Animation Research
Animation Research Limited is a Dunedin, New Zealand-based computer graphics and visualisation firm (11-50 employees) that builds real-time 3D sports graphics under its Virtual Eye brand, ATC simulators (70+ global installations), urban development visualisations, and VR/360° immersive applications for broadcasters, sports organisations, aviation trainers, and institutional clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersDunedin, New Zealand
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Animation Research does
Animation Research Limited (ARL) is a Dunedin, New Zealand-based computer graphics and visualisation company founded in 1989 as a joint venture between Taylormade Productions and the University of Otago's Computer Science Division, and has been fully privately held since Taylormade bought out the university's stake in 1991. The company employs 11-50 people and operates across four revenue streams: real-time 3D sports graphics (under the Virtual Eye sub-brand), air traffic control simulation (the TotalControl simulator distributed globally through Airways International, with 70+ installations), custom visualisation services for urban development, architecture, and documentary projects, and VR/360° immersive applications for tourism, education, and training.
The company's core technology is built on proprietary real-time 3D graphics rendering, custom animation systems, and digital terrain modeling using both photogrammetry and lidar, with additional capabilities in 3D stereoscopics and bespoke stereo-alignment software. Virtual Eye pioneered real-time 3D sports broadcasting graphics, with notable products including Swing Tracker and Umpire PitchTrack used by Fox Sports, and has won four Emmy Awards plus the SMPTE Progress Medal. The Auckland 3D city model and historical work like the Waka Māori stereoscopic animation and the Ruapekapeka 360° experience demonstrate a deep content library across civic, cultural, and sporting projects.
ARL monetises through a mix of licensing/royalty arrangements in sports broadcasting, hardware sales and support in simulation, and project-based professional services in visualisation and immersive work. Distribution relies on direct enterprise sales to broadcasters, sports organisations, and institutional clients, supplemented by the Airways International channel for ATC simulators. The company has no external institutional or equity funding, with cumulative R&D support of ~NZ$501K from Callaghan Innovation grants across 2013, 2016, and 2018. Its customer base spans Oceania, the Middle East, North America, and the Caribbean, and its most recent strategic move is a 2025 Memorandum of Understanding with New Zealand Cricket to co-develop analytics, biomechanics tools, and data systems for cricket.
Animation Research firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Animation Research
- Legal name
- Animation Research Limited
- Website
- https://arl.co.nz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Animation Research Limited is a Dunedin, New Zealand-based computer graphics and visualisation firm (11-50 employees) that builds real-time 3D sports graphics under its Virtual Eye brand, ATC simulators (70+ global installations), urban development visualisations, and VR/360° immersive applications for broadcasters, sports organisations, aviation trainers, and institutional clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Animation Research industry classification
Industry- Product category
- 3D Visualization and Graphics Software
- NAICS
- Graphic Design Services (541430), Industrial Design Services (54142)
- SIC
- Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Immersive/Interactive Animation (AR/VR/Real-Time) (MPAHACAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Serious Games & Simulation Studios (Training, Defense, Enterprise) (MPAFAAAH), Interactive & Immersive Content Production (AR/VR/3D) (BPAFAIAL)
Keywords
Where Animation Research is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dunedin
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Animation Research business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Sports Technology (Virtual Eye): Real-time 3D sports graphics for broadcasters, including Swing Tracker and Umpire PitchTrack features for major sporting events
- Simulation and Training Systems: TotalControl ATC simulators sold and supported globally through Airways International partnership
- Visualization Services: Custom visualization projects including architectural visualization, urban development flyovers, documentary animations, and educational content
- VR and Immersive Experiences: VR and 360-degree immersive applications for tourism, education and industry training
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Animation Research product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Animation Research Ltd (ARL) produces real-time 3D graphics, photorealistic visualisation, and immersive VR/360° experiences for sports broadcasting, urban development, education, and aviation training. Its commercial products include Virtual Eye real-time 3D sports graphics for broadcasters, the TotalControl air traffic control simulator (70+ global installations), and custom data-visualisation, architectural fly-over, and training applications delivered to enterprise and government clients.
Product overview
Animation Research Ltd (ARL) is a technology and animation company offering a portfolio of visual experience products and services across multiple domains. The company's offerings include: Virtual Eye, a sports technology sub-brand pioneering real-time 3D sports graphics; Visualisation Services for data visualisation, terrain/architecture graphics, and science/engineering animations; Urban Development Visualisation for architectural and terrain visualization using photogrammetry and lidar; and 3D Immersion products including VR and 360° applications for tourism, education, and training. Notable named products include the TotalControl Air Traffic Control Simulator (70+ global installations), Time Tripper virtual time machine, Ruapekapeka 360 Experience, Treespace Visualisation, and the historic Bluebird Penguin and Air New Zealand Gannets animations. ARL also creates custom photo-realistic 3D dataset visualisation applications for project development, engineering, agricultural science, training, and medical visualisation industries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- All tested learners gained at least two steps in LNAAT for numeracy and literacy using VR training at Otago Corrections Facility
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Animation Research
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Animation Research technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Animation Research partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- New Zealand CricketcoreNZC has formalised a strategic partnership with Virtual Eye (sports division of ARL) through a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on high performance analytics, broadcast innovation, and enhanced fan engagement. Virtual Eye will co-develop advanced sports graphics, biomechanics tools, and data systems with NZC. The partnership was announced alongside Virtual Eye's fourth Emmy Award and SMPTE Progress Medal.
