Currently, multi-user virtual reality (VR) in one location isn’t exactly streamlined for the most part. A setup requires multiple PC’s depending on how many headsets need to be run, taking up space whilst adding a massive network of cables. So graphics card manufacturer NVIDIA has come up with an experimental solution, an all-in-one PC that can run four HTC Vive’s at the same time.
At NVIDIA’s GPU Technology Conference (GTC) today, the company showcased the proof-of-concept PC that uses four Quadro P6000 GPUs running four virtual machines on a PC server.
This design of system would have many use cases such as theme parks, arcades, or for companies looking to train employees. Not only does the design minimise space, its also ensures reduced power consumption and cooling states NVIDIA in a blog posting.
“Initially, the reason for developing this system was to figure out a way to support multi-user VR. However, other interesting use cases began to emerge, including a mixed-reality spectator view, where some virtual machines drive head-mounted displays for participants, while others drive virtual cameras for observers,” wrote NVIDIA’s Victoria Rege.
“The possibilities are endless,” said Tom Kaye, a senior solutions architect at NVIDIA who helped develop the system in the blog posting. “With the addition of remote management and reliability features, such as multiple templates, clone on boot and remote rebuilds, we could see system builders working to create a robust, ready-to-deploy multi-user VR appliance.”
At the conference, CAVRNUS, a VR company that specialises in solutions for collaborative design, engineering, training and education, will showcase in-the-field training utilising the multi-user VR PC. “When NVIDIA shared this system with us, we knew it would be an ideal solution for our collaborative VR platform for our most demanding users, ” said Anthony Duca, founder and CEO at CAVRNUS. “The feedback and reaction to the multi-user, virtualized system, particularly in the engineering and defense markets, has been tremendous.”
VRFocus will continue its coverage of GTC 2017, reporting back with the latest announcements.