Impact Lab - Immersive Vision Theatre

Interactive Data Visualisation

Luke Christison

Luke Christison is Impact Lab Senior Technical Project Manager. He specialises in interactive data visualisation within the Immersive Vision Theatre at the University of Plymouth.

Luke is leading projects with a range of Devon businesses. Find out more about these projects below. 

Impact Lab team - Luke Christison

ARC Marine

ARC Marine Ltd are creating eco-friendly building materials for use in our oceans, with current focus on reef-cubes, which are hollow and stackable, reinforced and sustainable blocks. 

They can be used for a range of engineering and scientific purposes, including turbine support, scour protection and pipeline covering, while providing a supportive habitat for ocean life and for reef regeneration. 

ARC Marine approached Impact Lab with a wide range of scenarios and types of content that will be brought together to create a high-end simulation and animation, demonstrating the potential and implementation of their technology.


ARC Marine case study image

Elemental Digest

Elemental Digest Ltd are an innovative Agri-Food Tech company, developing and testing their new homogenous, sustainable organo-mineral fertiliser, ‘Thallo®’. Their circular process converts abattoir and industrial wastes into a sterile, granular fertiliser rich in minerals, micro-nutrients and soluble carbon compound to revitalise soils and bio-fortify the food chain. The University of Plymouth provided support by delivering a 3D animation that communicated the technology, science and benefits to a wide target audience.

In addition, detailed imagery and chemical analysis of the fertiliser granules by the PEMC gave further insight into the structure, properties and performance of the fertiliser. The results have become important elements of their sales and marketing data to further advance their company and explain their market differentiation and IP.

Hay bales - image courtesy of Pixabay

English Riviera Global Geopark

The English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark covers the entire area of Torbay. It is defined as a site of geological significance and natural and cultural heritage. Through holistic management of protection, sustainability, accessibility and education, geoparks have become an innovative way to rejuvenate beautiful locations and attract tourism, job creation and revenue generation, supporting both social and economic development.

This project aims to create an online interactive visualization tool, bringing together all the partner sites and tourist information in an accessible way. Including links to sustainable business, events, walks and wellbeing activities, the tool will act as a single mixed media viewer. First stage development will look at the online mapping system, and second stage development will explore making this map three-dimensional and creating novel interactions.

English Riviera Geopark image - Impact Lab case study

FIGS

Famas Integrated Geoservices (FIGS) is an emerging business, which provides geological services and consulting.

By looking into the environmental futures of sites in both the UK and across Africa, FIGS hopes to develop collaborative relationships, operational sectors and use of data collection and visualisation. 

Initially the project began as brand design with us creating the logo, font and colour scheme. Impact Lab took this further by developing a prototype customisable map that shows clients, partners and areas of interest. This is initially focusing on mining activities within Devon.



Aerial view of mining - courtesy of Upsplash

Kents Cavern

Kents Cavern is a prehistoric cave system situated in Torquay. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and a Site of Special Scientific Interest, notable for its rich archaeological and geological features. It is a popular tourist attraction with international, educational and cultural appeal.

The Kents Cavern Foundation takes charge of all education, outreach and conservation and is interested in digitally preserving the cave and creating immersive experiences to help explain to visitors about the human, geological and archaeological history of the site.




Kents Cavern

PulsiV

PulsiV have been optimising a prototype for their solar micro-inverter. PulsiV wanted to attract investment towards commercialisation and achieving the most efficient technology possible.

Impact Lab offered support to create an animation to communicate clearly the potential of their environmentally improved technology, and as a vehicle for data visualisation illustrating comparative figures with industry competition. Impact Lab underwent a process of narration writing, storyboarding, prototyping, asset creation, animation, audio recording and editing. The original artwork and animation style was created to fit the existing branding deployed on the PulsiV website. This animation was then shared with the engineering firm Bosch, helping secure collaborative support for PulsiV, which will help provide improvements for future innovation within renewable energy and efficient power usage.

Solar panels

Soundview Media

Soundview Media is a video production company creating award-winning content for web, TV and exhibitions.

