Engineering Immersive Experiences
From robot art at Bristol Robotics Laboratory to world-first mixed reality performances, the story of how Octopus Immersive came to be.
From experimental robot art at Bristol Robotics Laboratory to world-first mixed reality performances, this is the story behind Octopus Immersive, and how we evolved into an immersive technology studio creating interactive experiences that connect the digital and physical worlds.
The Gentleman Octopus
Octopus Immersive Laboratory was founded in 2015 by director Benjamin Winstone, originally under the name The Gentleman Octopus. The studio grew from a fusion of robotics research and creative experimentation. With a background rooted in bio-inspired and biomimetic design, much of this early exploration drew influence from the octopus - a remarkable example of adaptability, intelligence, and morphology. This intersection of science & creativity became the foundation of the studio’s approach to immersive technology and interactive design.
Bristol Robotics Laboratory
In the early days, Ben was based at Bristol Robotics Laboratory - a hub of robotics research that provided access to specialist fabrication tools and a community of innovative engineers and creative minds, many of whom have collaborated on projects over the years. Rooted in biomimetic design principles, we began developing immersive art installations for festivals and galleries, combining animatronics, electronics, lighting and machine vision. Using laser cutters, 3D printers, traditional workshop tools and welding, these early builds laid the foundation for the interactive design approach Octopus Immersive is known for today.
UK Festival Circuit
Over the years, Octopus Immersive has brought its interactive design and immersive technology installations to some of the UK's most beloved festivals, including Boomtown, Shambala, Secret Garden Party, Wonderfields, Beautiful Days and True Fest. Some of our favourite moments have been finding bands playing music underneath our installations to trigger audio reactive visuals. Beyond the festival circuit, we have collaborated with the National Trust at Tyntesfield Estate and contributed to the Wallace & Gromit sculpture trail in partnership with the University of Bristol.
Oracle & Sian Cross
In 2020, we began our collaborative relationship with singer Sian Cross creating a music video showcasing the Oracle, our sound reactive light sculpture and one of our most recognised immersive technology installations. A familiar face on the UK festival circuit, the Oracle responds dynamically to sound, illuminating in real time throughout the video in perfect harmony with the lyrics of Sian's song 'Tell Anybody'.
Wake The Tiger
In 2022 Octopus Immersive contributed to the first phase of Wake The Tiger, the world's first Amazement Park, delivering a fully interactive immersive experience room alongside a series of interactive design touchpoints throughout the park.
Robotic Graffiti
Also in 2022 we partnered with Rob Del Naja of Massive Attack to develop a custom robotics system capable of painting and spray-painting graffiti with human-like motion, exhibited at the Saatchi Gallery's Beyond The Streets Exhibition in 2023. From time to time this work continues through other projects of Rob’s. We also now how our own inhouse 6-axis robot arm that paints.
KAGAMI — Mixed Reality Performance
In 2023, Octopus Immersive contributed to the world's first 100-person mixed reality music performance, KAGAMI, produced by Tin Drum and featuring the legendary Ryuichi Sakamoto. Each member of the audience wears a Magic Leap 2 headset, becoming fully immersed in responsive 3D visuals that evolve in real time alongside select songs from Ryuichi's extensive career. A landmark moment in immersive technology and interactive design, KAGAMI has since been presented in New York, Manchester, London, Taiwan and Italy.
Octopus Immersive Laboratory
In 2024, Octopus Immersive Laboratory adopted its new name, reflecting a bold evolution in our work. We create both physical and digital immersive technology experiences that place the audience at the centre, blurring the boundaries between the built environment and the digital world. With a focus on extended reality (XR) technology rooted in our robotics research heritage, we have also secured a number of research grants that are driving the next generation of our interactive design work. This was also the year we worked with MyWorld and Sian Cross building an innovative live mixed reality experience called Introspect. The audience wear XR headsets whilst the performer walks amongst them triggering sound reactive and spatially aware visuals.
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