
Editor's note: This post is a part of our Meet the Omnivore series, which features individual creators and developers who use NVIDIA Omniverse to accelerate their 3D workflows and create virtual worlds.
Yizhou Zhao When not engrossed in his studies toward a Ph.D. in statistics, conducting data-driven research on AI and robotics, or enjoying his favorite hobby of sailing, Yizhou Zhao is winning contests for developers who use NVIDIA Omniverse - a platform for connecting and building custom 3D pipelines and metaverse applications.
The fifth-year doctoral candidate at the University of California, Los Angeles recently received first place in the inaugural #ExtendOmniverse contest, where developers were invited to create their own Omniverse extension for a chance to win an NVIDIA RTX GPU.
Omniverse extensions are core building blocks that let anyone create and extend functions of Omniverse apps using the popular Python programming language.
Zhao's winning entry, called IndoorKit, allows users to easily load and record robotics simulation tasks in indoor scenes. It sets up robotics manipulation tasks by automatically populating scenes with the indoor environment, the bot and other objects with just a few clicks.
Typically, it's hard to deploy a robotics task in simulation without a lot of skills in scene building, layout sampling and robot control, Zhao said. By bringing assets into Omniverse's powerful user interface using the Universal Scene Description framework, my extension achieves instant scene setup and accurate control of the robot.
Within IndoorKit, users can simply click add object, add house, load scene, record scene and other buttons to manipulate aspects of the environment and dive right into robotics simulation.
With Universal Scene Description (USD), an open-source, extensible file framework, Zhao seamlessly brought 3D models into his environments using Omniverse Connectors for Autodesk Maya and Blender software.
The IndoorKit extension also relies on assets from the NVIDIA Isaac Sim robotics simulation platform and Omniverse's built-in PhysX capabilities for accurate, articulated manipulation of the bots.
In addition, IndoorKit can randomize a scene's lighting, room materials and more. One scene Zhao built with the extension is highlighted in the feature video above.
Omniverse for Robotics The IndoorKit extension bridges Omniverse and robotics research in simulation.
A view of Zhao's IndoorKit extension I don't see how accurate robot control was performed prior to Omniverse, Zhao said. He provides four main reasons for why Omniverse was the ideal platform on which to build this extension:
First, Python's popularity means many developers can build extensions with it to unlock machine learning and deep learning research for a broader audience, he said.
Second, using NVIDIA RTX GPUs with Omniverse greatly accelerates robot control and training.
Third, Omniverse's ray-tracing technology enables real-time, photorealistic rendering of his scenes. This saves 90% of the time Zhao used to spend for experiment setup and simulation, he said.
And fourth, Omniverse's real-time advanced physics simulation engine, PhysX, supports an extensive range of features - including liquid, particle and soft-body simulation - which land on the frontier of robotics studies, according to Zhao.
The future of art, engineering and research is in the spirit of connecting everything: modeling, animation and simulation, he said. And Omniverse brings it all together.
Join In on the Creation Creators and developers across the world can download NVIDIA Omniverse for free, and enterprise teams can use the platform for their 3D projects.
Discover how to build an Omniverse extension in less than 10 minutes.
For a deeper dive into developing on Omniverse, watch the on-demand NVIDIA GTC session, How to Build Extensions and Apps for Virtual Worlds With NVIDIA Omniverse.
Find additional documentation and tutorials in the Omniverse Resource Center, which details how developers like Zhao can build custom USD-based applications and extensions for the platform.
To discover more free tools, training and a community for developers, join the NVIDIA Developer Program.
Follow NVIDIA Omniverse on Instagram, Medium, Twitter and YouTube for additional resources and inspiration. Check out the Omniverse forums, and join our Discord server and Twitch channel to chat with the community.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
29/03/2026
Cloud-based production, real-time engagement, and creator-driven storytelling ai...
28/03/2026
Now features DiGiCo console integration
Harrison's live recording and virtual soundcheck software has just reached its third major version, which among ...
28/03/2026
MPE-capable chamber strings library announced
Alongside their collection of Kontakt instruments, Sonora Cinematic have been steadily introducing a series of...
