Dundee Science Festival
Tayside Waterfront development plans to be shown off in 3D via a Wii motion controller.
For immediate release: Tuesday 9 November
Location: Dundee Science Centre (Sensation), Greenmarket, Dundee, DD1 4QB
Date: Wednesday 10 November
Time: 11.00am
Dundee’s future will be put on show to the public in glorious 3D this Wednesday (10 November) as part of the Dundee Science Festival, showing how the Waterfront plans will transform Tayside.
Using a Nintendo Wii motion controller and special 3D glasses, children can fly a bird through the virtual city of the future, exploring how the Waterfront plans will affect them.
Researchers from the University of Abertay Dundee, working with Scottish Enterprise, have developed the unique 3D visualisation tool to show how Dundee will look in the future in great detail.
The system, which brings together computer games technology and sustainable environmental decision making, allows people of all ages to better understand the impact of Dundee’s changing landscape.
Project leader Daniel Gilmour said: “With the V&A at Dundee winner recently announced, there is huge excitement about the city’s future. By bringing together Abertay University’s skills in computer gaming and environmental science, we can help everyone understand what the Waterfront plans really mean for them.”
John Isaacs, developer of the 3D visualisation tool at Abertay University, added: “Using the Nintendo Wii controller and the bird has proved a real hit with kids. Every time we’ve put the system on show, families are instantly interested – and find themselves quickly learning about how their city will look in the future.”
As well as being great fun to use, the 3D computer system also allows complex environmental information – such as levels of noise or pollution – to be simply represented using different coloured buildings.
The plan is to use the tool to improve public engagement with important planning decisions.
For more information about the 3D tool, please see http://save.abertay.ac.uk/scityvt/index.html
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Media enquiries: Kevin Coe, tel: 07850 904110; email: k.coe@abertay.ac.uk