Through EL CETL investment, and in collaboration with the Institute of Digital Arts and Technology, the University of Plymouth’s planetarium has been developed into an Immersive Vision Theatre (IVT), which opened in June 2007. The IVT provides an innovative digital theatre in which viewers are immersed in imagery projected onto the hemispherical dome. Audiences can experience real and imaginary environments at a variety of temporary and spatial scales. The IVT has quickly become a cross-disciplinary, facility for teaching, research and outreach, as well as increasingly taking a leading role nationally and internationally in research and development for both educational and commercial purposes. The Immersive Vision Theatre has also proved an invaluable facility in fieldwork preparation, by providing a real-time environment for students to explore.

The experience offered by the Immersive Vision Theatre arises out of its unique combination of features:

• The theatre is powered by two projectors. One, the Christi, uses an omnifocus lens which covers
  the immersive screen. The second projector, the Zorro, is an exclusive piece of technology and so far only one exists in the public domain. Together these projectors perform or mimic artificial vision.

• The audience seating is tilted at an angle for a truly cinematic and immersive experience. This layout has been found to particularly enhance the sense of motion.

• Each seat is equipped with a USB port to enable the spectator experience to be measured and evaluated.

• Uniview allows viewers to fly through the universe in real time – meaning the exact position of satellites, planets and other space bodies at this point.