SVU Exhibit is Out of This World
Swinburne University recently launched what one expert describes as “the most visually mind-blowing thing on the planet.” Heidi Calopa reports.
The new SVU (Swinburne Virtual Universe) experience launched on May 2, 2026, offers school-aged students an immersive educational experience as well as promoting participation in space-related studies at Swinburne.
The SVU space boasts a 100m² curved LED wall with an immersive audio system, displaying real 3D scientific data and imagery. SVU’s Creative Technologist, Carl Knox, described it as, “a multi-use space for outreach for the astrophysics department.”
Director of OzGrav and Lead Creator of SVU, Dr Matthew Bailes, called SVU “the most visually mind-blowing thing on the planet. It’s designed to bring the wonder of space, or better, the comprehension of the wonder of space to the participants,” said Bailes.
Bailes adds that the projections shown at SVU have not been created by a Hollywood production. “What I’m trying to do here is build a system that draws everything from real data,” he said. The data-driven focus of SVU is another draw card for visitors.
SVU has many uses, but a key one promoted by the designers is to educate the next generation of space enthusiasts. This is particularly relevant as space is becoming increasingly popular. According to Google Trends, the search for ‘astronomy astrophysics’ in the Google browser worldwide has increased by 40% in the last five years.
It is not the first educational program for students on the topic of space at Swinburne. It's an evolution of the ongoing program, AstroTour, which uses virtual reality like SVU at a smaller scale and without the heavy data-driven focus. Swinburne plans on eventually phasing out AstroTour once SVU is more established.
PhD Candidate and AstroTour Coordinator, Olivia Vidal Velazquez said she felt the AstroTour program made studying space feel exciting and accessible, describing the eventual transition of outreach programs from AstroTour to SVU as “the natural evolution” of the current program.
“A lot of students have been inspired to come [to Swinburne], and I’ve seen students that have come to AstroTour that then decided to come here to do a Bachelors,” she said. This is particularly relevant to Swinburne with two astrophysics-related majors: ‘Space Technology’, and ‘Astrophysics and Astronomy’, making Swinburne a popular destination to study space. The university now ranks in the Top 50 in the world for Space Science, according to the U.S. News: Best Global Universities Rankings 2025-2026.
Vidal Velazquez describes the eventual transition of outreach programs from AstroTour to SVU as “the natural evolution” of the current program. For more information go to: https://www.swinburne.edu.au/research/facilities-equipment/virtual-universe/
Comments