CollabXR released as Open Source on GitHub

Purdue’s Rosen Center for Advanced Computing (RCAC) is excited to announce that the Envision Center’s CollabXR platform has been released as an open source software, available now on GitHub. By making CollabXR open-source, the Envision Center is ushering in the next generation of teaching and learning, offering advanced 3D visualizations for any research lab or classroom worldwide.

CollabXR (XR=extended reality) is a shared learning platform that puts advanced visualizations at the fingertips of professors and students, immersing them in a learning environment like never before. The Unity-powered platform leverages cutting-edge AR/VR headsets to allow everyone to view and interact with the same virtual content pieces together. CollabXR can ingest almost any 3D dataset, spanning fields from astrophysics to nursing, and thanks to the recent addition of Cesium, it also supports geospatial data. By exploring 3D datasets in real-time as a group, CollabXR increases comprehension of complex subjects and improves research and learning collaboration.

CollabXR has been an iterative development spanning multiple years. After running a successful pilot program involving six different Purdue University instructors, the team at Envision began preparing the platform to be released as open source software:

“CollabXR has the potential to completely reshape teaching, learning, and research for disciplines that involve complex data visualization,” says Geroge Takahshi, Principal Visualization Scientist at the Envision Center. “Our goal is not to silo this technology or put it behind a paywall, but to get it in the hands of as many people as possible. We are thrilled to finally be able to release the source code on Github.”

To access the source code, please visit: CollabXR GitHub

The Envision Center also created a Discord channel for users to interact with each other and the development team. The channel can be found here: CollabXR Discord

To learn more about CollabXR, including multiople case studies, please visit: CollabXR

The Envision Center is a branch of RCAC dedicated to assisting, supporting, and collaborating with faculty, students, and industry in scientific visualization, virtual and augmented reality, and media creation. The center’s staff and student employees work with faculty partners and external clients to create virtual reality (VR) and data visualization tools for research and educational use. The center also collaborates on grant proposals and develops promotional media, such as publication-quality stills and animated videos. For more information, please visit: Envision Center

Written by: Jonathan Poole, poole43@purdue.edu