Virtalis has supplied equipment to enable the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre's (AMRC) Manufacturing Technology Transporter (Mantra) to have a mobile Virtalis Stereoworks Activewall system. Mantra is a specially modified demonstration HGV that travels the UK demonstrating the latest manufacturing, machinery and simulation technologies. 'Transferring industry-ready manufacturing solutions to companies as quickly as possible is a vital component to maximising the UK's manufacturing competitiveness,' said research director of the AMRC, Prof Keith Ridgway.'Using Mantra and the stereoscopic 3D capabilities of the Virtalis Stereoworks Activewall system, we can demonstrate to businesses how VR technology can help achieve a smooth integration of new technologies into production environments,' he added. Onboard the 14m lorry, AMRC engineers are using the interactive capabilities of the Stereoworks Activewall system to give students of all ages the experience of assembling, design reviewing and rehearsing the maintenance of a multi-million pound Rolls-Royce jet engine.
The VR brings students face to face with the real-life challenges encountered by engineers every day. Mantra was funded with an award of GBP500,000 from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council's (EPSRC) 2007 Knowledge Transfer Challenge, which rewards innovative approaches to supporting knowledge transfer in universities, making sure that research finds its way to end users in business and the public sector. AMRC saw VR as a key technology to showcase.
Virtalis has been a sponsor of AMRC since 2006 and is involved in all AMRC projects involving a simulation element. Virtalis Stereoworks Activewall systems offer stereoscopic 3D viewing, from real-time interactive VR or pre-prepared stereo movies and enable full depth perception with accurate movement tracking. The Stereoworks range consists of the latest stereo viewing hardware coupled with the Virtalis Stereotools software suite.
