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Innovative virtual reality platform rapidly transforms users into confident and skilled public speakers.

The multi-award-winning Immersive Technology Lab at Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge, is set to embark on a London tour, showcasing its groundbreaking work in leveraging emerging technologies to create transformational experiences.

The lab will be exhibiting at four high-profile London events in the coming months:

  • 15 September: British Science Festival, Arthur Edwards Building, London
  • 24-25 September: DigiGov Expo, London ExCeL
  • 12-14 October: New Scientist Live, London ExCeL
  • 5-6 November: Innovation Alley, InterContinental London, the O2

The lab has recently been recognised for its leading-edge research, receiving the 2024 Excellence Award and National Innovation Award. The lab’s flagship project transforms users into confident and skilled public speakers with the help of virtual reality. On a first-of-its-kind platform, users embark on a self-paced gamified journey that uses experiential learning to accelerate skills acquisition and build resilience.

Lab Director, Dr Chris Macdonald, says “As users complete tasks on the platform, the virtual reality audiences increase; the first virtual training environment is an empty classroom, the final one is a highly distracting stadium packed with 10,000 photorealistic spectators. The ability to repeatedly train in such extreme scenarios is a game-changer and until now it was impossible. It enables the psychological equivalent of training with weights; it rapidly builds confidence and resilience. Multiple technological firsts were achieved to build the platform and I can’t wait to share it with you all as we embark on our London tour.”

The upcoming tour offers a unique opportunity for the public to experience the transformative potential of VR technology firsthand. Anyone who attends will be given early access to the platform so they can use it at home for free.

poster with a deep blue background listing upcoming events. On the left side, a person in a suit wearing a virtual reality headset is giving a presentation to a large audience in a packed stadium or auditorium. On the right side, the event titles and dates are listed: British Science Festival, 15 Sep, Arthur Edwards Building, London. DigiGov Expo, 24-25 Sep, London Excel. New Scientist Live, 12-14 Oct, London Excel. Innovation Alley, 5-6 Nov, Intercontinental London, The O2.

We are delighted to offer 10 free tickets to members of the College community who wish to attend the Sunday of New Scientist Live. To redeem the passes please email comms@lucy.cam.ac.uk.

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