Stony Brook University has announced the completion of the FlexiCAVE, described as the world's largest flexible and dynamically reconfigurable high-resolution stereo display facility. Located in the New Computer Science building, this advanced system comprises 40 high-pixel-density monitors that can render approximately 83 million pixels. The FlexiCAVE is designed to transform its shape to accommodate various scientific and data-driven applications.
Arie Kaufman, a distinguished professor of Computer Science and principal investigator of the project, explained the concept behind FlexiCAVE: “We envisioned a display that would adapt to the data—not the other way around.” This innovation allows researchers to adjust their workspace according to their analytical needs.
The FlexiCAVE differs from traditional static visualization walls by employing a modular architecture with rotatable display columns. It can transition between different configurations such as flat, L-shaped, U-shaped, or semi-circular forms in real time. These changes affect not only aesthetics but also user experience and data interaction.
A custom-built rendering engine powers the system, synchronizing stereo views and updating visualizations dynamically as users modify screen layouts. This new interaction paradigm is referred to as PIVoT—Physical Interaction to Virtual Transformation.
Principal Research Scientist Dr. Saeed Boorboor emphasized its unique capabilities: “It’s more than a screen. It’s a physical and tangible interface for virtual exploration where users are immersed in the data.”
FlexiCAVE has demonstrated applications across various fields including healthcare, where it enables virtual colonoscopy and medical imaging visualization. In urban flood simulations, emergency planners can spatially navigate scenarios by reconfiguring displays.
Researchers have also used FlexiCAVE for multivariate data visualization, allowing dynamic switching between scatter plots and parallel coordinate plots through physical manipulation of screen segments. An early user study indicated participants preferred this flexibility over static layouts.
As datasets grow in size and complexity, immersive tools like FlexiCAVE are increasingly necessary for exploring data from multiple perspectives. The development was supported by New York State and Federal agencies, involving years of engineering work on customized components.
Future updates may include motorized column rotation for easier use, with potential new applications in collaborative analytics and adaptable workflows. Professor Kaufman expressed hopes that "FlexiCAVE becomes a blueprint for the next generation of immersive environments—not only here at Stony Brook but also globally."