Studierstube: Augmented Reality for Scientific Visualization

Current Virtual Reality systems are superior to conventional presentation media because of the three-dimensional display capability, but the hermetically shield the real world from the human user. The Virtual Reality research group at Vienna University of Technology in Austria found a solution to this restriction. The group constructed a system called "Studierstube" (study room), which uses see-through head-mounted displays fitted with position tracker to display virtual objects. This setup shows the user a computer generated image, but lets the user also interact with the surrounding and other humans. Two users observing a virtual object in "Studierstube" act in a combination of real and virtual world. If one of the users modifies the data, the other will be able to notice changes of the virtual object as well as follow the explanations given by the colleague in the real world. To modify a virtual object, the group also developed a two-handed tool, the PIP (personal interaction panel). The PIP is composed of a pad and a pen. Both devices are also equipped with position trackers and are connected to computer and the head-mounted display. Virtual objects can be shown to the user on the pad, which can then be manipulated with the pen. While the researchers are working on further technological improvements, the "Studierstube" system has already been successfully deployed in a number of applications ranging from visualization of flow data to landscaping to fashion design. Recent work on "Studierstube" enables support for several users that are connected via a network.