The first immersive experience exploring the depths and beauty of Ireland’s marine life has been created by Irish company Algorithm and will premiere at the Dingle Oceanworld Aquarium on Saturday 25th March as part of the Dingle Animation Festival.
The immersive experience, ‘Deep Atlantic’, follows the journey of a humpback whale as it travels through the depths of the Atlantic waters at the Porcupine Ridge off the coast of Kerry and into the abyss.
This original piece was commissioned by Oceanworld Dingle to highlight the importance of marine conservation in Irish waters while creating an enchanting world-class experience for visitors. Dingle Animation Festival ticket holders will be able to attend the premiere this weekend and the experience opens to the public in April.
Commenting on the announcement of the preview, creative consultant at Oceanworld, Ferg Flannery, said; ‘’There has never been an immersive experience that showcases the rich diversity of life in the seas around Ireland’s coast. Our ambition for this project is to give visitors access to the abundance and beauty of deep-sea life. ‘Deep Atlantic’ takes visitors 200 meters down, diving near the Porcupine Ridge where they can see humpback whales, moonfish, leatherback turtles, sea gooseberries and the amazing bioluminescence of the deep seas. It is really an amazing experience that places you in the depths of the ocean.’’
Nick Linders, founder and Chief Executive of Algorithm, said; ‘’This project would not have been possible to develop two or three years ago. Our Orbit technology has allowed us to create this undersea world as a base for the story. The experience is projected 360 degrees around the visitor, and they are able to direct a shoal of mackerel on screen. It has been a fabulous project to work on and we are looking forward to the festival-goers getting a chance to experience an exclusive preview on Saturday 25th March.’’
To create its immersive ‘Deep Atlantic’ experience, Algorithm has deployed its brand new, patent-pending technology, called ‘Orbit’, to create stunning visual content that moves freely across wraparound screens on all the surfaces of an auditorium to fully surround and immerse the visitor.
Commenting on this, Nick said; ‘’Immersive experiences are the future, and people will soon go to enjoy immersive experiences as often as they would to the cinema. The hardware and technology, such as the wraparound screens, are now available but the key will be in creating the content for people to see, which is where our product Orbit comes in. We are now preparing for a further round of funding to establish bases in the UAE, the West Coast of the US and in Europe in order to maximise Orbit’s potential.’’
Algorithm is an immersive production studio based in Dublin. Since 2015, the company has designed and fabricated award-winning immersive experiences for international art festivals, music concerts, animations and films. Their mission is to close the gap between the real world and virtual realities.
Dingle Oceanworld was founded in 1996 and is Ireland’s largest aquarium. Among its rarest and most impressive inhabitants are a collection of magnificent Sand Tiger Sharks, Gentoo Penguins and Asian Short-Clawed Otters. It has also been a leading light in educating visitors about the importance of conservation and protection of native marine species.
This project was part funded by the Flag/BIM Brexit Blue Economy Enterprise Development Scheme.
