Interactive Molecular Graphics for Augmented Reality Using HoloLens

Journal of Integrative Bioinformatics

Koch Steffen¹  Herr Dominik¹  Huber Markus²  Weiskopf Daniel²  Müller Christoph²  Biener Verena²  Krone Michael²  Reina Guido²  Ertl Thomas² 

[1] Institute for Visualisation and Interactive Systems (VIS), University of Stuttgart, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany;Visualisation Research Centre (VISUS), University of Stuttgart, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany;

关键词: bioinformatics;    hololens;    augmented reality;    molecular visualisation;    gpu;    scientific visualisation;    immersive analytics;   

DOI  :  10.1515/jib-2018-0005

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Immersive technologies like stereo rendering, virtual reality, or augmented reality (AR) are often used in the field of molecular visualisation. Modern, comparably lightweight and affordable AR headsets like Microsoft’s HoloLens open up new possibilities for immersive analytics in molecular visualisation. A crucial factor for a comprehensive analysis of molecular data in AR is the rendering speed. HoloLens, however, has limited hardware capabilities due to requirements like battery life, fanless cooling and weight. Consequently, insights from best practises for powerful desktop hardware may not be transferable. Therefore, we evaluate the capabilities of the HoloLens hardware for modern, GPU-enabled, high-quality rendering methods for the space-filling model commonly used in molecular visualisation. We also assess the scalability for large molecular data sets. Based on the results, we discuss ideas and possibilities for immersive molecular analytics. Besides more obvious benefits like the stereoscopic rendering offered by the device, this specifically includes natural user interfaces that use physical navigation instead of the traditional virtual one. Furthermore, we consider different scenarios for such an immersive system, ranging from educational use to collaborative scenarios.

【 授权许可】

Unknown