Following the MyWorld Collaborative R&D launch event that took place at M Shed in Bristol, it was clear from many of the conversations that day that people had different levels of understanding about the term ‘immersive’. It made sense for the programme team to respond by providing some clarification – an answer to the question ‘what do we mean by immersive?’.
A great resource is Digital Catapult’s blog ‘Everything you need to know about Immersive Technology’, originally written in 2020. It’s been only two years since the blog was first published and before reposting it in response to this question, it was evident it was in need of an update.
The pace of innovation in this area is faster than ever, as immersive technologies have been pushed further to the fore; in part an acceleration amplified by the pandemic and a rush to develop online or hybrid offerings but also as a result of the recent hype around the ‘metaverse’. It is immersive technologies that will provide the foundation and means to gain access, navigate and experience the virtualisation of our daily lives.
David Johnston and Aki Järvinen, Senior Immersive Technologists in the Digital Catapult team, have now updated the blog ‘Everything to know about Immersive Technology‘ which is available to read on Digital Catapult’s website. No doubt it will need updating again before MyWorld’s five-year programme has concluded, hopefully as a result of some of the innovations that will emerge from the research and development being undertaken by the businesses and academics involved.
Other useful resources are Digital Catapult’s series of published reports from the UKRI funded Audience of The Future programme delivered by Innovate UK and supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council:
– The creative immersive content lifecycle: from distribution to restoration
– The UK Creative Immersive Landscape 2020: Business Models in Transition
– The Audience of the Future Immersive Audience Journey