UCT Sustainability and the SDGs 2022 - Magazine - Page 23
Research and Innovation
Virtual reality research unlocks new frontiers
for science and industry
The Inter-University Institute for Data Intensive Astronomy
(IDIA), of which UCT is a key partner, in 2024 unveiled the
immersive Data Visualisation Interactive Explorer (iDaVIE)
software, a groundbreaking virtual-reality software that
enables immersive visualisation of complex datasets, not
only for astronomy but across engineering, medical and
industry-relevant 昀椀elds.
By releasing the code as open-source, UCT and IDIA are
fostering innovation ecosystems where local researchers
and entrepreneurs can build new applications, partner with
industry, and create spin-out opportunities. These kinds
of tools help translate scienti昀椀c research into commercial
and economic value, supporting job creation, tech-driven
enterprise development and national infrastructure growth.
We are thrilled to
make iDaVIE available to
the public. This software
represents years of hard
work, and we believe it
will be a valuable resource
for researchers around
the world.
– Dr Lucia Marchetti, director
of the IDIA Vislab.
46 - Sustainability and the SDGs 2024
Sustainability and the SDGs 2024 – 47
