Collaborative aviation projects in VR with projection on a 3D powerwall in 4K

The Hamburg Applied Research Center wants to be the third in the world dedicated to civil aviation, for which it has a laboratory to reproduce 3D content in 4K and at 120 Hz.

The German city of Hamburg, one of the most important for the civil aviation sector in Europe, houses the Applied Aeronautical Research Center (SHALL), with which its authorities collaborate with the objective of advancing the development of the third largest space dedicated to civil aviation in the world., in addition to attracting knowledge and experience in that field.

One of the main missions of ZAL is the integration and industrialization of innovative aeronautical technologies and to that end, Those responsible have opted to launch a series of cutting-edge research infrastructures, which include a large virtual reality laboratory and a conference center equipped with an auditorium and the so-called 'innovation market', a space to present and exhibit the latest products in this environment.

The shared use of research infrastructure by several partners is part of the ZAL operating concept.. This has happened with the creation of the VR laboratory, in which Viscon, specialist in design and integration of virtual reality and simulation projection systems and partner of Christie, has installed a 3D powerwall – 4K, with an adjoining meeting room where even 32 People can visualize complex aviation and space exploration projects in 3D.

3D projection with active shutter system

ZAL's VR system is designed so that the keynote speaker can present the displayed objects using a tracking, so that you can interact with them while the rest of the participants immerse themselves in the virtual world and continue, with the help of active shutter glasses, what is shown before your eyes.

rear projection screen, with a size of 6×3,18m created by Viscon, It has enough capacity to display large objects in their original dimensions, something especially important in aircraft construction, In addition to the advantage that this virtual screen does not require the need to manufacture expensive mockups..

To show that great image, a high-resolution and bright projector was needed., so that the user can zoom in on it to capture and edit even the smallest detail. Viscon's solution has been the Christie Mirage 304K active stereo projector, capable of playing 3D content at native 4K resolution, with an update rate of 120 Hz thanks to its TruLife electronics.

As Eric Küpper explains, CEO of Viscon, “We decided on Mirage 304K because it is a state-of-the-art 4K projector with very high performance, but also because it has a modular lamp system that completely protects it from failures, something that does not happen with single lamp devices. For us it is a fundamental aspect, since the VR system is available to various companies, and frequently from users without technical training”.

Guido Grun, ZAL VR specialist, He adds that “another reason we chose the Christie digital projector and an active 3D system was that we only needed one computer and we didn't have to make sacrifices in light output or native 4K resolution.”, and that represents a great saving. A dual projection would require a passive polarization system.”.

Another advantage of this system is its light output., of 30.000 lumens, very necessary since because of the filters and glasses, active shutter systems collect a large amount of light, In addition to the meeting room being used as a workspace.

The installation was designed as a cluster type system, in which the various partners of the computer network have simultaneous access to a shared store and are connected to the server through an LWL switch. Each partner uses its own data calculation system. “We use the software TechViz, that accesses the system's video memory and distributes the data to two clients., Grun points out..

Each client calculates an image, and the overall frame rate is 120Hz per second: 60 images directed at the left eye, and the other half to the right. AMD Catalyst graphics software is also used for 3D visualization., plus a series of additional programs.

The use of the ZAL VR laboratory is not limited to the center's staff researchers, since other institutions and professionals have the opportunity to rent the facilities and benefit from this innovative equipment.

As Grun points out, “VR is a transversal technology, very suitable for promoting cooperation between diverse fields and achieving optimal results in short periods of time. We are not just talking about the aviation sector: “The ZAL VR laboratory has cleared the horizon for making new cutting-edge discoveries at the Hamburg research and development center.”.