Virtual Reality, Visualization and Imaging Research Centre
(P. A. Heng (Director), T. T. Wong, H. Sun, K. H. Wong and Leo J. Jia)

The Virtual Reality, Visualization and Imaging Research Centre was established in 1999 and supported by Hong Kong Research Grant Council under Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) Scheme.

Mission

The centre is established with strong emphasis on developing the state of the art technologies to facilitate research advancement and technology transfer of interdisciplinary applications that involved powerful visualization, advanced imaging, and innovative virtual reality techniques.

Ongoing Research Projects

• Digital Manga/Cartoon Stylization from Photographs and Videos
• Electric-Mechanical Coupled Cardiac Functional Analysis
• Information-enhanced Virtual Operative Neurosurgical Anatomy
• Multilingual Virtual Performer
• The Development of a Virtual Reality Ultrasound Guided Organ Biopsy Training System
• Virtual Acupuncture
• Virtual Anatomy
• Virtual Functional and Anatomical Simulator for Orthopaedics Training
• Virtual Reality Based Simulator for Training Percutaneous and Transcatheter Procedures

Facilities & Equipment

The centre is equipped with high performance graphics supercomputers and virtual reality appliances to facilitate advanced research in virtual reality, visualization and imaging. These equipments include:

• SGI Onyx2 workstation. Its high-bandwidth ccNUMA architecture, combines supercomputing and visualization technologies to process 3D graphics, 2D imaging and video data in real time.
• Stereo large display devices (including Baron projection table, VisionStation and Virtual Workbench) provide user a 3D immersive illusion in order to work naturally in the virtual environment.
• Force feedback tools such as, Phantom and Laparoscopic Impulse Engine, allow user not just “sees” but also “touches” the objects in the virtual world.