Have you ever played a video game or watched an animated movie with super-realistic light and shadow movement? Ray tracing allows game developers and animators to emulate the way that light works in the real world, tracing the path of simulated light as it bounces off objects, interacts with the properties of other objects, and how its hue can change over time or as it moves across surfaces. Recreating the way that light works in the real world is resource-intensive, requiring a massive amount of computing power. Until recently game developers had struggled against the limitations of graphics cards that didn’t allow ray tracing technology to function properly in games. All that changed in 2019 with the introduction of Nvidia’s RTX 20 series graphics cards. While the potential that this opens up for gaming is huge, here are just a few of the endless possibilities for real-world applications of ray tracing in fields as diverse as medicine, TV and stage productions, architecture, and engineering.
Medical applications
In medicine, ray tracing is making major breakthroughs in the world of 3-D imaging. A huge leap beyond X-Rays, ray tracing will allow medical professionals to create photo-realistic images of the brain, heart, and other vital organs with greater accuracy, which could mean major strides in the detection and treatment of tumors or medical defects.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is already undertaking research to produce the most detailed 3-D organ visualizations ever created. Using ray-tracing software, researchers are able to create a photo-realistic image of the internal organs of mice and are working on expanding the possibility of using real-time ray tracing in medical settings to better image objects for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases.
Additionally, researchers and software technicians are working together to expand the use of ray-tracing software to improve ultrasounds. Beyond allowing expectant parents to get a clearer image of their unborn child, the use of ray tracing in ultrasounds will also enable doctors to diagnose potential birth defects in-utero and make treatment plans prior to birth. For those seeking medical treatment, real-time ray tracing ultrasounds will allow doctors to better understand the extent of a patient’s injuries and better plan for surgery or other treatment options. Check out Going Under the Virtual Knife to learn more about how technology and medicine are working together to create better outcomes for patients.
Wonders of architecture
Since its very beginnings, the architecture industry has relied on hand-drawn renderings to help clients visualize proposed designs. Computer-aided design (CAD) programs made creating those renderings less time-intensive, but even they had limits.
Both hand-drawn designs and CAD models have failed to produce realistic illumination effects and visualize how light will behave in the environment. Backward ray tracing now offers architects the opportunity to create visually realistic images with accurate light modeling. Ray tracing software is succeeding in bringing architectural design to life.
On the stage
Theater and television lighting professionals often spend days, weeks, or even months planning stage lighting setups. Often, when the lighting professionals finally get access to the venue or stage, they find that their lighting arrangement doesn’t work within the space or that there are additional aspects of the space that they didn’t take into account when planning lighting – leaving them scrambling to modify their plans.
Ray tracing allows lighting professionals to create visually realistic light models within an architectural rendering of the production space. Allowing set and light designers to develop and visualize complex lighting setups months before production ever begins, ray tracing is saving productions time, money, and effort.
Engineering marvels
Taking the world of ray tracing beyond rendering photo-realistic pictures, engineers are using the technology for global illumination. Lighting designers, solar energy researchers, and mechanical engineers are expanding the applications of ray tracing software beyond what was once thought possible. The Quadro RTX GPU is now available to make this possible in real-time.
Engineers are able to use ray tracing to predict illumination levels, luminance gradients, and visual performance criteria. Global illumination via ray tracing also allows engineers to analyze the distribution and directionality of light and radiant heat transfer from that light, which can help reduce the costs of heating and lighting spaces – especially important for companies focused on becoming more green.
Get the latest tech for your project
Whether you’re hosting a gaming tournament, working on a huge architecture project, or creating a lighting plan for a major movie production, the computing and GPU power of your hardware are all that matter. Our gaming desktop rentals feature the latest graphics cards capable of keeping up with even the most demanding games or software. With service in over 1000 cities worldwide, Rentacomputer.com offers desktop, laptop, and other office equipment rentals to meet the needs of your next event, conference, or project. Get a quote for all of your gaming desktop rental needs today!
Power Your Designs With Tech Travel Agent Brian
Do you need someone to help you push the boundaries of what is possible? Tech Travel Agent Brian Kubala specializes in technology solutions including Quadro-equipped rental products, gaming desktops, laptops, large displays, video walls, projectors and screens, and workstations. Brian can answer any questions you have about computers and other necessary equipment, as well as the renting process. Contact Brian today at 1-800-736-8772 ext. 270 or fill out a fast, easy online quote form.
*We are a Business to Business (B2B) rental firm. All rental orders must be placed by an authorized representative of a qualified business. First-time business customers are screened for compliance to ensure the order is legitimate and authorized. In short, you must be a business that has been established for a minimum of 2 years with an email address connected to a corotate domain and a ship to address that also meets our requirements. To see the full requirements, visit our Requirements to Rent page.
**Are you part of an eSports team or gaming community? If so, keep in mind we would love to help supply the gaming hardware for your next event, however, we are strictly a business to business rental firm. Since gaming teams, clubs, and comminutes of gamers would not qualify as a business, simply ask your corporate sponsor if they are willing to place the order for your gaming event on your behalf.
