Fossils, Galactic Voids, & More Brought to Life at Ohio Supercomputer Center

Whether visualizing fossil bones to understand the relationship between bone structure and the functional characteristics of a skeleton, investigating void-finding algorithms to define voids in 3D galaxy surveys, or completing a research project for the U.S Department of Defense, data visualization software from Advanced Visual Systems is an integral part of research and analysis at the Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC).

AVS/Express is used at OSC to display various properties of sample cores (water content, particulate size, composition, etc.) in 3D to better visualize the distribution of these properties underneath Cleveland’s downtown area.

Nationally recognized as one of the country’s top cluster computing sites, the Columbus-based Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC) is using several editors of AVS/Express along with CRAY SV1, CRAY T94, SGI Origin 2000 and SGI Onyx2 computers to support a diverse range of research by scientists and engineers throughout Ohio and for a variety of customers including the US Government and partners such as the Maui High-Performance Computing Center.

Recent research projects that utilized AVS/Express software include 3D renderings of fossil specimens from the Miocene Hominoid Proconsul to understand the developmental processes and functional changes that occurred in early hominoid evolution; 3D visualization of recently rediscovered geological samples taken from the area where downtown Cleveland now is erected to gain insight into the geographic area’s past; a 2D simulation of falling paper to better understand the complex interaction between air and a solid object moving through the air; and land mine detection.

AVS/Express is used at OSC to visualize findings regarding voids in three-dimensional galaxy surveys. Additional analysis of voids in three-dimensional galaxy surveys.