A Multiuser, Multisite, and Platform-Independent On-the-Cloud Framework for Interactive Immersion in Holographic XR

Abstract

Background: The ever-growing extended reality (XR) technologies offer unique tools for the interactive visualization of images with a direct impact on many fields, from bioinformatics to medicine, as well as education and training. However, the accelerated integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into XR applications poses substantial computational processing demands. Additionally, the intricate technical challenges associated with multilocation and multiuser interactions limit the usability and expansion of XR applications. Methods: A cloud deployable framework (Holo-Cloud) as a virtual server on a public cloud platform was designed and tested. The Holo-Cloud hosts FI3D, an augmented reality (AR) platform that renders and visualizes medical 3D imaging data, e.g., MRI images, on AR head-mounted displays and handheld devices. Holo-Cloud aims to overcome challenges by providing on-demand computational resources for location-independent, synergetic, and interactive human-to-image data immersion. Results: We demonstrated that Holo-Cloud is easy to implement, platform-independent, reliable, and secure. Owing to its scalability, Holo-Cloud can immediately adapt to computational needs, delivering adequate processing power for the hosted AR platforms. Conclusion: Holo-Cloud shows the potential to become a standard platform to facilitate the application of interactive XR in medical diagnosis, bioinformatics, and training by providing a robust platform for XR applications.