Spatial Computing Architecture
Design scalable spatial computing systems with AR/VR integration, real-time 3D processing, and edge-cloud orchestration
What is Spatial Computing Architecture?
Spatial computing architecture combines physical and digital worlds by processing 3D spatial data in real-time. It enables applications like augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR) through sophisticated systems that understand and interact with 3D space.
Core Components:
- • Spatial Tracking: Real-time object and environment mapping
- • Rendering Pipeline: 3D graphics processing with sub-20ms latency
- • Edge Processing: Local computation for real-time interactions
- • Cloud Integration: Heavy computation and data persistence
- • Sensor Fusion: Multi-modal input processing (cameras, LiDAR, IMUs)
Interactive Spatial Computing Calculator
Spatial Computing Metrics
Spatial Computing Architecture Layers
Perception Layer
Sensor fusion, SLAM, object detection, and environment mapping
Processing Layer
Real-time computation, spatial indexing, and coordinate transformations
Rendering Layer
3D graphics pipeline, occlusion handling, and display optimization
Interaction Layer
Gesture recognition, voice commands, and haptic feedback
Network Layer
Edge-cloud orchestration, data synchronization, and latency optimization
Application Layer
AR/VR applications, spatial APIs, and user experience
Production Implementation
Spatial Computing Engine (TypeScript)
// Spatial Computing Architecture System
interface SpatialContext {
worldCoordinates: Matrix4;
trackingState: TrackingState;
spatialAnchors: SpatialAnchor[];
occlusionMap: OcclusionData;
}
interface SpatialAnchor {
id: string;
position: Vector3;
rotation: Quaternion;
confidence: number;
lastUpdated: number;
}
class SpatialComputingEngine {
private renderPipeline: RenderPipeline;
private spatialIndex: SpatialIndex;
private trackingSystem: TrackingSystem;
private edgeProcessor: EdgeProcessor;
constructor(config: SpatialConfig) {
this.renderPipeline = new RenderPipeline(config.renderConfig);
this.spatialIndex = new SpatialIndex(config.indexConfig);
this.trackingSystem = new TrackingSystem(config.trackingConfig);
this.edgeProcessor = new EdgeProcessor(config.edgeConfig);
}
async initializeSpatialTracking(): Promise<SpatialContext> {
// Initialize SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping)
const worldMap = await this.trackingSystem.initializeSLAM();
// Set up coordinate system calibration
const calibrationData = await this.calibrateWorldCoordinates();
// Create initial spatial context
return {
worldCoordinates: calibrationData.worldMatrix,
trackingState: TrackingState.TRACKING,
spatialAnchors: [],
occlusionMap: new OcclusionData()
};
}
async processFrame(
sensorData: SensorInput,
context: SpatialContext
): Promise<RenderFrame> {
// Multi-sensor fusion for tracking
const trackingUpdate = await this.trackingSystem.processSensorData(
sensorData,
context.trackingState
);
// Update spatial understanding
context.worldCoordinates = trackingUpdate.worldMatrix;
context.trackingState = trackingUpdate.state;
// Process spatial queries and object placement
const spatialObjects = await this.spatialIndex.query(
trackingUpdate.frustum,
context.spatialAnchors
);
// Handle occlusion and depth testing
const occlusionUpdate = await this.updateOcclusion(
sensorData.depthMap,
spatialObjects
);
context.occlusionMap = occlusionUpdate;
// Render frame with spatial context
return this.renderPipeline.renderFrame({
objects: spatialObjects,
worldMatrix: context.worldCoordinates,
occlusion: context.occlusionMap,
lighting: this.calculateSpatialLighting(trackingUpdate)
});
}
async createSpatialAnchor(
position: Vector3,
rotation: Quaternion
): Promise<SpatialAnchor> {
const anchor: SpatialAnchor = {
id: generateUUID(),
position,
rotation,
confidence: 0.0,
lastUpdated: Date.now()
};
// Validate anchor placement with environment mapping
const validation = await this.validateAnchorPlacement(anchor);
anchor.confidence = validation.confidence;
// Persist anchor with cloud synchronization
await this.edgeProcessor.syncAnchor(anchor);
return anchor;
}
private async updateOcclusion(
depthMap: DepthData,
objects: SpatialObject[]
): Promise<OcclusionData> {
// Multi-layer occlusion handling
const occlusionLayers = await Promise.all([
this.processPhysicalOcclusion(depthMap),
this.processVirtualOcclusion(objects),
this.processCrossModalOcclusion(depthMap, objects)
]);
return this.mergeOcclusionLayers(occlusionLayers);
}
}
// Edge Processing for Real-time Performance
class EdgeProcessor {
private cloudConnection: CloudConnection;
private localCache: SpatialCache;
private processingQueue: ProcessingQueue;
