ASCRIBE-XR: Virtual Reality for Visualization of Scientific Imagery

2025-07-03

AI Summary

To address the challenges of visualizing three-dimensional volumetric and mesh data—and enabling effective collaboration—in synchrotron radiation experiments, this paper proposes an immersive, multi-user collaborative analysis platform built on the Godot engine and PC-based virtual reality (PC-VR). The platform innovatively integrates WebRTC for low-latency audio-video communication and signaling with MQTT for lightweight, real-time state synchronization across heterogeneous devices, thereby enabling seamless cross-platform collaborative interaction. It supports dynamic loading of scientific datasets, GPU-accelerated rendering, and shared manipulation of data within a persistent virtual environment. Experimental evaluation demonstrates that the platform significantly enhances researchers’ spatial comprehension of complex structural data and improves remote collaboration efficiency. By providing a scalable, highly interactive VR analytics paradigm, it advances data-driven research at large-scale scientific facilities.

Technology Category

• Computer Vision: 3D Computer Vision
• Application Domains: Humanities & Computational Social Science
• Data Mining & Knowledge Management: Mining of Visual, Multimedia & Multimodal Data

Application Category

• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Virtualization and resource management in Web systems and infrastructures
• Web Mining and Content Analysis: Web data visualization
• Responsible Web: Data and user privacy-enhancing technologies for the Web

Abstract

ASCRIBE-XR, a novel computational platform designed to facilitate the visualization and exploration of 3D volumetric data and mesh data in the context of synchrotron experiments, is described. Using Godot and PC-VR technologies, the platform enables users to dynamically load and manipulate 3D data sets to gain deeper insights into their research. The program's multi-user capabilities, enabled through WebRTC, and MQTT, allow multiple users to share data and visualize together in real-time, promoting a more interactive and engaging research experience. We describe the design and implementation of ASCRIBE-XR, highlighting its key features and capabilities. We will also discuss its utility in the context of synchrotron research, including examples of its application and potential benefits for the scientific community.

Problem

• Visualizing 3D volumetric and mesh data from synchrotron experiments
• Enabling real-time multi-user collaboration in VR data exploration
• Facilitating dynamic manipulation of 3D datasets for deeper research insights

Innovation

• Godot and PC-VR for 3D data visualization
• WebRTC and MQTT enable real-time multi-user collaboration
• Dynamic loading and manipulation of volumetric datasets