Examples AZ-LIVE Projects

Conversion of Traditional Scientific Visualizations

Researchers from many departments on campus have been creating scientific visualizations of their data in the UITS Scientific Visualization Lab since 1990. We are working on various ways to get their visualization objects and animated scenes into formats that can be loaded with one of OpenGL Performer's file loaders, thus allowing users to interactively render and navigate around the objects using Performer and CAVElib. Currently we have imported data objects from Open Data Explorer (OpenDX), the Visualization Toolkit (VTK) and Mercury Computer Systems' Amira software.

PHAiRS in an Immersive Virtual Reality Environment

Dr. William Sprigg and Dr. Dazhong Yin, Atmospheric Sciences

Wind vectors, streamlines and airborne dust isosurfaces are simulated by the PHAiRS dust storm model and displayed in AZ-LIVE. Viewers navigating through the stereoscopic display of modelled dust concentrations learn more about practical model applications for public health services. This project utilizes Open Data Explorer (OpenDX) to create the data objects, which are converted to OpenGL Performer's pfb format using UCLA's dxtopfb and rendered using Performer and CAVElib.

Discrete Event Simulation for High Fidelity Emergency Management Systems

Karthik Krishna Vasudevan, Dr. Young-Jun Son, Systems and Industrial Engineering

The goal of this research is to combine virtual reality systems and discrete event simulation, which will allow an engineer to develop a more realistic training environment in 3-D space. The combined system will be applied to develop an emergency evacuation training and management system in a manufacturing industry.

Reconstruction of Excavations in Chianciano Terme, Italy

Dr. David Soren, Department of Classics

Chianciano Terme today is a beautiful and bustling Tuscan spa town, world famous for its healthful waters. Tourists flock here to reap the benefits of four famous springs in the town, which are believed to be beneficial in the treatment of liver problems. With the help of the community of Chianciano Terme, Dr. Soren and The University of Arizona initiated excavation of an archaeological zone in the locality of central Chianciano known as Mezzomiglioin 1995. Their work has revealed a group of significant structures which date to two distinct periods: Late Etruscan and early Roman Imperial. One Etruscan structure included in this reconstruction is a natural spring surrounded by a man-made enclosure known as the vasca. A second building shown in this virtual model is an early imperial structure that may have been an administrative building. A third building in the current reconstructed model is a small bath complex or balneae.

LAR 510 - Design Studio, LAR 531 - 3D Modeling and Visualization

Oscar Blazquez, School of Landscape Architecture

These courses utilize the AZ-LIVE facility to allow students to visualize their landscape designs in an immersive setting. The use of 3-D digital modeling, computer graphics and virtual reality allows the students to experience space sequence in real time, which aids in the understanding and development of future design ideas.

Indeterminate Redesign of the U of A Alumni Plaza

Barry Morse, School of Landscape Architecture

Barry's thesis addresses the questions of how one might approach using indeterminacy in landscape architecture design, what would be the outcome of such an indeterminate design and whether or not it could lead to an actual functional realization. The final product of his thesis is a new re-design of an existing plaza using composer and artist John Cage's "chance operations" techniques. AZ-LIVE is used to give viewers the ability to navigate through his re-designed plaza and assist in exploring the relationship between indeterminate design and the landscape.

ARC 452 - Design Studio: Synthesis

Professor Mary Hardin, School of Architecture

A course where the student in his or her fifth year combines and brings to bear, in design, the knowledge and understanding of all the determinants, resources, skills and processes gained as the sum of the architectural experiences in The School of Architecture. We truly enjoy having these students come into AZ-LIVE to navigate through and experience their senior year designs.

"Desert Views, Desert Deaths"

Lucy Petrovich, College of Fine Arts, Digital Arts department

Lucy has created an interactive immersive stereoscopic environment addressing the U.S.- Mexico border enforcement policies. "This virtual unreality is a memorial for those who have died while crossing the desert. When you enter 'Desert Views, Desert Deaths' you are in the middle of an elusive graveyard of crosses. In the distance you can see into translucent overlapping caskets composed of desert images. You enter the life size caskets and see the names of those who died of heat and dehydration while crossing the border. As you follow the caskets you find more information about those who died along the way. While traversing the landscape you hear sounds of the desert that follow you as you move through your journey."

Art 432a/532a - Interactivity

Lucy Petrovich, College of Fine Arts, Digital Arts department

This course explores the process of creating interactive computer art by teaching essential principles and practice of programming. Interactive art transforms the 'viewer' into an active participant in the artwork and gives each viewer a means to explore the character, structure and content of the work. One unique form of interactive art is virtual reality and/or immersive environments, which places the active participant into a three-dimensional, stereoscopic space. These environments are best created through programming. Programming trains the mind to think in creative but logical steps and gives us a better understanding of how the computer works.

Virtual Theater Production

Vanessa Ford, School of Theater Arts

A theatrical production that involves taking traditional audience members — through the use of virtual reality technologies — having them interact with trained actors and a virtual actor in a traditional theater piece. Movements of the virtual actor are controlled by coordinated rotations and button presses of the motion tracked wand in the AZ-LIVE environment.