The challenge
Enhancing understanding of offshore wind
How do we create a realistic and customisable offshore wind experience to promote a better understanding of this emerging industry?
The solution
Just the perfect size
We created an immersive VR experience that allows users to configure their own offshore wind environment to explore a floating offshore wind farm from different points of interest and weather conditions.
The background
Boosting Scotland's floating wind
ORE Catapult, the UK's foremost innovation hub for offshore renewable energy, has taken significant strides to bolster the country's floating offshore wind sector. To spearhead this effort, ORE Catapult established the Floating Offshore Wind Centre of Excellence (FOW CoE) in Aberdeen, Scotland, intending to create an internationally recognised initiative to reduce the energy cost derived from floating wind.
The centre leverages digitisation and simulation technologies in Floating Offshore Wind (FOW). In pursuit of this objective, ORE Catapult harnessed the unique capabilities of Virtual Reality (VR) to replicate scenarios related to floating offshore wind. At the heart of this endeavour is the development of a specialised VR suite within the centre, culminating in the creation of the digital centrepiece known as 'FLOWIC VR' in collaboration with Cadpeople.
The technology
Tech for tailored wind simulations
The FLOWIC VR experience stands out by enabling users to tailor their own bespoke floating offshore wind VR encounters.
Users can select turbine types, floating substructure configurations, and weather conditions, allowing them to explore their personalised offshore environment and closely examine their chosen turbine and substructure models.
Another noteworthy feature of the FLOWIC VR experience is its capacity for users to upload their own Computer-Aided Design (CAD) models and metadata to the virtual space, facilitating interactive exploration of these models within the FLOWIC VR virtual warehouse in a face-to-face, immersive setting.
The value
Making an impression
The FLOWIC VR solution has already made its mark, being showcased at the Floating Offshore Wind conference in 2023. Furthermore, it is set to be a focal point of the official Centre of Excellence launch, where key stakeholders from the UK government, including the Scottish First Minister, will have the opportunity to trial this innovative solution.
The perspective
We’re not quite done yet
Beyond its current applications, the FLOWIC VR solution holds immense potential for future expansion, spanning areas such as technician training, equipment testing, and educational initiatives.
FLOWIC VR is a wonderful example of Cadpeople's capabilities in producing advanced VR solutions for an emerging and crucial sector. A key strength of this solution is its scalability and strong foundation for expansion to accommodate our clients' developing needs.
Arran Strutt, Project Manager, Cadpeople
PSST… THERE’S MORE.
