The MediaLab is open!

Ben Bradshaw, Minister For South West and Health Minister came to Twofour Studios (Monday 10 November 2008) for the official opening of the MediaLab – the experiential centre for digital innovation created by HMC Interactive. At the event, attended by over 40 VIP guests including Alison Seabeck MP for Plymouth Devonport, the Minister unveiled a plaque and went on to explore the groundbreaking work on display including the virtual chocolate rain shadow tracking technology designed for Cadbury World and the incision technology used in BBC 3′s Make My Body Younger which allows producers to perform living autopsies.

“The most exciting and innovative media company in the country”

“I have a number of motives for having accepted your invitation to come today,” said Ben Bradshaw. “I wanted to come here to celebrate your success in building one of the most exciting and innovative media companies in the country and certainly the most exciting and innovative and important in the South West. And as a minister for the South West I think it is really important in a time of economic uncertainty and economic downturn we don’t allow ourselves to be completely overwhelmed by doom and gloom and we do celebrate and recognise some of the real success stories that we have in this region. Twofour are leading the way here in Plymouth. It is a fantastic success story and it is going to be those companies like this one, that invest and innovate, that come through the current downturn and are well placed to benefit from the upturn when it comes.”

500 square meters of technology

MediaLab is an evolving space spanning over 500 square meters which will offer visitors an insight into how the company brings its inventions to life from idea to conception through to R&D and implementation. The centre will showcase some of HMC Interactive’s ground-breaking convergent technologies including augmented reality, incision technology and shadow tracking. HMC Interactive and Twofour will be able to replicate entire projects enabling clients to test-drive products before final installation.

Some of the exhibits include:

• Slide machine word art
• Interactive floors
• A bed of grass that responds to your movement
• Blobby things that sing
• Life sized Mario worlds
• Ripping your own guts out
• 35 screen touch video (this one is HUGE)
• Some lazer beams
• All sorts of things that go bleep blip and bloop.

30 touch screens networked together for a huge interactive experience.

The “Living Autopsy” Incision technology I developed with Ted Thorpe

Lazer Graffiti by Kane Andrews

An interactive floor I programmed for Cadburys

More from behind the scenes at the BBC Make My Body Younger TV show

Our huge wall of interactive digital grass

Close up of some touch screen software developed for the DSA

The MediaLab warehouse is huge, here you can see the huge multiple projection screens

Team effort

I was lucky enough to lead a lot of the development on the MediaLab, alongside Anais Van Delft, Mike Cobb, Gareth Williams, Kane Andrews, Luke Angel, Korash Sanjideh and Izzie Arandia. It was my pet project over several months.

I particularly enjoyed working with Anais who provided the concept artwork and I just can’t begin to tell you how huge this is. I hope you enjoy the photos and video

I am designing it to incorporate light and interaction at every level. It will not simply give off light, but play with it and react to it. The end result will feature over 30 miniature screens and hundreds of lazer beams to create a truly unique light work.

All the concept art is being finished today and we begin production this afternoon. The first phase of the warehouse will have several beautiful interactive sculptural elements, like the above image by Anais Van Delft

I will also be looking to create an interactive reception room piece, but I’ll give you more details on that later.