The Expanded Perception and Interaction Centre (EPICentre)
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HEVS

High-End Visualisation System (HEVS)

High-End Visualisation System (HEVS) is a framework that attempts to simplify and unify the process for distributing cross-platform multi-modal visualisation projects across various display mediums (hardware solutions), including within clustered environments. HEVS supports many platforms, including PC, CAVE, XR, Multitouch Walls, Hemispherical Domes and other curved projection-based displays such as cylinders.

Although it is impossible to automatically cover all platforms, the philosophy of HEVS is to make it as easy as possible and to ideally allow for a single executable to run on multiple platforms. After all, if the backbone of the platform is a PC then why would we need separate builds just because they output onto a different type of display?

Currently implemented as a Unity3D plugin with support for Unity 2018 and 2019, additional implementations are in development including C/C++ and Python.

Project Repository

The latest HEVS release can be found at: https://bitbucket.org/epicentreunsw/hevsunity/

Project Partners

HEVS was developed to allow easier collaboration. It was tested at the following locations, tested on various VR/AR/XR systems:

  • EPICentre, UNSW Art & Design, Sydney Australia
  • iCinema, UNSW, Sydney Australia
  • University of South Australia, Adelaide Australia
  • École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland
  • Curtin University, Perth, Australia

Project Team

Chief Investigator & Project Director: Tomasz Bednarz
Lead Software Engineer & Architect: Conan Bourke
Applications Engineer: Nicholas Oliver
Technical Team: Robert Lawther, Dominic Branchaud, Doug Kidd
Contributors: Daniel Filonik

UNSW Research Infrastructure Scheme (RIS) Support

Porting various use cases to HEVS and connecting labs across UNSW is supported by UNSW RIS grant. Chief Investigators are: Tomasz Bednarz (Primary), Mathew Chylinski, Katharina Gaus, Ian Gibson, Hoon Han, Bruce Henry, Anthony Kelleher, John Lock, John McGhee, Simon McIntyre, Sean O’Donoghue, Christopher Pettit, Claude Sammut, Scott Sisson, Mari Velonaki, David Waite, Sisi Zlatanova.

References

Please cite this paper if you use HEVS in your publications and research grants.

  • Conan Bourke, Tomasz Bednarz. Multi-Modal High-End Visualization System. Proceeding VRCAI ’19 The 17th International Conference on Virtual-Reality Continuum and its Applications in Industry. 14-16 November 2019, Brisbane, Australia. BEST DEMO Award! Link https://doi.org/10.1145/3359997.3365731.

Short Courses