Research topics

Use cases

A woman has put on VR goggles and is moving in virtual reality with the help of the VR controllers, an army soldier is standing by her side.
Secretary of Defense Klaudia Tanner tests the VR application that VRVis developed in cooperation with the Institute of Military Geoscience.

Virtual Reality for military mission planning

The Austrian Armed Forces use a VR application developed by VRVis to plan maneuvers and operations around the world. Urban scenes are reconstructed in 3D from satellite images so that users can move freely within them: for training in local knowledge, for mission planning through to maneuver exercises or for planning rescue operations. This VR application is an important application for modern armed forces, as it offers several advantages at once: Complex geographic content is conveyed that cannot be transported on two-dimensional maps, operational areas are learned about "from a distance," and all operations in the simulation are documented for command generation and planning. More information about the project

Martin Brunnhuber holds a tablet on which a laser scan of the Perjen Tunnel can be seen, Lisa Kellner sits next to him. In front of them are two screens with code and laser scans.
VRVis researcher Martin Brunnhuber examines a high-resolution laser scan of the Perjen Tunnel in the tunnel inspection software dibit 8.

Immersive tunnel monitoring in virtual reality

Tunnel safety is an important issue in the Austrian road and rail network. Teams of engineers monitor tunnels for cracks and irregularities during excavation, concrete construction and live operation. To support this work, we are researching digital tools for tunnel inspection at VRVis together with our partner Dibit Messtechnik. We have developed a virtual reality tunnel monitoring system in order to better perceive the real proportions of the tunnels and to gain new insights into the data through the immersion gained. This can also be used for the training of geologists, for example. More about the project.

On the left, a man wearing VR glasses; on the right, the two images he sees through the glasses: the left image has a visual impairment.
The research project "XREye" by Katharina Krösl, a member of our Multiple Senses Group, develops realistic simulations of visual impairments and eye diseases in cooperation with ophthalmologists to make public places and their lighting and guidance systems more inclusive.

Simulating Eye Diseases and Vision in Virtual Reality

Around the world, 2.2 billion people have a visual impairment or eye-related diseases. Due to our aging society, age-related visual impairments are also rapidly increasing and are becoming a fundamental topic for urban and interior planning, as well as architecture. Therefore, the research project "XREye" is dedicated to working together with ophthalmologists to simulate visual impairments such as macular degeneration or cataracts as realistically as possible in virtual and augmented reality. Read about the project

A researcher in a lab suit stands in a lab with her hand in the air while using an augmented reality application.
Researcher Milena Nowak tests the immersive AR prototype to optimize lab workflows.

Augmented and Mixed Reality in the pharmaceutical industry

Pharmaceutical research and development is characterized by high quality requirements. In order to improve ongoing process development, an international pharmaceutical group relies on an augmented reality solution from VRVis. The AR solution is used in the laboratories for monitoring ongoing experiments and helps to optimize workflows through user guidance as well as enabling global collaborative working. More information about the project

Four columns of an ancient Roman tomb reconstructed from aerial photos 3D.
Four orthophotos of the Igel Column on the Moselle: 3D reconstruction of images taken while the Roman tomb was being restored.

Reconstruction of historic buildings, monuments and cultural heritage landmarks

Of all building structures, historic, landmarked buildings as well as landmarks are most at risk from the ravages of time. The VRVis uses drone imagery and 3D laser scans to reconstruct these architectural and cultural heritage landmarks using extended reality methods and make them experienceable in virtual reality. This serves the purpose of documentation and cultural mediation, in that even the smallest and finest facade elements or decorative elements can be depicted. These models also facilitate the documentation of facade changes, maintenance as well as predictive maintenance.

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