Virtual Prototyping by Using Holographic Displays: But What About Large Data Problems?

The work reported in this paper is part of the research that explores the viability of using holographic displays as part of virtual prototyping package of supporting tools. The focus is principally on handling of large data problems, which are among the common problems of most volumetric displays. The paper first reviews related works. After describing the large data related problems that designers might face in using holographic displays and identifying the conceptual design tasks that could be supported by using these displays, a concept for handling the large data problems through elimination of irrelevant image details is introduced. An application example showing how some elements of the proposed concept function in the real world is also presented. The main contributions of this work can be summarized as follows: (i) we have demonstrated that through simplifications, visual abstractions, data clustering or other generalization methods, less complicated holographic images that require less computing resources but yet suitable 3D for some conceptual design tasks or virtual prototyping can be created; and (ii) we have defined the steps of a scalable high-level algorithm, that can be expanded or tuned to suit visualization demands in various conceptual design tasks. In the ongoing work, we aim to develop built in procedures within the proposed algorithm that would reduce the amount of image details without significantly affecting the appropriateness of the overall virtual model. And because of the reduced image details, it would be possible to display less complicated 3D virtual objects and in this way computing resources could be saved.