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Virtual Environments Research at the Scientific Visualization Studio

The Scientific Visualization Studio at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is studying the benefits of applying virtual reality technologies to scientific visualization. Three years ago, the studio purchased an Immersion 3D CyberGlove, and began researching ways the CyberGlove could be used to improve the investigatory capabilities of researchers.

"The CyberGlove enables an intuitive interface that allows scientist to easily and naturally manipulate three dimensional visualization elements," says the studio's Stephen Maher. "This in turn provides a more efficient mechanism for them to perform their research."

Researchers at the studio have used the CyberGlove to perform a variety of visualizations, some of which are shown here.

Fig. 1. Using the virtual hand to release wind-following tracers in a hurricane simulation. (Using data from the NASA Goddard Laboratory for Atmospheres)

Fig. 2. Visualization of global methane distribution using data assimilation (Using data from ESS Investigator Peter Lyster/University of Maryland)

Fig. 3. Demonstrating Data Sonification with the CyberGlove. The field being sonified and visualized as a data slice is the U vector component. (Using data from Bob Schlesinger's Thunderstorm Model Included with Vis5D, the studio's most advanced virtual environment application.)

Advantages of the CyberGlove over Other Gloves and Devices
Scientists at the studio appreciate the natural, 'human-like' interface offered by the CyberGlove. Maher explains: "The large number of sensors on the CyberGlove allow for a more anthropomorphic interface than other types of input devices and gloves. This increases the bandwidth of interface information (many gestures can be recognized) and provides a 'naturalness' to the user (seeing their own hand recreated with high fidelity within the virtual world) that seems to improve positioning tasks (through visual and haptic proprioception elicitation)."

Conclusion
"We've been very pleased with the performance and reliability of our CyberGlove," says Maher. "It is a vital part of our virtual environments research. We will continue to use the CyberGlove in our immersive scientific visualization applications."

For More Information
For more information about Immersion's CyberGlove, please visit the CyberGlove product page.