Powering Multiprojection lmmersive Environments with Clusters of Commodity Computers

Abstract

Multiprojection lmmersive Environments are used in many fields such as science, engineering and art. Virtual Reality (VR) oriented systems have been powered traditionally by high-end graphics workstations or supercomputers but recently, clusters of commodity computers (PCs, Macintoshes, low cost workstations) have become a practical alternative. The advantages of a commodity cluster include low cost, flexibility, access to technology, and performance scalability. ln this paper we describe the family of graphics clusters developed to power Multiprojection lmmersive Environments. Design issues and results are presented considering the CAVERNA DigitalTM, the first five-sided cubic Multiprojection lmmersive Environment implemented in South America.