cim-lab.de
cim-lab.de
cim-lab.de

The Center for Immersive Media (CIM) at DHBW Ravensburg is a site-wide laboratory for media production that serves as a teaching, research and production platform. In innovative and interdisciplinary projects, the CIM team offers technology-supported research into digital-immersive narrative forms, virtual real-time environments and the convergence of broadcasting, film and interaction.

Our team conducts practice-led research at the intersections of design, film and digital technology. The core team and founding members have their professional roots in broadcasting and film production, game and media design, music, media didactics, economics and engineering.

Didactics and Narration

Immersive interaction and storytelling principles rooted in gaming industries are continuously expanding into education, engineering or science communication, to convey complex issues or skills in an engaging manner. Transmedia storytelling and interactivity for real-time digital environments allow one or more users to immerse themselves in virtually extended environments and thus experience a higher degree of involvement.

  • Digital storytelling
  • Transmedia narration

Broadcast Culture

Democratic media and staged content: Torday's media landscape is characterised by radical shifts, both in the way media is consumed as well as in associated design, production and publication processes. A mobile ‘broadcast-yourself’ culture and the democratisation of media production tools not only dissolve traditional categories of mass media (TV, radio, www). They are expressions of completely new audiovisual cultures, and their relation to meaning and authenticity.

  • Mobile Streaming / DIY Broadcast Yourself.
  • Digitale Authentizität und Inszenierung
  • Social Media Narratives

Extended Realities

Virtual Production is a key area of expertise at CIM. We develop collaborative simulations of physical/virtual 3D environments. The approach provides extended possibilities for film production, broadcasting, but also in situated gaming and spatial simulation (XR). We explore methods of pre-visualisation and staging with virtual environments based on e.g. Unreal Engine or Aximetry, als well as through spatial projection mapping technologies. A key technical component is the exploration of real-time animation and performative action through motion capturing.

  • Extended reality for film, broadcasting, events
  • Real-time simulation
  • Motion capturing

Experimental Formats

Photogrammetry: digitally capturing photorealistic 3D models of spaces, objects and people is a focus of this field. We use photogrammetry and laser scanning technologies, but also explore volumetric environment detection through AI technologies.

Robotic motion control: tools for automated camera guidance, combined with 3D visualisation, enables a wide range of new high-precision applications, both in commercial studio environments and on film location. We explore use cases for the application of industrial co-bots in studio contexts as well as artistic practice.

Machine learning and image synthesis: GenAI-based image and animation pipelines involving automated and semi-automatic imaging processes.

  • Photogrammetry
  • Robotic Motion Control
  • Generative AI for animation