Immersive Enterprise Laboratories Brings Real-Time Animation To Life At San Diego’s Fleet Science Center

Immersive Enterprise Laboratories (IEL) will debut The Science of Animation, a two-day pop-up experience at San Diego’s Fleet Science Center on September 27–28.

The showcase offers the public a rare chance to step inside a modern working animation pipeline, one that trades years of production for real-time collaboration.

Visitors will follow Ruby, IEL’s “cosmic science adventurer,” through interactive stations where they can sketch, sculpt, and texture assets before seeing their creations realized using HP Z Captis, ZBrush, Unreal Engine, and other cutting-edge tools. The process will be guided live by IEL’s team of “animation scientists.”

The weekend lineup includes a custom Fortnite Island inspired by Ruby’s universe, a YouTube-streamed concert built on IEL’s real-time pipeline, and appearances by Disney’s Bill Perkins (Zootopia, Frozen) and Randolph Williams, along with veteran artists and designers from Pixar and other top studios. Guests will have the chance to connect directly with these industry greats, gaining mentorship and insights from the people behind some of animation’s most iconic films.

“The Science of Animation isn’t just about watching how animation is made — it’s about learning how to create animation in real-time, and making it together,” said Daniel Urbach, co-founder and Co-CEO of Immersive Enterprise Laboratories. “By combining immersive technology, artistry, and collaboration, we’re giving San Diego a first look at how animation can be reimagined as both a science and a community experience.”

Dr. Steven Snyder, president and CEO of the Fleet Science Center, added, “We are committed to creating spaces where science, technology, and creativity intersect. Partnering with IEL to debut The Science of Animation allows us to invite our community to not just witness innovation, but to become active creators in it.”

The event also previews a larger traveling exhibit IEL is developing with the Fleet Science Center, with backing from HP, NVIDIA, AMD, Adobe, and others.

The Science of Animation runs September 27–28, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., at the Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park, San Diego.