Welcome to Augmented Visions of Research (AVR) in TDE!

Augmented and Virtual Realities (AR/ VR) are offering ever more exciting and engaging ways to push the frontiers of how we understand, conduct, and disseminate research. Perhaps all the more so now considering our digital lives over the past two years, we are keen to explore ways to make the most of AR and VR to enhance our teaching and research practice. AVR aims to act as a hub enabling staff and students across the faculty to access and use AR - be it for teaching, research, engagement, or networking projects.

OBVirtual Networking Hub

OBVirtual is our TDE online networking hub in GatherTown, and since it’s launch in April 2021 has already hosted the ‘Collaborative Incubator on Enhancing the Future of Transport’, the 2021 Postgraduate Research Symposium, Graduation events and a variety of meetings.

It is an engaging and versatile space modelled on the Gipsy Lane Clerici building and includes meeting rooms, a lecture theatre, and exhibition hall! If you are new to GatherTown, have a look at the short (well, 5min) video tour of OBVirtual.

The space is free to use and has a standard capacity of 25 simultaneous users, but was built for a max capacity of 150, so let do get in touch if you want to use OBVirtual for any larger activities or events.

OBVirtual (in GatherTown): HERE

Password: sirkenneth

WebVR Virtual Research Showcase (under construction)

A project website isn’t just an IP address anymore - it’s an opportunity to build a three-dimensional space where people of all walks of life can discover new things, embrace new ideas and modes of working, and find out more about the incredible, world leading research we conduct here at Brookes.

Our ‘Virtual Research Showcase’ WebVR project is about precisely that - giving research an extra dimension, connecting audiences with their stories, data and researchers in an exciting new virtual home. It is still under construction and will hopefully be moved across to a TDE webpage soon, but in the meantime, do have a look at the two amazing projects we are able to feature so far: Augmented Visions of Research (willguest.co.uk)

Daniela Treveri Genari’s “European Cinema Audiences: Entangled Histories and Shared Memories”, and

Shahab Resalati’s “PowerSkin+: Walls Energizing Buildings”

Zapworks AR for All Pilot

Zapworks offers an easily accessible, web-based drag and drop ‘designer’ system to create AR content - with absolutely zero programming skills needed! It allows individual users to generate exciting AR experiences including pictures, videos, sound, web links, business cards etc, as well as more advanced 3D modelling and graphic design for those wanting to gain additional skills and competences.

Zapworks is a great and easy way to explore what AR it can do for you, from further enhancing most anything from teaching materials to conference posters, to creating engaging outputs for your research dissemination and public engagement events.

This initiative is broadly aimed at all members of the faculty, and particularly so for staff and students looking to augment research or otherwise conference posters, making –thinking displays, exhibitions and much more. TDE has purchased an education licence with some 40 individual user licences, so please do get in touch if you want to find out more and join the pilot!

(for a simple sample of the basic AR experience you can create in 30 min, see the daft postcard for an exhibition on First World War on the left. Just download the free Zapper app and point it at the logo on the bottom right to access the digital content)