In the CAVE, data are projected in stereoscopic images onto the walls and floor of the CAVE so that they fill the cubicle. In a simulated aquarium, fish not only swim in front of you or on your left and right but below and behind you as well. To get a 3D effect, the computer projects stereoscopic images in rapid, alternating succession while it controls the lenses in the viewing glasses in synchronization with the images being flashed on the screen. The undetectably fast shuttering produces the stereo vision. A tracking device attached to the glasses relays the viewer's position to the computer that then recomputes the image to reflect the viewer's new perspective at a rate of 10 frames per second.
Wands are the most commonly-used interface devices.
Because the 3D images can be seen by anyone wearing the CrystalEyes shuttering glasses, the CAVE is ideal for collaborative work. One or several people can simultaneously observe and analyze a simulation, though only from the perspective of whomever is wearing the tracking device. Some images are accompanied by sounds mapped to the same data driving the imagery. A virtual trip to the beach is so much more compelling when you can hear the sound of waves crashing on the shore and the cry of seagulls. But beyond providing ambiance, sounds can reveal fine features in data not easily captured in images, such as speed and frequency.