Case study · Biopharma
NIBRT brings cleanrooms into virtual reality
A complex manual bioprocessing procedure, captured on location and rebuilt as VR cleanroom training.
- Customer
- NIBRT, Dublin
- Sector
- Biopharma
- Partner
- Boston Consulting Group
- Sign-off
- Narrative and release reviewed by NIBRT
The challenge
NIBRT needed a manual cleanroom procedure captured with enough fidelity to train industry professionals.
NIBRT, the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, runs facilities in Dublin that replicate a real biopharmaceutical manufacturing plant.
Working with NIBRT and Boston Consulting Group, Mersus was asked to virtualise a complex manual procedure as a genuine training tool.
How it was built
Production started on location at NIBRT, recording the procedure from the trainee’s point of view, then moved to the Mersus studio in Athlone.
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Capture
Trainees performed the procedure wearing 360° cameras, with standard cameras recording body movement and photographs of every piece of equipment.
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Narrative and design
Every interaction was documented in a narrative, signed off by NIBRT, then storyboarded into a full design document.
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Production
3D modelling, texturing, animation, particle effects and code ran in parallel to keep the project on schedule.
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Test and release
Internal testing, then review by NIBRT and final refinements before release.
The results
The finished VR cleanroom training gave NIBRT a realistic cleanroom in which trainees could practise complex bioprocessing procedures in the classroom, building confidence before working in a tightly controlled facility.
NIBRT worked very closely with Mersus in building a hugely valuable VR training simulation of a complex manual process performed in the biopharmaceutical industry. The use of VR has allowed us to effectively train individuals on these techniques in a realistically simulated cleanroom environment. … We would highly recommend the team.
Aoife Barron, Senior Bioprocessing Trainer, NIBRT