Reality Emulator

Whether you need to create a data-driven simulation of a biological process, a digital twin of a wind turbine, or a 3D rendering of the future university campus for public engagement, BDFI provides the necessary tools. 

The Reality Emulator consists of two main components: the VR-enabled ‘CAVE’ and the Data Centre. The former is equipped with state-of-the-art extended reality visualisation capabilities and the latter is equipped with parallel computing capabilities, managed security services and 5G network connectivity.

We welcome a fully modular use of facilities, meaning that you are free to choose the combination of equipment and staff support that works best for your needs. Sustainability is at the heart of our operations and research agenda. We reuse the heat from the Data Centre in our building and monitor energy consumption in real time.

How it works

1. It all starts with your research idea. What would you like to create? This could include rendering a 3D model based on 2D images; simulating a complex process using your datasets; or training your own AI model with our compute.  
   
2. The ‘CAVE’ is an advanced visualization space equipped with cutting-edge software and hardware, designed to deliver immersive and interactive experiences. It can comfortably accommodate 8-10 people, allowing groups to view and engage with a wide range of digital content together. Our facility supports both standard 2D visualization tools and sophisticated 3D extended reality (XR) platforms like Unity and Unreal Engine. This versatile setup enables project teams, research participants, and exhibition visitors to interact with various media, including images, games, training materials, and both real and virtual objects. These engaging experiences are developed at the BDFI to support research, learning, and collaboration.  
   
   
3. Our Data Centre hosts advanced compute and data storage facilities as well as 5G and ultra-low latency optical network infrastructure. It can support a variety of data-intensive tasks, such as AI model training. 
   
   
4. Our experienced research infrastructure staff will be on site to help you with: 

• • Facilitating the integration for your research and/or project into our facility
  • Testing and developing the most suitable workflow and pipeline for content/data conversion 
  • Configuring hardware, network, and software for your research and/or project 
  • Providing advice on what is required to get to where you want 
  • Advising on the best way to create 3D content, digital model, virtual experience, simulation, and emulation. 

5. At BDFI, we believe that the whole is more than the sum of its parts. That’s why we encourage collaborations with the wider ecosystem of the Institute’s affiliated researchers and external partners. Perhaps you are looking for a data scientist who could collaborate with you on developing a model, or you are interested in analysing ‘real-world’ data owned by a specific company? We can broker relationships right from matchmaking you with the right person, through to co-designing projects and negotiating contracts. 

The Reality Emulator under construction