Windplanner Tokyo

Windplanner at the Wind Expo in Tokyo - a sneak peek of our trip

Having a booth at the Wind Expo turned out to be a good decision. Windplanner was part of the Holland Pavilion, organized by the HHWE. Our team had many interesting talks, both with Japanese visitors as well as international companies and potential partners.

Japan has high ambitions towards wind energy; growing from <2% today to 20% in 2050. In order to reach this goal, Japan plans a considerable percentage of their wind turbines to be near shore. As the effect of wind mills can easily be visualized with Windplanner – both on land and near shore – there are good opportunities in the Japanese market.

Ernest, Henk, Sarah and Maarten immersed themselves in exciting Tokyo. For all of them, it was the first time to set foot in Japan. So next to the three intense days at the Wind Expo, they also spent a couple of days as tourists. All in all, it was a great trip, fully loaded with new experiences, insights, and contacts.

Interview Rob Rietveld

Customer experience with Windplanner

"What makes Windplanner unique, is that it is interactive. We are not looking at a dot on a map or a single static photograph, we can really walk around the turbines. And importantly, residents can move the turbines to create a setup that is acceptable for them."

Rob Rietveld Director of the Dutch Association for Residents living near Wind Turbines (NLVOW)

Rob Rietveld is director of the Dutch Association for Residents living near Wind Turbines (NLVOW). He got acquainted with The Imagineers through other 3D visualization projects and his attention was specifically triggered when The Imagineers developed Windplanner. He has used Windplanner during several discussion sessions with residents.

Rietveld says: “What makes Windplanner unique, is that it is interactive. We are not looking at a dot on a map or a single static photograph, we can really walk around the turbines. We see the correct size of the turbine and we can look at it from different angles and distances. And importantly, residents can move the turbines to create a setup that is acceptable for them. This opens up the discussion with other scenarios than the ‘pre cooked’ scenarios by authorities or developers.”

At these discussion sessions, roughly 8-9 residents are present to talk about the impact of wind turbine plans. Rietveld: “We present different scenarios and this always gives rise to many questions. At the most recent session, we showed 12 different scenarios. As we made a very realistic representation with Windplanner, this discussion was much more focused.”

Rietveld likes the feature of adding 360°pictures. “When Google Street View is not available close to the wind park’’ I can customise Windplanner with other pictures.”
Rietveld concludes: “Windplanner is a very helpful tool to create clarity about wind park plans. Residents that live close to the wind park get a clear idea of the plans and they can weigh the different scenarios.”

 

Press release

Doefonds, NOM and the G.J. Smid Foundation are investing in disruptive visualisation technology

Dutch Virtual Reality technology shows the impact of wind turbines on the surroundings and residents, anywhere in the world.

 

SNEEK – September 2016.

In order to visualise the impact of wind turbines, power pylons or motorways on the landscape in real-time, The Imagineers have launched a combination of virtual reality (VR) and innovative visualisation technology. With this new technology, everyone can visualise the impact of projects on their surroundings, up to the level of their own backyard. Since today, The Imagineers is the new company and brand name of VIA Drupsteen. With its new name, the software company underlines its international ambitions.

The visual impact of projects on the everyday surroundings is shown in detail by combining photorealism, 3-D and software development. This can be applied to any street, city or region in the Netherlands, and abroad. This combination of technologies is unique in the world, is completely online and real-time, and can support authorities and project developers in realising a more effective participation of stakeholders when it comes to interventions in landscape or living environment.

Before the name change, The Imagineers have already visualised more than 1000 projects in energy, construction and infrastructure for both businesses and governmental bodies, over the past 16 years. Examples of projects with much impact include the rerouting of power pylons in the provinces of Zuid-Holland and Zeeland (TenneT), new public transport lines (the Uithof line in Utrecht), road construction (the Rijnland route in Zuid-Holland and the Ringroad Zuid in Groningen) and energy projects (wind turbine parks in Noord- and Zuid-Holland).

 

VR Technology

The VR technology developed by The Imagineers is a combination of animation, photogrammetry, virtual reality, serious gaming and 360° photography and video. The visualisations can be made and watched online with any device (platform independent).

With this technology, which was developed in-house, the company presents itself worldwide in the markets of construction, energy and infrastructure. “Public support and participation are crucial in processes such as the transition to a sustainable energy system, the increasing urbanisation, deforestation, the creation of polders, and sand suppletion to combat coastal erosion. All these projects have a major visual impact on the immediate living environment.

Most traditional visualisations simply ‘paste’ a series of wide 3-D models into a landscape. With our photorealistic technique, residents get a far better idea of how large infrastructural projects will actually look like in the future”, says Maarten Drupsteen of The Imagineers.

 

Investment

To support the growth ambition of The Imagineers, more than 1 million euros are now invested by Doefonds, NOM and the G.J. Smid Foundation, and by the owners of the software company. Diederik Jongema, speaking on behalf of Doefonds, NOM and the G.J. Smid Foundation: “Virtual Reality is a technique in which huge investments are made all over the world. This current investment will be used to develop an online product that allows anyone, anywhere in the world, to realistically visualise the impact of wind turbines, with the push of a button. We take pride in supporting this initiative, which also strengthens the innovative power of the north of the Netherlands.”

 

About The Imagineers

With its in-house developed visualisation software, The Imagineers support local and national governments and project developers in visualising – in real-time and platform independent – interventions in the landscape and the living environment of businesses and civilians. The company does so by providing visual tools and applications for the energy sector, construction and infrastructure. The Imagineers are a Dutch company with offices in the Netherlands, England and Germany. For information about The Imagineers, please visit our website http://www.theimagineers.com

For additional information (not for publication): if you would like to receive visual material and/or request an interview, please contact Maarten Drupsteen maarten@theimagineers.com or call (+31)(0)515-439 230 / (+31)(0)6-26558709

Visual material of The Imagineers: click here.