Digital Fabrication and Immersive Media Laboratories (DFIML)
Technologies in virtual and augmented reality, robotics, 3D scanning and printing, and motion capture
The Digital Fabrication and Immersive Media Labs present a step change in the delivery of teaching, research and innovation for the University of Plymouth and local community.
Based within the
Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business
the labs offer access to cutting-edge technology such as motion-capture, augmented and extended reality and a wide array of digital fabrication tools which enable users to develop and prototype new products, services and experiences, create bespoke tools for complex and specialist research purposes and engage with new opportunities for innovative, interdisciplinary collaborations.
For students
We are dedicated to building a new generation of alumni with high in-demand industry skills, while broadening our vision and understanding of how these technologies will be shaping our society.
Therefore, we encourage our students to gain as much hands-on practice as possible with the technology available to them, empowering them to experiment and use the labs to bring their ideas to life in entirely new ways.
For staff
This new technology provides an opportunity for staff to push the boundaries of their research through innovative collaborations, knowledge sharing and the potential for prototyping and immersion unlike anything the faculty has seen before. What's more, with access to the labs, our teaching staff have the opportunity to engage students in an entirely new degree if explorative, innovative immersive learning.
For business
We deliver bespoke training sessions to help organisations develop a strong understanding of the value, implications and impact these technologies can have on their businesses.
Through a combination of knowledge sharing from our world-leading academics in the field and hands-on support from our highly skilled technicians, participants will leave with a thorough understanding of all aspects and capabilities of these technologies and gain a common vocabulary to build a constructive dialogue across all levels of the organisation.
Access these workshops by contacting ipandcommercial@plymouth.ac.uk
Digital Fabrication Lab resources
The Digital Fabrication Laboratory provides advanced digital fabrication resources to support design ideation, prototyping and product development This core facility supports research, enterprise and academic development in architecture, design and engineering. Through the use of cutting-edge technologies, the laboratory enables new solutions to close the gaps between digital media and physical production processes, forcing a step change in the way we design, make and build.
Digital Fabrication Laboratory hardware
Detailed information is available on the supplier's website linked from each item.
Fab Lab hardware resources
Universal Laser VLS6.60
60W laser cutter, bed 800x450mm, max 9mm cut depth
GCC X380
80W laser cutter, bed 900x600 mm
Ultimaker 3
Dual-extrusion FDM 3D printer
Ultimaker S5
Dual-extrusion FDM 3D printer with metal printing capabilities
Stratasys Objet30
Polyjet 3D printer for high-end prototypes
Formlabs Form3B
SLA 3D printer for high resolution and biocompatible prints
AXYZ 4008 ATC
Large-format CNC router for wood, plywood, MDF, Acrylic
Roland MDX 50
Precision 4-axis CNC mill for organic materials and non-ferrous metals.
Roland MDX 540
CNC mill for plastics and non-ferrous metals
3D Scanner (milimeters) - Artec Space Spider
Artec Space Spider 3D scanner: Up to 0.05 mm point accuracy, accuracy over distance up to 0.03% over 100 cm, working distance 0.2-0.3 m. (including Artec Smart Turntable)
3D Scanner (centimeters) - Artec Leo
Artec Leo 3D scanner: Up to 0.1 mm point accuracy, accuracy over distance up to 0.03% over 100 cm, working distance 0.35-1.2 m.
3D Scanner (meters) - Artec Ray
Artec Ray long-range 3D scanner: 110m distance, ranging error 0.7mm @ 15m, 2 integrated 5 mpx cameras.
Epson VT6
6-axis robotic arms VT6: 90mm reach, 3-5 kg payload capacity. This resource is operated in collaboration with the School of Engineering.
Monoprice Select Mini Pro 3D printer
Lab-in-a-box "portable" 3D printer
WASP 40100 clay
1-meter high Clay 3D printer
WASP 2040 clay
WASP Delta 2040 Turbo 2 Clay printer
Digital Fabrication Laboratory software
Detailed information is available on the supplier's website linked from each item.
Fab Lab software resources
PreForm
SLA print slicing software
Ultimaker CURA
FDM print slicing software
SolidCAM
CNC milling toolpath planning software
Roland DG - SRPlayer
CNC milling toolpath planning software
Autodesk Revit
BIM modelling software
McNeel Rhino3D
CAD software
Autodesk Meshmixer
Software for working with triangle meshes
Dassault Solidworks
Mechanical CAD software
Autodesk Fusion 360
Mechanical CAD software
Autodesk Mudbox
3D modelling and sculpting software
Pixologic Zbrush
Virtual 3d sculpting tool
Adobe Illustrator
The industry-standard vector graphics software.
Gravity Sketch
VR CAD sketching software
Autodesk Maya
3D modelling and rendering software for design visualisation, games, and animation
Vextrix Aspire 10.5
Aspire provides a powerful but intuitive software solution for creating and cutting parts on a CNC router.
Take a walk through our Digital Fabrication Lab
Our virtual tour allows you to see the space our students work in and the hardware they have access to. You can also watch videos about the cutting-edge technologies on offer.
Immersive Media Lab resources
The Immersive Media Laboratory provides facilities for 3D scanning and motion capture as well as a black box space to experiment with augmented (AR), mixed (MR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies. The space offers an opportunity for experimentation and interdisciplinary collaboration and is open to testing new games, products, immersive experiences, educational innovations and medical simulations to name a few uses. We welcome creative interdisciplinary collaborations from all sectors wishing to experiment with AR, MR and VR.
Immersive Media Lab hardware
Detailed information is available on the supplier's website linked from each item.
Immersive Media hardware
Motion Capture system - Shogun (Vicon)
Motion capture setup for 2 actors
Immersive 3-meter dome
semi-portable 360-degree projection screen
4k projector - Benq LK953ST
4K installation projector
360 camera - Insta360 Pro2 8K
InstaPro 2 8K 360 Camera and Farsight for remote control and monitoring
360 camera - Kandao Koocam 8k
360/8K Action Camera and dive case (30 meters)
3D Scanner - Intel Real Sense D435i
depth camera with IMU for robotics applications
iPad Pro
tablet computer with LIDAR scanner for enhanced AR applications
VR headset - Oculus Quest
VR headset
3D Scanner (milimeters) - Artec Space Spider
Artec Space Spider 3D scanner: Up to 0.05 mm point accuracy, accuracy over distance up to 0.03% over 100 cm, working distance 0.2-0.3 m. (including Artec Smart Turntable)
3D Scanner (centimeters) - Artec Leo
Artec Leo 3D scanner: Up to 0.1 mm point accuracy, accuracy over distance up to 0.03% over 100 cm, working distance 0.35-1.2 m.
3D Scanner (meters) - Artec Ray
Artec Ray long-range 3D scanner: 110m distance, ranging error 0.7mm @ 15m, 2 integrated 5 mpx cameras.
Immersive Media Lab software
Detailed information is available on the supplier's website linked from each item.
Immersive Media software
Autodesk Revit
BIM modelling software
Autodesk Meshmixer
Software for working with triangle meshes
Autodesk Mudbox
3D modelling and sculpting software
Unity
Game engine/virtual environment development framework
Unreal
Game engine/virtual environment development framework
Pixologic Zbrush
Virtual 3D sculpting tool
Artec Studio
3D scanning mesh reconstruction software
Adobe After Effects
VR CAD sketching software
Autodesk Maya
3D modelling and rendering software for design visualisation, games and animation
Autodesk 3DS Max
3D modelling and rendering software for design visualisation, games and animation
Digital Fabrication Laboratory
Digital Fabrication Lab, Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business, Roland Levinsky Building 112, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA