Software package and information systems

Tender description

Active cells virtual reality system (ACVR). The European spallation source is a European research infrastructure consortium (ERIC) committed to the goal of building and operating the world leading facility for research using neutrons. Once constructed in Lund, Sweden, it will provide new opportunities for researchers in a broad range of scientific areas including life sciences, energy, environmental technology, cultural heritage and fundamental physics. It will be an accelerator-based facility producing neutrons for a large array of advanced instruments. Construction started in July 2014, aiming at the source producing first neutrons around 2020. The UK is a partner in construction of the ESS alongside 15 other European countries, and has committed significant funding for construction. STFC is managing the UK contribution to ESS, which includes in-kind contributions to construction of the facility. The ACVR is a software system to be delivered by RACE — a department of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority. The active cells will be a windowless environment where the only view on processes ran inside the cells will be provided by cameras to operators acting remotely in a control room. For this reason, the Active cells virtual reality system (ACVR) has been specified to support operators with synthetic views of processes inside the cell. The system will also be used in an offline context to simulate remote handling operations for the concept development of new processes. The scope of the system consists of a software suite for viewing and interacting with a digital twin of the remote environment, importing geometry from existing datasets, and animating representations of robotic equipment using control system data in real-time. Due to the long lifecycle of the system, the software must be easily extended to incorporate with new elements of the control system, and allow future integration with the live video distribution and viewing system. RACE is seeking suppliers with experience of providing such systems and information regarding their software products. The information received via this market enquiry will allow RACE to assess the feasibility of using existing commercially available technical solutions for the ACVR and will aid UKAEA strategy for this requirement going forward. To download the market enquiry pack please follow the link below. http://www.ccfe.ac.uk/TenderDocs.aspx?DocName=Virtual.zip Please ignore the wording tender doc's, this is only a market sounding enquiry.