| Résumé |
In the last thirty years, the evolution of numerical data processing in terms of processing power, data storage capacity and algorithmic proficiency in modeling and simulating physical phenomena allowed the emergence of the discipline known as Computational Fluid Dynamics or CFD. More recently, Virtual Reality (VR) systems have proven an interesting alternative to conventional user interfaces, in particular when exploring complex and massive datasets, such as those encountered in scientific visualisation applications. Unfortunately, all too often, VR technologies have proven unsatisfactory in providing a true added value compared to standard interfaces, because insufficient attention was given to the activity and needs of the intended user audience. The CoRSAIRe project aims to design multimodal virtual environments to assist data exploration and simulation in two different fields of science: molecular docking and CFD. The present work focuses on efforts specifically targeting the design of a VR environment dedicated to the analysis of unstationary flows in fluid dynamics. Three different aspects will be highlighted. First, we show how putting the user (a scientist, expert in the field) at the center of the system is accomplished through a formalized analysis of work activity and through system evaluation. Second, auditory outputs providing analysis of time-varying phenomena in a spatialized virtual environment are presented. Finally, specific haptic feedbacks are designed to assist visual data exploration in CFD simulations. |
