Student Informatik(w/m/d) -Performance-Optimized Drone and Path Visualization for AR/VR Applications

The Research Project

The current project is a multiplayer application that allows users to view the world in miniature on an augmented reality (AR) map, which they can scale, extend, and reposition. Users can also switch from augmented reality to virtual reality (VR) to experience the environment at a 1:1 scale. Map visualization applications are in general computationally demanding and can negatively impact overall system performance. In this context, all additional elements such as paths, vehicles, drones, and user interface components must be optimized and integrated using real-world coordinates (latitude, longitude, altitude). The goal of this project is to ensure smooth performance and prevent user discomfort when interacting with the data and simulations.

The Research Questions

This internship examines how real-time drone and path data can be visualized efficiently in AR/VR on immersive devices such as the Meta Quest or HoloLens. The research focuses on how rendering optimizations and predictive movement techniques may affect visual smoothness, system performance, and user comfort. A further aim is to identify which visualization methods provide the best balance between accuracy, responsiveness, and computational efficiency for large-scale AR/VR map environments.

Your tasks

• Conduct a literature review on AR/VR map design and techniques for optimizing textures and rendering in Unreal Engine for immersive headsets
• Design intuitive AR/VR interactions and user interfaces using hand tracking
• Improvement of existing and development of novel methods for visualizing drones and drone paths, including real-time communication with a server for live drone and path updates
• Conduct an evaluation to identify which visualization methods are the most performance-optimized
• Develop scalable, maintainable code, including comprehensive documentation and well-commented implementation
• Documentation of the evaluation results