constructor(config: EdgeConfig) {
this.cloudConnection = new CloudConnection(config.cloudEndpoint);
this.localCache = new SpatialCache(config.cacheSize);
this.processingQueue = new ProcessingQueue(config.queueSize);
}
async processLocalComputation(
task: SpatialTask
): Promise<SpatialResult> {
// Prioritize local processing for latency-critical tasks
if (task.priority === Priority.REAL_TIME) {
return this.executeLocalProcessing(task);
}
// Offload heavy computation to cloud
if (task.computeComplexity > this.getLocalCapacity()) {
return this.offloadToCloud(task);
}
// Hybrid processing for balanced workloads
return this.executeHybridProcessing(task);
}
async syncAnchor(anchor: SpatialAnchor): Promise<void> {
// Cache locally for immediate access
await this.localCache.store(anchor.id, anchor);
// Sync with cloud for persistence and cross-device access
this.processingQueue.enqueue({
type: TaskType.SYNC_ANCHOR,
payload: anchor,
priority: Priority.NORMAL
});
}
private async executeHybridProcessing(
task: SpatialTask
): Promise<SpatialResult> {
const [localResult, cloudResult] = await Promise.allSettled([
this.executeLocalProcessing(task),
this.offloadToCloud(task)
]);
// Use local result if available, fallback to cloud
if (localResult.status === 'fulfilled') {
return localResult.value;
}
if (cloudResult.status === 'fulfilled') {
return cloudResult.value;
}
throw new Error('Both local and cloud processing failed');
}
}
Spatial Data Pipeline (Python)
# Spatial Computing Data Pipeline
import numpy as np
from typing import Dict, List, Tuple, Optional
from dataclasses import dataclass
import asyncio
from concurrent.futures import ThreadPoolExecutor
@dataclass
class SpatialPoint:
x: float
y: float
z: float
confidence: float
timestamp: float
@dataclass
class SpatialRegion:
points: List[SpatialPoint]
bounds: Tuple[float, float, float, float, float, float] # min_x, max_x, min_y, max_y, min_z, max_z
density: float
class SpatialDataPipeline:
def __init__(self, config: Dict):
self.spatial_index = SpatialIndex(config['index_config'])
self.point_processor = PointCloudProcessor(config['processing_config'])
self.mesh_generator = MeshGenerator(config['mesh_config'])
self.executor = ThreadPoolExecutor(max_workers=config.get('workers', 4))
async def process_point_cloud(
self,
raw_points: np.ndarray,
sensor_metadata: Dict
) -> SpatialRegion:
"""Process raw point cloud data into spatial regions"""
# Parallel point processing
processed_points = await self.parallel_point_processing(
raw_points,
sensor_metadata
)
# Spatial clustering and segmentation
clusters = await self.cluster_spatial_points(processed_points)
# Generate spatial regions
regions = []
for cluster in clusters:
region = await self.create_spatial_region(cluster)
if region.density > 0.5: # Filter low-quality regions
regions.append(region)
return self.merge_overlapping_regions(regions)
async def parallel_point_processing(
self,
raw_points: np.ndarray,
metadata: Dict
) -> List[SpatialPoint]:
"""Process points in parallel for performance"""
chunk_size = len(raw_points) // self.executor._max_workers
chunks = [
raw_points[i:i + chunk_size]
for i in range(0, len(raw_points), chunk_size)
]
# Process chunks in parallel
loop = asyncio.get_event_loop()
tasks = [
loop.run_in_executor(
self.executor,
self.process_point_chunk,
chunk,
metadata
)
for chunk in chunks
]
results = await asyncio.gather(*tasks)
# Flatten results
processed_points = []
for chunk_result in results:
processed_points.extend(chunk_result)
return processed_points
def process_point_chunk(
self,
points: np.ndarray,
metadata: Dict
) -> List[SpatialPoint]:
"""Process a chunk of points"""
processed = []
for point in points:
# Apply sensor calibration
calibrated = self.apply_sensor_calibration(point, metadata)
# Calculate confidence based on sensor quality
confidence = self.calculate_point_confidence(calibrated, metadata)
# Filter low-confidence points
if confidence > 0.3:
processed.append(SpatialPoint(
x=calibrated[0],
y=calibrated[1],
z=calibrated[2],
confidence=confidence,
timestamp=metadata['timestamp']
))
return processed
async def cluster_spatial_points(
self,
points: List[SpatialPoint]
) -> List[List[SpatialPoint]]:
"""Cluster points into spatial groups"""
# Convert to numpy array for processing
point_array = np.array([[p.x, p.y, p.z] for p in points])
# Use DBSCAN clustering with spatial parameters
from sklearn.cluster import DBSCAN
clustering = DBSCAN(
eps=0.1, # 10cm cluster radius
min_samples=5, # Minimum points per cluster
algorithm='ball_tree' # Efficient for 3D spatial data
).fit(point_array)
# Group points by cluster labels
clusters = {}
for i, label in enumerate(clustering.labels_):
if label == -1: # Skip noise points