Through captivating storytelling and innovative uses of technology including 360 / Virtual Reality video and aerial footage, the team has been creating experiences that highlight amazing work and projects from across the south-west. Soundview Media has been commissioned by The Box to create a multi-screen immersive film showcasing Plymouth's archive footage.

Impact Lab was able to host testing of the film, with focus groups before the grand opening in 2020. Impact Lab created a virtual room where the bespoke panoramic film could be played; recreating in the IVT similar conditions the installation will have within The Box. This helped Soundview realise how to best use the space within the gallery while it was still being built, and to allow audiences to view the film.


Filming with video camera, courtesy of Unsplash

Oakmount Control Systems Ltd

Oakmount Control Systems Ltd are a team of experienced Automation, Electrical and Mechanical Engineers with sites in Plymouth and Yeovil, offering solutions for any Automation or Process Control requirement. Involved at every stage of a project from Conceptual Discussions and Design, Precision Tooling, Fabrication, Assembly, Installation, Testing, Commissioning, After Sales Support and Servicing.

Impact Lab enabled the client to access the skills and expertise of University of Plymouth with regard to visualisation of their production and development stages. Thus enabling both the client and their customers to engage with the machinery, see it as a working model and identify areas of change prior to the commencement of production.

Willand Group

Willand Group is a systems integrator developing advanced, environmentally sustainable, livestock housing systems for the agricultural sector.

The Group accessed Impact Lab support to model the system they are bringing to the market. The work included creating 3D imagery of several aspects, followed by a visualisation piece to explain the scientific benefits of the infrastructures and how it can be applied to different livestock and crops.

Willand Group livestock housing system

Kaleider

Kaleider is a production studio that produces artwork and supports others to create and deliver programmes that invite audiences to think about the world.

Impact lab delivered an introductory Fulldome workshop using a 3-meter inflatable dome with fisheye projection within the Kaleider studio space. The day included demonstrations, tutorials and discussion focused on the use of 360 degree cameras, animation workflows and game engine software to construct immersive environments to engage with audiences.

 

 

Fulldome workshop

Fieldwork Robotics

Fieldwork Robotics develop modular, multi-crop, soft and adaptive robots for use in non-controllable environments such as agriculture fields. This patent-pending technology replicates human movements using soft-arms and grippers, designed to identify, pick and handle delicate fruit with high specifications, such as temperature and appearance.

The Impact Lab visualisation team created an animation to help explain the complexities of the robotics, how their service works and the benefits of using them. Helping both the public, businesses and investors understand this technology will help some of the issues facing the agriculture industry. Support was also given on logo design and branding.

Fieldwork Robotics

Web development

Chris Booth

Chris has worked in the world of Web Development for the best part of a decade, with a healthy mix of clients from differing sectors, from the NHS through to small local charities. His main focus is around usability, creating web based products that intuitively deliver the users needs.

Read about the project Chris is supporting below.

Impact Lab team - Chris Booth

Pollenize

Social enterprise company Pollenize are at the forefront of bee protection and sustainability within Plymouth city.

Working with communities, schools and researchers, they use technology, apiary best practice and public engagement to reverse the decline of the city’s pollinators. By embedding sensors in hives for remote data collection, they can better understand the health and environment of the honey bees.

Pollenize worked with Impact Lab initially to access a grant allowing them to expand the network of connected smart hives, which has now expanded into a full project for their website. Impact Lab created a custom mapping tool that allows interactive data layers for hive locations, seed shops and citizen data collection, mapping where seeds have been sown, and providing clear and precise visualisation of Pollenize related activities.

Bumble bee (bombus terrestris) sitting on a purple flower

Data visualisation and simulation

Joel Hodges

Joel is an Impact Lab Industrial Researcher, with specialism in data visualisation and simulation. He is also an associate lecturer in Game Arts & Design/Digital Media Design at the University of Plymouth.

Impact Lab team - Joel Hodges

European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

The University of Plymouth is proud to be supported by the European Regional Development Fund. As one stream of funding under the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) Growth Programme 2014–2020, the ERDF focuses on smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.
The main priorities involve contributions to research and innovation, supporting and promoting small and medium size enterprises (SMEs), and the creation of a low carbon economy.
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) logo