Virtual Workbench-a non-immersive virtual environment for visualizing and interacting with 3D objects for scientific visualization

The Virtual Workbench (VW) is a non-immersive virtual environment that allows users to view and interact with stereoscopic objects displayed on a workspace similar to a tabletop workspace used in day-to-day life. A VW is an ideal environment for collaborative work where several colleagues can gather around the table to study 3D virtual objects. The Virtual Reality laboratory at the Naval Research Laboratory has implemented the VW using a concept similar to (Froehlich et al., 1994). This paper investigates how the VW can be used as a non-immersive display device for understanding and interpreting complex objects encountered in the scientific visualization field. Different techniques for interacting with 3D visualization objects on the table and using VW as a display device for visualization are evaluated using several cases.