The ImmerseLab is a facility that supports researchers in the Digital Humanities community to explore and deploy immersive and audiovisual technologies in their research and research dissemination.
We are well-placed to facilitate the elements of your research projects that combine participatory or creative research methods with virtual reality, mixed reality, immersive sound, stereoscopic video, or the videographic essay form.
Researchers can draw on the ImmerseLab’s spaces, equipment and expertise for initial testing of ideas or methods, for proof of concept and data gathering stages, or for research dissemination and impact. We can also advise on identifying any additional external developers or technical expertise needed to bring your ideas to fruition.
If you would like to explore how virtual reality, mixed reality, stereoscopic video, immersive sound, or the videographic essay could be used in your research project, please contact l.v.purse@reading.ac.uk.
ImmerseLab includes:
- 10 VR headsets
- 2D, 3D, 180º and 360º cameras
- Post-production lab for editing and colour grading in 2D, 3D, 180º and 360º video
- Immersive and binaural sound design, recording and editing
- Computing power and theatre space to run VR/MR experiences in real time
- LIDAR scanning
Digital Humanities Projects
Immersive and audiovisual technologies are increasingly key to how research is undertaken, disseminated, encountered by the public and curated as cultural heritage. They can be incredibly useful research methods in their own right.
As part of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Digital Humanities, the ImmerseLab is a resource for all researchers in the Digital Humanities community that wish to bring immersive and audiovisual technologies into their research design and delivery.
You can view examples of immersive technologies in action at Immersive Arts UK, Innovate UK’s Immersive Tech Awards, and Unity for Humanity, and examples of free training on immersive technologies at Unity Learn, Unreal Academy, and MetaQuest for Creators.