28/03/2026
Globecast, the leading provider of broadcast, media and entertainment managed services, will showcase its reimagined approach to media operations at the 2026 NA...
28/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
27/03/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
27/03/2026
Comcast Business deployed network infrastructure for the 2026 PLAYERS Championsh...
27/03/2026
Czech production company CS live has equipped its newest outside broadcast van w...
27/03/2026
Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Western Australia has developed new broad...
27/03/2026
Deltatre has announced that CEO Andrea Marini will step down after five years in...
27/03/2026
DAZN has announced plans to launch DAZN Inflight, a live sports service for airline and maritime passengers, slated for 2027. Aviv Giladi, President of DAZN Par...
27/03/2026
Grass Valley has announced the completion of a live production deployment with NVP, a European media company specializing in live sports production, for LALIGA ...
27/03/2026
The Masters and Prime Video will debut Inside Amen Corner, a dedicated feed that...
27/03/2026
ESPN and the World Series of Poker (WSOP) have reached a multi-year agreement to bring the WSOP Main Event back to ESPN platforms. Coverage will include a three...
27/03/2026
USSI Global has opened its Media Transport Solutions Lab on its Melbourne campus. The engineering center provides a platform-agnostic environment for testing al...
27/03/2026
From 14-camera coverage to official review from Variant Systems Group, Sellitto ...
27/03/2026
The United Football League (UFL) has named Sportable its Official Connected Ball and Player Tracking Partner. Sportable's connected football and wearable pl...
27/03/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
27/03/2026
The Atlanta Braves and FuboTV have announced a multiyear distribution agreement to carry BravesVision on Fubo's live TV streaming platform beginning Opening...
27/03/2026
Besides restructuring for Season 3, the league worked with FOX and ESPN over the...
27/03/2026
The Atlanta Braves open their 2026 MLB season tonight against the Kansas City Ro...
27/03/2026
With new teams and new venues to adapt to, the spring-football league's part...
27/03/2026
By Lucy Spicer
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival...
27/03/2026
New Classic, Amplitude & FlexRange units introduced
GIK Acoustics have just introduced a trio of new bass trap designs that bring improved low-end absorptio...
27/03/2026
Offers personalised Dolby Atmos headphone monitoring
Sonarworks have put their calibration expertise to work on a new mobile app that allows users to create...
27/03/2026
NITV to broadcast farewell to Rhoda Roberts AO with special coverage and week-lo...
27/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
27/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
27/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
27/03/2026
Marshall Electronics Showcases New Feature-Rich CV320 and CV520 IP and 3G-SDI PO...
27/03/2026
Sony Electronics Inc. Elevates Professional Video Workflows with Powerful Update...
27/03/2026
GatesAir Extends AirWatch365 Managed Service with Edge Gateway Site Appliance
Brie Clayton March 27, 2026
0 Comments
NAB marks global launch of servic...
27/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
27/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
27/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
27/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
27/03/2026
At NAB Show 2026, Net Insight will showcase the next evolution of Nimbra Edge, its orchestration and control layer designed to manage live media services across...
27/03/2026
Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced powerful new innovations that further elevate the company's sports streaming solution. The advanced capabilities enh...
27/03/2026
Bitmovin, the leading provider of video streaming solutions, today announced significant new capabilities for Player Web X, its next-generation web video player...
27/03/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Czech-based production company CS live has equipped its newest outside broadcast (OB) van with an integrated Riedel i...
27/03/2026
130 Industry Experts Confirmed as Show Celebrates its 10th Anniversary
MPTS, the UK's largest and most influential event for the media, production and tech...
27/03/2026
Grass Valley today announced the successful completion of a major live production deployment with NVP, a leading European media company specializing in live spo...
27/03/2026
Showcases resilient solutions for satellite-to-IP migration, REMI and hybrid live production
Appear ASA (Appear, OSE:APR), a global leader in live production t...
27/03/2026
San Francisco, California, March 2026 - Microsoft Ignite, a major annual conference hosted by Microsoft for developers, IT professionals, partners and business ...
27/03/2026
Clear-Com is proud to highlight its support for worship teams through professional communication solutions, with the deployment of its EQUIP wireless system a...