top of page

VROOM
(Virtual Reality Ontology Object Manipulation)

Immersive 3-D interaction with large biomedical ontologies

Quick Facts

Duration: 2022 – ongoing

Lead: Dr. Margarita Vinnikov, NJIT SciTePress+1

Collaborators: Dr. James Geller, iXR Lab & NJIT Capstone students (multiple cohorts) 

Keywords: Virtual Reality, Ontology Visualization, Biomedical Knowledge, Human–Computer Interaction,
Spatial Cognition

Overview

The VROOM project explores how immersive virtual reality can transform the way users interact with complex biomedical ontologies. These ontologies are large structured networks connecting thousands of biomedical concepts and relationships, often overwhelming to work with in conventional 2D interfaces like Protégé. VROOM embeds ontology networks in 3D virtual space, enabling users to walk through, manipulate, and query concepts using natural gestures within VR.

Motivation & Background

Biomedical ontologies support data integration, analysis, and interpretation across health and life sciences. Traditional editors visualize these networks as flat graphs or text, which can obscure structure and scale.
VROOM addresses these limitations by placing users within the data space, improving spatial understanding
and interaction.

Goals & Research Questions

  • Create a VR interface that supports exploration, editing, and recall of ontology structures using embodied interaction.

  • Compare usability, performance, and cognitive outcomes between VROOM and conventional 2D editors.

  • Examine how spatial immersion influences memory, navigation, and error detection in complex networks.

Methods & Approach

  • Prototype System: Nodes are rendered as 3D objects connected by visible links. Users interact with metaphors such as scissors to remove relationships and a glue stick to add or reconnect links. 

  • User Study: Participants used VROOM and Protégé to complete browsing and recall tasks; performance was measured with task time, accuracy, and recall tests. 

  • Data Collection: Combined quantitative metrics and qualitative feedback on presence, ease of use, and preference.

Impact & Dissemination

Publications

  • Virtual Reality Ontology Object Manipulation (VROOM) – HEALTHINF 2022. SciTePress

  • Usability and Recall Evaluation of the VROOM System – AMIA Annual Symposium 2023. PMC
     

Outreach

Featured in NJIT news for bringing ontology research into focus through immersive technology. news.njit.edu
 

Applications

  • Biomedical knowledge management and curation

  • Educational exploration of complex networks

  • Interfaces for large knowledge graphs in research and industry

©2023 by Dr. Margarita Vinnikov. 

bottom of page