Proto Hologram

Loughborough University has incorporated Proto holoportation technology to enhance the educational experience.

The Proto device enables live beaming from anywhere in the world for real-time, interactive learning experiences – expanding options for teaching and research while reducing the carbon impact.

Two members of staff being filmed and appearing on the hologram screen next to them.

What Proto allows us to do

Live-beam guest speakers from global universities and industry into lectures to give talks and answer students' questions, just as if they were in the room together. This gives students and staff access to professionals who they may otherwise not have the chance to engage with.
Live-beam colleagues from our London campus and global partner institutions into our lectures for co-teaching purposes while maintaining the University's carbon net zero strategic objective.
Stream digital interactive 3D items into lectures for closer inspection – for instance for engineering, architecture, design and sports science classes – where they can be rotated and studied in detail.
Stream recorded messages and talks from our industry partners and our distinguished alumni.
Enable students to exhibit and showcase their assessment outputs to a wider audience – such as product designs or fashion shows.
Provide interactive guidance and information for prospective students, their parents and guardians during university open days via the AI bot.
Members of staff stood looking at the Proto hologram box and AI bot.

Holotech – opening a window on the real and digital world.

So far, we have received lots of positive anecdotal feedback from our students that have come across the kit on our campus and they are keen to get involved and explore how they can utilise it.

Getting Proto ready for the classroom

  1. Finding a suitable location. This includes managing connectivity to our systems, lighting, space, moving the kit between spaces.
  2. Experimenting with live beaming and testing it our with students to gain their feedback on the levels of interactivity and sense of realism.
  3. Working out the spec for people who don’t have a studio kit. Making we are set up with instructions for guest speakers / colleagues from London so we can co-teach with people who don’t have the studio kit (i.e. using an iPhone).