Zubr team bios:Minny Stynker AR Experience
Zubr team bios: Minny Stynker AR Experience
About Us
Zubr.co is a specialist augmented and virtual reality studio founded in 2015 and based in the UK. We have successfully delivered over 400 AR/VR projects. Our expertise lies in developing bespoke AR and VR experiences tailored to our clients, using tried and tested software developed in-house from over 9 years of extensive.
In 2021 we created our sub-brand Zubr Curio to cater specifically to the arts, heritage and culture sector, developing high quality, accessible, audience-centred immersive content and educational experiences.
Our team
Chris Price
Technical Director Chris joined Zubr in 2016 following comprehensive experience creating digital experiences for heritage and tourism attractions which link stories and people with places, and in natural history film-making. He leads our photogrammetry and 3D scanning work including processing LIDAR and terrain data, and works across the Zubr team to devise the best way to turn clients’ visions into (augmented/virtual) reality.
Chris is passionate about working with disabled communities and is living with Cystic Fibrosis. He will oversee the creative implementation and technical development of the Minny Stynker AR app.
Amy Stewart
Project Manager/Producer Amy spent 7 years working in the heritage and culture sector and holds an MSc in Visual, Material and Museum Anthropology from the University of Oxford. She oversees project management at Zubr and produces projects for Zubr Curio – our heritage, arts and culture sub-division.
For this project Amy will liaise closely with the Soap Soup Theatre team, and coordinate Zubr staff to ensure a smooth project delivery and mitigate risks.
Chris Mugridge
Lead Developer Chris has worked professionally with game engines for the past decade. He has made games in 2D and VR, as well as B2B applications in 3D, VR and AR, and software for B2C customers to create their own VR applications. He is highly experienced with hardware including PC, Android, HoloLens and iOS. He holds a BSc in Games Technology and a MSc in Commercial Game Development.
On this project, he will oversee the development team and support all AR implementation and calibration.
Jake Powell
Before Zubr Jake was a Gameplay Developer specialising in gameplay mechanics and character abilities. He has a BSc in Games Technology and a strong aptitude for problem solving with a focus on end-user considerations. He created a bespoke virtual reality gesture recognition system and has 5 years coding experience, mainly in C#, C++, C and Unity.
Jake developed the original Minny Stynker prototype app and will support development of the new and improved app.
Lillie Simpson-Little
Junior Unity Developer Lillie is a seasoned game and app developer with over 7 years of experience in the gaming industry, specialising in augmented reality (AR). Lillie holds an MA in Sound for Games and Applications from dBs Institute, where they developed their technical skills and passion for development. They began their career in tech quality assurance (QA), and have since progressed to XR development. Prior to joining Zubr in 2023, they developed XR games and immersive applications for Aardman Animations, Bandai Namco, and Huawei.
For this project, Lillie will lead the development of the AR experiences and new app based on the code previously developed by Jake and with support from Chris.
Miriam Lamnabhi
UI and Graphic Designer Miriam studied in Spain before working for a big marketing agency for 4 years after gaining a BA in Design. She has designed graphic and web assets for Zubr’s AR and VR projects, as well as creating UI, branding and wireframes for our apps for over 3 years. Her strong background in typography means her work is immensely creative and always pleasantly surprising. Miriam supports our 3D modelling team by creating textures, makes our SparkAR filters, and leads on animation of 2D assets for Zubr.
On this project Miriam will work closely with the illustrations and assets provided by Soap Soup Theatre to cut out, layer, spatialise and animate the pages of the book which will spring to life when viewed through the AR app.
Joe Grocott
Lead 3D Artist Joe holds a First Class Honours degree in Games Technology from Bournemouth University. For 7+ years he’s created highly-optimised 3D assets for real time virtual experiences. He faithfully recreates physical assets based on technical drawings, CAD models, archival documents, architectural plans or historic photographs.
Joe specialises in high quality texture and material creation, and will oversee the creation and optimisation of all AR assets and 3D models.
Selwyn Phillips
Senior 3D Artist Selwyn graduated from the University West of England with First Class Honours in Animation. He has 9 years experience creating optimised realtime props and environments for a range of VR applications including: Employee training in the Rail, Aerospace and Nuclear sectors, logistic simulations, health and safety training, interior visualisations, medical applications and virtual tours.
Selwyn specialises in modelling and texturing detailed and highly optimised props and environments, and will support the creation and animation of 3D assets for this project.