SVU allows scientists to explain and visualise dynamic scientific data into interactive experiences for research, education and public engagement.

Facility and technology

At the heart of Swinburne’s Virtual Universe is a 100+ square metre stereoscopic LED wall - a wraparound digital canvas that delivers high resolution 3D visuals that fill your peripheral vision. High performance graphic processing units (GPUs) and real-time rendering power provide an interactive, multiuser exploration.

With 22 speakers, audio and large‑format scientific visualisation datasets can be experienced in ways that reflect the phenomena themselves — from compact objects to galaxies and the large‑scale structure of the universe.

Once inside SVU, our custom software creates the illusion that the screens have dissolved - placing audiences inside virtual worlds of seemingly infinite extent. This experience is enabled by:

  • a 45 megapixel stereoscopic 3D LED display
  • high-performance GPUs for real-time rendering of scientific datasets
  • immersive audio supporting spatial soundscapes
  • interactive, voice-enabled navigation controls
  • Person standing in front of a stereoscopic LED wall showing images of stars and planets.
    Distinguished Professor Matthew Bailes showcasing the Swinburne Virtual Universe
  • A person in front of a wraparound digital canvas with images of the solar system.
    Dr Kirsten Banks demonstrating the Swinburne Virtual Universe’s immersive experience to the audience
  • An shadowed outline of a person point to a digital screen showing stars, nebular, and other planetary things.
    Dr Kirsten Banks demonstrating Swinburne’s Virtual Universe
  • 3 people stand in front of a large digital screen showing swirling images of space in red, pink and yellow.
    A visualisation of the Rosette Nebula, rendered at scale within the Swinburne Virtual Universe
  • Two people looking at an upclose solar image on a digital screen.
    Dr Kirsten Banks and Work Integrated Learning placement student Chelsea Rados examine NASA solar imagery within the Swinburne Virtual Universe

Immersive experiences

Swinburne's Virtual Universe hosts a growing suite of immersive experiences that combine scientific accuracy with cinematic storytelling. 

Throughout 2026, we will expand SVU’s applications to showcase Swinburne’s areas of research and teaching excellence — creating new ways for students, partners and the community to experience our work.

Science and the Stars: Our place in the Universe

Delivered by Professor Matthew Bailes — winner of the Prime Minister’s Prize for Science and the 2023 International Shaw Prize in Astronomy — this flagship experience draws on real astrophysical data, cinematic visualisations and spatial audio to take you on a breathtaking journey through space. 

Once you step inside the 100+ square metre Virtual Universe, you’ll experience the cosmos like never before. Explore black holes, planets and moons, and the dynamic structure of the Milky Way in extraordinary depth and scale.

Educational visits

Guided immersive sessions tailored for curriculum and age group - making advanced astrophysics visceral and unforgettable for students.

Private events

Corporate events, product launches, and VIP experiences - for scientists, artists, and industry partners redefining how ideas are communicated.

Virtual production studio

SVU will also double as a virtual production studio, developed with colleagues from Swinburne’s School of Social Sciences, Media, Film and Education.

This will open new opportunities for screen production, storytelling and creative collaboration.

Bring your school, community group or organisation to visit Swinburne’s Virtual Universe. Or talk to us about tailoring an experience for your audience.

Partnerships and collaboration

Developed in collaboration with the ARC Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery (OzGrav), Swinburne's Virtual Universe brings together scientists, technologists, artists and educators to co-create experiences grounded in research.

We work with institutions and industry to support interdisciplinary research, teaching and outreach - and to explore new ways of visualising and communicating complex science.

Contact us

Get in touch to collaborate, develop new content, or arrange a visit for your group.

Carl Knox, Creative Technologist, Department of Physics and Astronomy
cknox@swinburne.edu.au

Email us