Backed by a £5.8 million Office for Students STEM Teaching Capital Fund grant, alongside additional University investment, DigiLabs focus on four key areas: artificial intelligence, simulation and modelling; extended reality learning (XRL); robotics; and 3D data capture and motion.
The DigiLabs are housed in refurbished spaces across campus and boast a wide range of impressive technologies, including:
- Proto Hologram – the world’s first holographic communications device that enables live beaming from anywhere in the world for real-time, interactive teaching while reducing carbon impact
- Virtual reality headsets
- Anatomage Table – a cutting-edge 3D anatomy and medical education system that displays digitised human cadavers, enabling anatomy visualisation and virtual dissection
- Humanoid robots and robotic vehicles
- 3D immersive wall
- 3D scanners
- Drones
- Marker-based and markerless motion capture technology
- GPU workstations
- High-performance computing
Professor Sam Grogan, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Education and Student Experience, believes the learning spaces will contribute significantly to the development of an educational experience which prepares Loughborough students for success in the highly skilled graduate roles of the future.
He said: “DigiLabs keep us at the forefront of teaching, learning and research, because it’s clear the next half-century will be shaped by these technologies, both at work and in the day-to-day lives of wider society. I can’t see a role that won’t be impacted in some way by this world, these technologies, and the thinking that emerges from their use.
“Enabling our students to be conversant with this world as an integrated part of our everyday education, research, and student experience allows us to prepare our students to thrive.”
There are three DigiLabs in total – East, West and Central – named after their locationss on campus. East and West are now open to students, with their technologies being used in new and exciting ways.
Take a 360-degree tour of DigiLab East and DigiLab West by visiting the DigiLabs website.
Loughborough’s first hologram lecture
Loughborough is the first University in the UK to incorporate the Proto Hologram technology into the student learning experience. The University has two life-sized devices, housed in DigiLab East and West, which can be moved into lecture spaces when required.
In its first teaching application, Loughborough’s Professor Heike Jöns used the device to beam in Dr Johanna Hautala from the University of Vaasa, Finland, to deliver a lecture on Transforming Geographies of Knowledge in the Era of AI.
This video showcases Loughborough’s first hologram lecture and includes interviews with Professor Heike Jöns, Dr Johanna Hautala, and students.
Students praised the lecture, with one stating the technology provides “a really good opportunity to hear perspectives from lecturers from across the world”.
As well as enhancing face-to-face teaching by enabling guest lecturers from anywhere in the world to beam into classes, the technology is being used to display 3D digital objects for detailed study in disciplines such as engineering, design, and sports science. It will also be used to showcase students and their creative work – such as digital designs, product prototypes, and fashion shows – to wider audiences.
The University has two life-sized Proto Hologram devices plus two miniature versions. This video gives an overview of the different uses of the devices and how they work. Further information on Loughborough’s use of the technology can be found in the dedicated press release.
Virtual reality and digitised cadavers transform cancer teaching
Biological and Natural Sciences students are now learning complex cancer concepts in more visual and engaging ways thanks to technology in DigiLab East.
Dr Mhairi Morris, Senior Lecturer in Biochemistry, has collaborated with Professor Gary Burnett, Professor of Digital Creativity, to create the Tumourverse – a virtual reality world that lets students step inside a tumour and explore the different cells involved in promoting cancer.
Alongside this, students are using the Anatomage Table to examine different types of cancer in digitised human cadavers and see how they spread through the body.
Students commented that “cancer biology can be quite tough to visualise,” but the technology “really helps with learning – and it’s enjoyable”.
This video shows how the Anatomage Table and virtual reality are being used in DigiLab East to teach cancer concepts. It features the ‘Tumourverse’ VR world and interviews with Dr Mhairi Morris and students.
First-of-a-kind module sees students design immersive future environments
The first cohort of Loughborough master’s design students has completed Interactive Design for Immersive Futures – a pioneering module focused on creating immersive experiences that would be dangerous, impossible, counter-productive, or prohibitively expensive in real life.
Module lead Professor Gary Burnett believes it is the first module of its kind as all 40 students were loaned their own VR headset for the entire semester. This unique approach allowed them to design and test ideas well beyond the classroom.
Students developed XR (extended reality) prototypes – combining virtual, augmented, and mixed reality – set in the metaverse and tailored to industries of their choice. Concepts included virtual healthcare environments for medical training, immersive previews of real-world festivals, futuristic car showrooms, and virtual property tours for estate agents.
This video gives an overview of the Interactive Design for Immersive Futures module and features interviews with Professor Gary Burnett and master’s students.
Professor Burnett is also leading a wide range of virtual reality projects at 麻豆視頻_麻豆直播_麻豆传媒官网, enabling students, staff, sports teams, and industry partners to step inside immersive digital worlds. His creations include a maze game designed to build teamwork and a VR world that promotes inclusive design by allowing users to experience the accessibility challenges faced by people with different disabilities.
This video explores some of Professor Burnett’s VR worlds at Loughborough, featuring teamwork mazes and scenarioses designed to promote inclusive design.
Landscapes brought to life with 3D immersive wall
Students from the School of Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering are using DigiLab West’s 3D immersive wall to explore landscapes in ways never before possible.
From soaring over Britain’s rugged cliff coastlines to navigating London’s dense urban skylines, the 5ft by 3m ‘ActiveWall’ – created by Virtalis – gives students the ability to view environments in incredible detail and from any perspective.
By moving beyond traditional flat screens and maps, the technology immerses students in rich, interactive environments that are transforming how they study both the built and natural world.
This video showcases how students are exploring landscapes – from coastlines to city skylines – with the 3D immersive ‘ActiveWall’. It features an interview with Dr Tom Dijkstra, Reader in Engineering Geomorphology, who has been using the technology with students.
Coding robots in DigiLab West
Computer science students are using DigiLab West to bring their programming skills to life – teaching robots to follow paths, recognise people, and avoid obstacles.
After learning the underlying concepts in lectures, students move into the lab to apply their knowledge using cutting-edge equipment. With access to advanced robots and high-spec computing, they gain valuable hands-on experience that bridges the gap between classroom learning and real-world applications.
This video shows how computer science students are programming robots in DigiLab West to follow paths, recognise people, and avoid obstacles. It features interviews with Dr Gary Storey, Senior Technical Tutor, Dr Haibin Cai, Senior Lecturer in Computer Science, and students, who share their experiences of using the technology.
What’s next for DigiLabs?
DigiLab Central is set to open in 2026 and will allow students to enjoy even more cutting-edge technology – including a wall-to-floor 3D installation.
Students returning to campus this September will begin to encounter the capabilities of DigiLabs East and West as they are increasingly used across programmes in new and exciting ways.
“Where we’re really going is towards the adoption of the various technologies in DigiLabs across our teaching and learning such that they become business-as-usual”, said Professor Sam Grogan.
“I’m excited to see how our students and staff will continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible with these tools.”
Additional information
Media interested in the opening of DigiLab Central, visiting DigiLabs East and West, or hearing about upcoming teaching and research taking place in the spaces can contact [email protected]
More information on DigiLabs, including details of all the technology available, can be found on the dedicated DigiLabs website.
A playlist of videos relating to the DigiLabs can be found on the 麻豆視頻_麻豆直播_麻豆传媒官网 YouTube channel.