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

• Virtual Acupuncture
• Virtual Anatomy
• Virtual Functional and Anatomical Simulator for Orthopaedics Training
• Information-enhanced Virtual Operative Neurosurgical Anatomy
• Comprehensive Analysis and Interactive Visualization of Cardiac MR Data
• Real-time PC-based Visualization of Chinese Visible Human Datasets
• Web-based Multimedia Medical Database
• Multilingual Virtual Performer

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.