- Airways InternationalcoreARL built the TotalControl Air Traffic Control Simulator for Airways International. Designed from the ground up by ARL software developers and engineers, TotalControl comes complete with multiple towers, aircraft, cloud types, weather, and full world airspace. Originally installed at Airways training facility in Christchurch in 2006, there are now 70+ TotalControl simulators installed at training facilities around the world through this partnership.
- Great Southern TelevisionminorARL partnered with Great Southern Television to produce animations recreating Ruapekapeka Pa for the historical documentary 'NZ Wars: The Stories of Ruapekapeka'. ARL also created a 360-degree interactive web experience for Radio New Zealand Website.
- Shotover JetminorShotover Jet uses 360-degree videos created by ARL as a taste of their Queenstown adventure tourism experience, allowing potential visitors to preview the thrill ride digitally.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Animation Research competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hawk-Eye Innovations (Sony): Directly comparable to ARL's Virtual Eye division: both provide real-time 3D graphics and tracking/analytics for live sports broadcasts. Hawk-Eye, owned by Sony, is the dominant global sports broadcast graphics provider and represents the largest competitive threat to Virtual Eye in cricket, tennis, and ball-tracking sports.
- ChyronHego: Provides real-time broadcast graphics and sports visualization solutions to broadcasters worldwide — directly overlapping with Virtual Eye's broadcast graphics offering for live sports. A clear direct competitor in the live sports broadcast graphics category.
Broad incumbents
- Weta FX (formerly Weta Digital): New Zealand-based visual effects and animation powerhouse, comparable as a fellow NZ creative/tech firm operating at the intersection of proprietary rendering technology, content production, and global enterprise clients. Larger scale and far broader scope than ARL, but operates in adjacent VFX/animation territory.
- CAE: Global leader in aviation simulation and training, including ATC simulation offerings. Comparable as a peer for ARL's TotalControl ATC simulator product, though CAE operates at vastly greater scale across civil aviation, defense, and healthcare training.
- Pixomondo: Global visual effects and virtual production company with operations spanning film, television, and immersive content. Comparable to ARL's visualization services and immersive 3D content capabilities, though at substantially larger scale across multiple geographies.
- Disguise Technologies: Provider of visual production systems for live events, broadcast, and immersive experiences — including real-time 3D rendering technology for concerts, broadcasts, and xR stages. Comparable to ARL's broadcast and immersive visualization offerings from a technology-platform perspective.
- Framestore: Global VFX and immersive content studio spanning film, advertising, and location-based experiences including VR. Comparable as a peer for ARL's high-end visualization and immersive content capabilities, particularly relevant for documentary, education, and cultural-heritage immersive work.
Emerging players
- Second Spectrum: Sports analytics and tracking company using computer vision and machine learning for real-time broadcast enhancement and team analytics. Comparable to ARL/Virtual Eye's analytics and biomechanics roadmap, particularly relevant given the NZC partnership's analytics focus.
Regional players
- Soul Machines: New Zealand-headquartered AI/computer graphics company building digital humans and interactive visual experiences. Comparable as a fellow NZ-based specialist CG/visualization firm targeting enterprise and entertainment customers globally.
- PikPok (formerly Sidhe Interactive): New Zealand-based game and interactive entertainment studio. Comparable as a fellow NZ-headquartered specialist interactive/real-time graphics company serving global entertainment clients, though focused on game products rather than broadcast graphics or simulation.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Animation Research social profiles
Digital presenceAnimation Research financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Animation Research leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Animation Research funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Animation Research M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Animation Research
What does Animation Research do?
Animation Research Ltd (ARL) produces real-time 3D graphics, photorealistic visualisation, and immersive VR/360° experiences for sports broadcasting, urban development, education, and aviation training. Its commercial products include Virtual Eye real-time 3D sports graphics for broadcasters, the TotalControl air traffic control simulator (70+ global installations), and custom data-visualisation, architectural fly-over, and training applications delivered to enterprise and government clients.
Is Animation Research a public or private company?
Animation Research is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Animation Research founded?
Animation Research was founded in 1989. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Animation Research based?
Animation Research is headquartered in Dunedin, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Animation Research make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Sports Technology (Virtual Eye) is the primary driver. The others are simulation and Training Systems, visualization Services and VR and Immersive Experiences.
Who are Animation Research's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hawk-Eye Innovations (Sony) and ChyronHego. Broad incumbents are Weta FX (formerly Weta Digital), CAE, Pixomondo, Disguise Technologies and Framestore. Second Spectrum is listed as an emerging player. Regional players are Soul Machines and PikPok (formerly Sidhe Interactive).
Does Animation Research have an API?
No public API is recorded for Animation Research.
What industry is Animation Research in?
Animation Research's product category is 3D Visualization and Graphics Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAHACAN, Immersive/Interactive Animation (AR/VR/Real-Time), with a secondary code of MPAFAAAH, Serious Games & Simulation Studios (Training, Defense, Enterprise). Its NAICS code is 541430 and its SIC code is 7330.