Submersible Experience

Challenge

Rathlin Island receives 20,000 visitors yearly, creating challenges for preserving its natural and cultural heritage while meeting accessibility needs. This project explores how immersive and virtual technologies can improve access to remote areas, raise awareness of sustainability and plastic pollution, and inspire positive environmental behaviours through engaging, game-based experiences.

Approach

This project uses photogrammetry, LIDAR, and Gaussian Splatting to 3D scan Rathlin’s key sites, creating digital twins for the Green Digital Transition. It includes co-design with stakeholders to ensure authentic representation of the island’s ecosystem and community, culminating in a VR submersible experience of the Rathlin seabed.

Outcomes

Plastic debris collected by Rathlin Stickybeak has been digitised, archived with provenance data, and integrated into a VR submersible experience. The current prototype phase incorporates island scans, potential shipwrecks, and seabed topography. Future development will include endemic marine wildlife and refined seabed representation.

Learnings

The project delivered insights into sustainable digital twin production, defining efficient 3D scanning methods using photogrammetry, LIDAR, and Gaussian Splatting which was tested on the NI-HPC system for ethical AI training. Narrative, animation, and gamification helped researchers understand plastic pollution’s impact on Rathlin’s ecosystems and its broader global significance.

Impact

The VR submersible experience is expected to deliver impactful R&D outcomes, guiding sustainable digital content creation. It addresses ethical AI and 3D digital twin use for education, media production, and museums. It supports the Green Digital Transition by enabling access to remote areas and promoting sustainable plastic use via in-game narratives.