An awe-inspiring new chapter in science engagement has begun, with Professor Matthew Bailes, Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery, officially launching Swinburne Virtual Universe.
The space is exactly what it sounds like. A fully immersive room wrapped in more than 100 square metres of high-contrast LED screens, where you’re not just looking at the Universe, you’re inside it.
Visitors can move through a virtual solar system, guided in real time, with 3D visuals built from supercomputer simulations and real astrophysics data. It’s designed to make complex science feel intuitive, and honestly, a bit magical.
“It’s hard to describe that moment,” Professor Bailes said, reflecting on seeing Saturn’s rings stretch across the entire space. “You feel like you can walk along them and look out into infinity. That’s the feeling I want people to experience when they come in here.”
The idea for the Virtual Universe goes back much further. For Bailes, it traces all the way back to watching the Moon landing as a child and the sense of wonder that came with it. That same feeling is what this space is trying to recreate, not just for students, but for anyone who walks through the door.
Early reactions suggest it’s working.
From school students reaching out to grab floating moons, to adults completely absorbed in the experience, the Virtual Universe is already doing what it set out to do, connecting people to science in a way that sticks.
Built in partnership with OzGrav, the facility brings together research, technology and storytelling in one place. It also opens up new opportunities, not just for outreach, but for research translation and creative industries.
Now open, the Virtual Universe is already bringing in schools and the wider community, turning curiosity about space into something people can actually step inside and feel.
To learn more, visit www.svu3d.ai
Watch Professor Matthew Bailes speaking about SVU below:
Professor Matthew Bailes speaking about SVU