Virtual Reality Based
Scientific Research Tools
Immersive Science develops 3D image visualization tools for virtual reality and holographic display systems. These software tools accelerate the understanding of complex datasets, like image-stacks or flow cytometry data. We make it fast and simple to engage with your data, to see and interact with it, in three dimensions. We bring the full power of the human visual perception system to your research questions. Current tools are shown below, and we are also available to collaborate with you on your VR projects.
Contact us for more information.
Research Tools
ExMicroVR: 3D Image-stack Viewer
View multi-channel confocal microscope image-stacks in fully immersive virtual reality. Compatible workstation based VR systems, like Oculus RIft-S, Oculus Quest in Link Mode, HTC Vive, and Microsoft Mixed Reality (WMR) systems like Samsung Odyssey. Developed for researchers to allow you to see details of cell structure in your images that you have never seen or appreciated before.
- Load up to 30 channels of 3D image stacks (NIfTI .nii)
- Grab image and manipulate for fast identification of regions of interest
- Quickly connect with other researchers online to discuss and manipulate images
- Adjust image settings (brightness, threshold, etc.) for each channel individually
- Grab image and manipulate for fast identification of regions of interest
- Compatible with NVIDIA 1070 class VR workstations (not cell phone based VR)
Use ImageJ (free from NIH) to pre-process your images and to convert them to NIfTI (.nii) file format for viewing in ConfocalVR.
(Note – ExMicroVR is a reduced functionality version of ConfocalVR, made available to non-profit research institutes for free.)
ConfocalVR: Advanced 3D Image-Stack Viewer
View confocal microscope image-stacks in fully immersive virtual reality. Compatible with most workstation based VR systems. Developed for researchers to allow you to see details of cell structure in your images that you have never seen or appreciated before. Supports online VR collaboration, audio and visual, for up to 4 researchers.
- Load up to 30 channels of 3D image stacks (NIfTI .nii)
- Connect and work with other researchers online anywhere in the world (Covid-safe)
- Adjust image settings (brightness, threshold, etc.) for each channel individually
- Grab image and manipulate for fast identification of regions of interest
- Measure physical distance between points in the image
- Compute and display voxel intensity histograms
- Compute Blend functions between pairs of channels
- Create, Modify, and Save new channels
- Use “Excluder” objects to hide, or focus on, key image regions
- Mark and count key image objects (e.g. vacuoles)
- Display multi-channel image-stacks as short 30 frame movies
- User image Slicer to select best image view to use for 2D publications
- Compatible with NVIDIA 1070 class VR workstations (not cell phone based VR)
(Price – ConfocalVR V3.2 – $999 USD)
ConfocalLG: 3D Image-Stack Viewer for Looking Glass
View confocal microscope image-stacks in the Looking Glass “holographic” 3D displays. Compatible with most GPU-based workstations. Developed for researchers to allow you to see details of cell structure in your images that you have never seen or appreciated before, without the need for VR equipment, or headsets. All you need is your eyes.
- Load up to 30 channels of 3D image stacks (DICOM or NIfTI .nii)
- Adjust image settings (brightness, threshold, etc.) for each channel individually
- Grab image and manipulate for fast identification of regions of interest
- Compute Blend functions between pairs of channels
- Create, Modify, and Save new channels
- Display multi-channel image-stacks as short 30 frame movies
- Compatible with NVIDIA 1070 class VR workstations (not cell phone based VR)
(Price – ConfocalLG V1 – $999 USD)
FCS-VR: 3D Flow Cytometry Data Viewer
View multichannel flow cytometry data as 3D point cloud plots allowing you to significantly increase your understanding of data. View measured parameters in VR quickly and interactively, instantaneously switching which parameters are plotted on which axis. Includes 3D gating and outputs of per-gate parameters. Interpret your data over 3x faster.
- Preprocess FCS files with FlowJo, Diva, or equivalent, then output a “csv” data file of “events or counts” for immersive viewing in FCS-VR.
- Contact us for software licensing details.
(Price – Contact us)
News
Nature Toolbox: Virtual-reality applications give science a new dimension
R&D Magazine: Immersive Science LLC Brings VR Tools to Research Labs
Publications
ImmSci Portable VR Workstation
ImmSci now offers a pre-configured portable VR system that can get you setup and running ImmSci developed applications quickly. Avoid the distraction of learning all the low level VR setup details and show off your research to sponsors and collaborators more quickly.
ImmSci Portable Workstation includes:
- Fast GPU Laptop
- Oculus Quest II – VR System
- VR Backpack to hold laptop and VR System
- Licenses for ConfocalVR
- Preconfigured and ready to use
About
Background: Immersive Science was started by Tom Skillman to build and distribute custom VR applications for the scientific research community. ImmSci (“im sigh”) builds on the immersive VR experiences that were developed with immune system researchers at Benaroya Research Institute . Working with those scientists VR applications were created for confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. In the astronomy domain, a pilot VR application was built to view and navigate the Gaia 3D star position data for 1M stars. These tools enabled scientists to be immerse in their data. The ability to both see and interact with their data (grabbing, scaling, adjusting, sharing, collaborating) significantly accelerates understanding.
Custom Development: ImmSci is available to work with you on grant proposals and/or VR application development. Contact us to initiate a New Project conversation.
ImmSci tools have been published in The Journal of Molecular Biology, and described in Nature Toolbox and GeekWire. (See News & Publications)