Foveated VR Rendering System for Large 3D Meshes

Research Project

Advisor:

Dr. Chao Peng


Role:

Researcher, Developer


View Publication

Introduction:

This paper presents a novel virtual reality (VR) system for real-time foveated rendering of large-scale 3D meshes composed of nearly 100 million triangles. As VR applications demand exceptionally high frame rates and stereo rendering for immersive experiences, existing desktop-based rendering techniques face significant computational challenges when adapted for VR. We incorporate foveal focus into the level-of-detail (LOD) selection process, prioritizing high geometric detail in the foveal region while reducing detail in peripheral areas. The foveated LOD selection method is seamlessly integrated with spatial factors, supported by a hierarchical patch-based mesh structure that enables precise rendering load estimation and adaptive LOD adjustments. Our system offers constrained optimization (fixed total load budget) executed in a parallel fashion on the GPU to ensure real-time performance. It is evaluated against state-of-the-art VR rendering solutions. The results demonstrate that our VR rendering system significantly outperforms these existing solutions in maintaining high visual fidelity while delivering the performance required for real-time VR rendering.