Swiss scientists utilize VR technology and a massive astronomical data repository to simulate a 360-degree universe in real-time.
The VIRUP virtual reality software allows for 360-degree observation of the universe. (Video: Reuters)
At the Astrophysics Laboratory (LASTRO) of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), scientists have developed a virtual reality (VR) software that simulates the universe in the most detailed manner ever achieved, in real-time, based on modern astrophysical data. Known as the Virtual Universe Project, abbreviated as VIRUP, the software is currently available as open-source for astronauts around the globe.
“What we are viewing here is the largest dataset of the universe. It runs in real-time in a 3D 360-degree environment, allowing people to navigate freely,” stated researcher Sarah Kenderdine at EPFL.
After centuries of exploring space, astronomers have collected data on billions of celestial objects in the night sky using telescope systems both on the ground and in space.
Creating a visual representation of such vast amounts of data in real-time is a significant challenge that software developers face. For conventional 3D simulations, data is typically pre-rendered into specific sequences, similar to what we see at planetariums.
“The novelty of VIRUP is its real-time capability! It brings tens of terabytes of data to the screen with very high fidelity,” Kenderdine added.
The universe displayed through VIRUP boasts high fidelity. (Photo: EPFL)
With an increasing amount of data being collected, scientists will gain a fuller understanding of events in the universe.
“For instance, we can now understand very well how large-scale structures, including galaxies, form. It’s a rather complex process that is not easy to visualize in 2D simulations. VIRUP will take you on a journey through galaxies and allow you to directly witness how everything is forming, evolving, and merging together,” explained astrophysicist Yves Revaz from LASTRO.
Currently, the VIRUP software is capable of visualizing data from over 8 combined astronomical facilities, including more than 50 million galaxies and 4,500 exoplanets discovered by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to date.
VIRUP also generates robust simulations based on data research. Therefore, you can observe future collisions between the Milky Way and the neighboring Andromeda galaxy, or the large-scale filamentary structures extending throughout the universe.
As more data is collected, VIRUP will integrate that data into its software, providing astronomers and astrophysicists with a completely new perspective on space.