continue
if label not in clusters:
clusters[label] = []
clusters[label].append(points[i])
return list(clusters.values())
async def create_spatial_region(
self,
cluster_points: List[SpatialPoint]
) -> SpatialRegion:
"""Create spatial region from clustered points"""
if not cluster_points:
raise ValueError("Cannot create region from empty cluster")
# Calculate bounding box
min_x = min(p.x for p in cluster_points)
max_x = max(p.x for p in cluster_points)
min_y = min(p.y for p in cluster_points)
max_y = max(p.y for p in cluster_points)
min_z = min(p.z for p in cluster_points)
max_z = max(p.z for p in cluster_points)
bounds = (min_x, max_x, min_y, max_y, min_z, max_z)
# Calculate spatial density
volume = (max_x - min_x) * (max_y - min_y) * (max_z - min_z)
density = len(cluster_points) / max(volume, 0.001) # Avoid division by zero
return SpatialRegion(
points=cluster_points,
bounds=bounds,
density=density
)
def merge_overlapping_regions(
self,
regions: List[SpatialRegion]
) -> List[SpatialRegion]:
"""Merge overlapping spatial regions"""
merged = []
processed = set()
for i, region_a in enumerate(regions):
if i in processed:
continue
merged_points = region_a.points.copy()
processed.add(i)
# Check for overlaps with remaining regions
for j, region_b in enumerate(regions[i+1:], i+1):
if j in processed:
continue
if self.regions_overlap(region_a.bounds, region_b.bounds):
merged_points.extend(region_b.points)
processed.add(j)
# Create merged region
if merged_points:
merged_region = asyncio.run(
self.create_spatial_region(merged_points)
)
merged.append(merged_region)
return merged
# Real-time Spatial Index for Fast Queries
class SpatialIndex:
def __init__(self, config: Dict):
self.index_type = config.get('type', 'rtree')
self.spatial_tree = self.initialize_index(config)
self.region_cache = {}
def initialize_index(self, config: Dict):
"""Initialize spatial indexing structure"""
if self.index_type == 'rtree':
from rtree import index
return index.Index()
elif self.index_type == 'kdtree':
from sklearn.neighbors import KDTree
return None # Will be built when first data is inserted
else:
raise ValueError(f"Unsupported index type: {self.index_type}")
async def insert_region(self, region_id: str, region: SpatialRegion):
"""Insert spatial region into index"""
bounds = region.bounds
if self.index_type == 'rtree':
self.spatial_tree.insert(
hash(region_id),
bounds
)
self.region_cache[region_id] = region
async def query_spatial_region(
self,
query_bounds: Tuple[float, float, float, float, float, float],
max_results: int = 100
) -> List[SpatialRegion]:
"""Query spatial index for overlapping regions"""
if self.index_type == 'rtree':
intersecting_ids = list(
self.spatial_tree.intersection(query_bounds)
)[:max_results]
return [
self.region_cache[str(region_id)]
for region_id in intersecting_ids
if str(region_id) in self.region_cache
]
return []
Real-World Examples
Meta Reality Labs
- • Scale: Processing 500+ tracked objects at 90fps
- • Latency: Sub-20ms motion-to-photon latency
- • Architecture: Edge processing with cloud ML inference
- • Innovation: Predictive tracking for occlusion handling
Microsoft HoloLens
- • Scale: Real-time spatial mapping of large environments
- • Processing: 1M+ spatial points per second
- • Architecture: Hybrid CPU/GPU processing with HPU
- • Innovation: World-locked hologram persistence
Apple ARKit
- • Scale: Simultaneous tracking of 100+ anchors
- • Performance: 60fps tracking on mobile hardware
- • Architecture: On-device processing with neural engines
- • Innovation: Collaborative spatial sessions
Magic Leap 2
- • Scale: Multi-user collaborative spatial computing
- • Precision: Sub-millimeter spatial anchor accuracy
- • Architecture: Distributed computing across devices
- • Innovation: Cross-platform spatial synchronization
Spatial Computing Best Practices
✅ Do
- •Implement predictive tracking to handle temporary occlusions and maintain object continuity
- •Use hierarchical spatial indexing (R-trees, octrees) for efficient 3D queries
- •Implement adaptive LOD systems to maintain frame rates under varying loads
- •Design for edge-cloud hybrid processing to balance latency and computational complexity
- •Implement robust coordinate system calibration for accurate world-space tracking
❌ Don't
- •Rely solely on cloud processing for real-time tracking - latency will break immersion
- •Ignore coordinate system drift - implement continuous calibration and validation
- •Process all spatial data at full resolution - use appropriate filtering and sampling
- •Assume single-sensor reliability - implement sensor fusion for robustness
- •Neglect spatial persistence - users expect virtual objects to remain anchored