Virtual Reality

The virtual reality system designed for the Bloody Sunday Inquiry is believed to have been the first of its kind. Although virtual reality reconstruction had been a feature of several public inquiries these had generally taken the form of film representations designed to illustrate a theory or a particular view of events. The Bloody Sunday Inquiry system was interactive. It was easily accessible and was developed to enable those giving evidence to illustrate their recollections, movements and the location of events for the benefit of the Inquiry.

The system was specifically designed to be so simple to use that no previous experience of IT was necessary.

The virtual reality representation recreated the whole of the Bogside area of Derry, much of which had undergone extensive reconstruction since 1972. The user could select the scene as it was when the Inquiry was being held, in 1972 or as it might have looked when the Inquiry was being held if the reconstruction had not occurred. With a choice of 80 locations, the user could look around 360 degrees, zoom in and out or choose to walk through the scene. On selection of the last, 'stepping stones' were used as an aid to navigation. At each point the angle of view was remembered by the system when switching between the representations.

Oral evidence as to location and movement could be recorded on the virtual reality system. Any particular scene could be saved and exported to a mark-up system so that the witness could draw on the images or indicate a direction.

Virtual Reality Models produced by :

Northern Ireland Centre for Learning Resources (NICLR)
Orchard Building, Stranmillis Campus, Belfast BT9 5DY

• Accessibility
• Site Map
• © Crown Copyright 2010