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What we're doing

Tools are now widely available for creating virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), collectively defined as extended reality (XR), and these often include spatial audio capabilities. At the moment, however, these tools are focussed towards game developers, or else provide only simple omnidirectional video playback.

We are helping the Â鶹ԼÅÄ to explore the role that XR may have in future services, what value it can offer to audiences, and whether it is viable to provide this. In particular, we’re trying to develop audio capabilities that are more immersive, interactive, and intelligent, and use these to give our production teams new and easy-to-use creative tools. When working with new technologies like XR, it’s vital that we make our output as widely available as possible while maintaining high quality.

In recent years we’ve helped the Â鶹ԼÅÄ to create some award-winning VR experiences that put immersive audio to the fore, including and . We’re now focussing on production tools for the latest XR systems, to allow capture and rendering of live performances where the listener can freely move around. We’ve also been exploring the exciting potential of audio-led augmented reality on smart headsets. We’re investigating how machine understanding of the listener’s sound environment can allow personalised context-aware storytelling.

Why it matters

There is a lot of attention and investment in this area at the moment, and it has the potential to dramatically change the way we interact with digital media and the world around us. We think that it’s important for the Â鶹ԼÅÄ to explore the role of public service media in this future, to bring added value to our audiences.

Currently, much of the leading work in XR comes from game development studios, but broadcasters are not game developers—we have different skills and goals. Through our work, we hope to enable our creative teams to use XR technology to tell their stories in interesting new ways.

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Â鶹ԼÅÄ R&D - 360° Video and Virtual Reality

Â鶹ԼÅÄ R&D - Binaural Sound

Â鶹ԼÅÄ R&D - Audio Augmented Reality - Developing 'Please Confirm You are not a Robot'

Â鶹ԼÅÄ R&D - Recommendations for Designing Audio Augmented Reality Experiences

Â鶹ԼÅÄ R&D - Designing and Developing Ideas for Audio AR Sunglasses

Â鶹ԼÅÄ R&D - Virtual Reality Sound in The Turning Forest

Â鶹ԼÅÄ R&D - Nothing to be Written: WW1 in an Immersive VR Soundscape

Â鶹ԼÅÄ Academy - Sound Bites - An Immersive Masterclass

Â鶹ԼÅÄ R&D - Sounds Amazing 2020: Our virtual audio conference

Â鶹ԼÅÄ R&D - 8 Tips for Producing VR Projects

Â鶹ԼÅÄ R&D - Factual Storytelling in 360 Video