Lehigh's highly anticipated Visualization Lab opens later this month in E.W. Fairchild-Martindale Library. It features several innovative visualization tools, including a MultiTaction Curved iWall for the collaborative investigation of digital information at large scale. In addition, the Lab is outfitted with an HTC VIVE system, which provides users with an immersive virtual reality experience.
The Visualization Lab is open to faculty, students, and staff following a brief series of required training sessions with a member of the Visualization Lab Support Team. It has been envisioned as a collaborative space that can effortlessly shift from the examination of visual data on a vast pixel canvas to the evaluation of the pedagogical value of virtual reality environments--a place to explore; a place to create; a place to solve.
The Lab's core visualization technologies include:
- MultiTaction Curved iWall: Comprised of nine vertically-oriented, 55-inch, high-definition displays that curve in front of portions of three walls, this sophisticated, touch-sensitive video wall can support multiple project groups working simultaneously.
- Ideum Drafting Touch Table: Housed in a freestanding display case, this 55-inch, capacitive-touch 4K display is married with a powerful Windows PC and can be harnessed for the in-depth exploration of digital objects by an individual or a small group.
- Mondopad Ultra: An 85-inch, wall-mounted display with an integrated Windows PC, the 4K Mondopad Ultra facilitates presentation annotation, as well as data manipulation in both face-to-face and remote collaboration sessions.
- HTC VIVE Virtual Reality (VR) System: The VIVE headset and handheld controllers transport the wearer into an immersive world complete with stunning graphics, a 110˚ field of view, intuitive controls, and touch-based feedback. Not only could a live VR session be concurrently viewed on the MultiTaction iWall and/or the Mondopad Ultra, but the Lab was also designed with the capacity to stream out VIVE sessions over the Internet.
The Visualization Lab is housed in the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning, EWFM Library, Room 370D. If you are interested in a tour, please contact it.team@lehigh.edu.