Abertay University has announced the opening of a new virtual production facility.
Funded by the UKRI Infrastructure Fund, Convergent Screen Technologies and performance in Real Time (CoSTAR), a national network of R&D labs working to develop creative IP across the UK, the CoSTAR Realtime Lab has been launched in Dundee.
A first for the city, the £9 million virtual production studio aims to drive research and innovation in the screen, games, immersive and performance industries across Scotland and the UK. The project is the result of a partnership between Abertay University, Codebase, Interface, Chroma Developments and the University of Edinburgh.
A further facility will open next month at First Stage Studios in Edinburgh, led by the University of Edinburgh and connected via the Realtime Cloud Lab, enabling remote access and collaboration worldwide.
In collaboration with the industry, the lab aims to develop new products and processes to enhance production pipelines including 3D environments and video processing, performance and motion capture, facial animation, automated speech and hyper-realistic digital film set generation. The team will also explore ways to integrate technologies such as AR and VR.
Professor Gregor White, director of the CoSTAR Realtime Lab commented, “With the technologies that power our screen-based experiences in film, games and performance rapidly converging there’s an opportunity for companies working in these sectors to diversify their offer, explore new markets and push the boundaries of what was previously thought possible in their sectors. Bringing together international-quality academic researchers with industry experience and enterprise support, CoSTAR Realtime Lab is a truly collaborative project which will break down barriers for the Scottish creative industries, encourage entrepreneurship and experimentation, and provide a space where innovation can flourish.”
Isabel Davis, executive director of Screen Scotland added, “An exemplar of academia collaborating directly with industry, Abertay’s role in CoSTAR and its leadership of the Realtime Lab continues Dundee’s illustrious history of creativity, design and invention. The project will ensure that Scotland’s tech, digital and creative pioneers are embedded in the next wave of digital and creative transformation.”
The launch event also announced details of the CoSTAR Realtime Lab call, which will open on 17 March and invite innovators from across the UK to apply for funding to use the lab to develop ideas around virtual production.
