Interactive volume segmentation with the PAVLOV architecture

Abstract

We propose a new paradigm for interactive volume visualization which allows enhanced exploration of datasets through the use of real-time volume processing (e.g., segmentation) tightly coupled with rendering. We show examples of how this paradigm supports a new way of examining a dataset by providing interactive visual feedback to segmentation parameter adjustment. We have developed a hardware co-processor, called PAVLOV, based on a SIMD mesh architecture. It supports our paradigm by providing volume processing at over 15Hz while also renderingof the results at 30Hz. We show how PAVLOV's programmability is used for volume processing applications, such as interactive segmentation and feature extraction. We further compare 3D segmentation on mesh architectures to known efficient methods for 2D segmentation.