Past, Present, and Future Thoughts on Immersive Visualization Laboratories Through the Story of the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery Virtual Environments Group

Over the past 40 years, immersive visualization laboratories have existed in different forms across academia, industry, and government, each one typically unique in their own ways. The following document will discuss the success story of the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery Virtual Environments (WIDVE) research group, located on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. The document will discuss the rich history of immersive visualization displays that members of the lab have worked with, display systems that exist throughout the lab space at present day, future plans, and thoughts on the importance of a focus on immersive displays beyond only commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) VR devices. The document will highlight several workflows and data pipelines that the lab has developed over the years. Finally, the document will outline a recommended set of do's and don'ts for immersive visualization laboratories in regards to sustainability, before providing some conclusions regarding the future of immersive visualization laboratories.