of the Sun and observe activity on the surface of the Sun days before it rotates into view from Earth. It can also watch the Sun-Earth line side-on, giving an earlier and clearer picture of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) heading toward Earth.
Radiation, plasma and particles flung towards Earth by the Sun can pose a very real risk to critical infrastructure our society relies on. This includes satellites for navigation, communications and banking services as well as power grids and radio communication on the ground.
A report by Lloyd’s of London estimates that a severe space weather event, caused by such an outburst of solar activity, could cost the global economy 2.4 trillion dollars over five years.
ESA’s response to this growing threat is Vigil, a cornerstone mission of the Agency’s Space Safety Programme, planned for launch in 2031. Vigil’s data will give us drastically improved early warnings and forecasts, which in turn help protect satellites, astronauts and critical infrastructure on the ground that we all depend on.
Click here for the subtitled version of the video.
Click here to access the related broadcast quality video material.
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By European Space Agency
The Council of the European Space Agency has received the Anniversary Statement as signed by Member States marking 50 years of the agency.
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