Antycip Casts New Light on UCL’s VR Lab

University College London has partnered with Antycip to advance immersive research at its VR Lab, one of the United Kingdom’s first and most established large-scale virtual reality environments.

Located in London, the VR Lab’s immersive room gives researchers a space to explore three-dimensional worlds at a scale and fidelity that wearable devices cannot match. Upgraded by Antycip for UCL, the room sits at the heart of one of the country’s largest virtual reality research groups, supporting work across human–computer interaction, biomechanics, robotics, and both virtual and augmented reality.

Originally commissioned in 2000 as the first of its kind in the UK, the Lab has evolved through several technology generations, from early CRT projectors and SGI image generators to lamp-based systems and successive tracking solutions. A pioneering facility at the meeting point of science, engineering and human experience, it has now reached a new milestone with the integration of next-generation laser projection that delivers an unprecedented level of clarity and reinforces its standing as a world-class resource.

This new configuration is built around four Barco UDM 4K laser projectors with dedicated optics, replacing the units installed in 2012. The projectors deliver a 4K pixel space per channel, ensuring high visual fidelity across the immersive room.

This modernisation enhances colour accuracy, contrast, and image fluidity throughout the space, while removing the need for consumables and reducing the maintenance the previous system demanded. RF-synchronised stereoscopic eyewear and fibre optic cabling further strengthen reliability and usability across the environment. Together, these enable higher refresh rates, the handling of complex scenes, the integration of AI-driven modules, and the exploration of new forms of immersion and interaction for researchers across human–computer interaction, biomechanics, robotics, and virtual and augmented reality.