Multimedia Partners

HoloShark

In 2004 I developed the Holoshark interactive for The Deep in Hull, the world’s only Submarium. The purpose of the interactive is to allow visitors to explore the anatomy of a shark by presenting them with a 3D recreation of a grey reef shark, which can be rotated around, and the layers ‘peeled’ away through the skin, muscle and bone. The interactive presented a number of technical challenges; it needed to be dual screen, the first a touch screen displaying both the interface controls and the shark, the second screen to be a synchronised view of the shark, projected onto a HoloPro screen. The HoloShark is powered by an engine which I developed, allowing smooth and seamless rotation.

Print A Front Page

Making it! in Mansfield is a high tech, hands-on discovery centre all about manufacturing and industry. Print A Front Page is just one of the interactives I developed for this centre. The touch screen interactive gives visitors the chance to produce and print their own A3 newspaper front page. They can choose from a library of photos and articles, and personalise the page with their own name and photo, taken from a webcam. The entire system is automated, including webcam and printer.

Silver Swan

I created the Silver Swan interactive for The Bowes Museum in early 2009. As a touch screen installation, it contains a wealth of information about the world famous, mechnical Silver Swan, which can be found at The Bowes Museum.

The interactive is arranged into three main categories and uses a combination of images and video, and an interactive, themed, timeline. The categories explore the creation of the Swan in the late 18th Century, it’s history during the past two Centuries, and the mechanics and conservation of the Swan.

Infrared Photographic System

As one of Edinburgh’s top 5 star historical attractions, The Real Mary King’s Close appointed Continuum Group in 2007 to produce a bespoke photographic retail system, providing them with a unique way to photograph and sell souvenir photos to their visitors, taken in almost complete darkness.

I was assigned to design and build the entire system, and also to manage the project from start to finish. This involved research and testing to find suitable hardware (including infra-red technology), design and programming of software and user interfaces, liaising with the client, on-site installation and testing, and providing staff training and technical support.

Tour guides use a triggering system to take a group photograph with a digital SLR camera, which is mounted inside a tailor-made, dust proof case. The photos are transmitted to the gift shop, where they are automatically displayed to coincide with the end of each tour. When visitors make a purchase, staff can quickly and easily print photos via a touch screen interface. The photographic system is a unique, revenue-generating installation, which the client operates with a minimum of effort, requiring almost no technical knowledge.

The Marble Saloon

Developed for Stowe House, one of England’s finest Grade I listed country houses, this touch screen interactive showcases phase 2 of the restoration work carried out on the Marble Saloon. The user interface is an animated, 3D representation of the Marble Saloon, styled to emphasize the architectural features of the building. The main menu shows the Saloon arranged into four levels. On selecting a level, the interface flies in to that level, and presents a range of interactive options, including video interviews.