Comparison of Multiple Large Fluid-Structure Interaction Simulations in Virtual Reality

Scientific visualization tools are rapidly embracing the necessary challenge of simultaneously visualizing multiple parameterized simulation data sets [8]. In the new paradigm, scientists hope to understand parameter relationships and stochastic trends that exist in a parameter space [6], [7]. At the same time, virtual reality (VR) environments have enabled exciting possible opportunities for exploring and comparing time varying spatial data sets [3]. Although VR offers a unique perspective to view 3D and 4D data, it requires high framerates for interactivity and optimized use of precious GPU memory. Accurate simulations, on the other hand, are often very large due to dynamic unstructured mesh resolutions and small timesteps, making it difficult to simply render even one data set. To solve this, large data visualization frameworks often use data sampling and efficient rendering techniques to engage the GPU [1], [8]. Even then, VR is mostly used to add a stereoscopic view, and is rarely an integral part of interactive data instance comparison [3].