Interactive 3D/VR applications for industry & research

I am Stephan Rüb, an independent developer building real-time 3D and VR applications in Unreal Engine 5. Product visualization, trade fair and showroom tools, virtual training applications and forensic visualization for industrial and research clients.

Project references Contact me

Stephan Rüb

Real-time 3D & VR developer

Unreal Authorized Instructor, Gold

Epic Games

Unreal Engine 5◆Multi-user VR◆Training applications◆Product configurators◆3D modeling & animation◆Custom Fortnite Experiences◆Interactive experience design◆

Project references

Client work I am able to name. Most other projects run under NDA and are described by scope only.

Video thumbnail for the TV report on the forensic visualization tool

TV report · Hosted on YouTube

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Public authority · Multi-user VR · In the press

Forensic visualization tool, Bavarian State Criminal Police Office

A multi-user forensic visualization tool for the BLKA, used in real court proceedings. I was an integral part of the small development team behind it. Reconstructed scenes can be examined together in a shared virtual space, which puts hard requirements on accuracy, stability and clarity of presentation. Development has continued in-house since, with the BLKA's own team building on the foundation.

Unreal Engine 5 Multi-user VR Court use

Research · Solo build

Urban planning research tool, KIT Karlsruhe

A research prototype for the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, testing whether interactive 3D visualization could help involve the public in urban planning and make the consequences of a decision tangible. Users place objects — trees, benches, lighting, bins — directly into a 3D environment and see the change immediately, each one carrying real metadata like cost, CO2 impact and upkeep. Developed solo from concept to delivered application; KIT's own team has continued building on it since.

Solo development Public participation Cost & CO2 metadata

Classic cars · Configurator

Historically accurate vehicle configurator

A real-time configurator built for a classic car collector and their community, specified historically so that every option combination shown matches what the vehicle actually was. The kind of detail an audience of enthusiasts checks immediately.

Real-time configurator Historical accuracy

Automotive · Product visualization

Product visualization for a modular electric vehicle

Visualized a modular electric vehicle across its different configurations and environments for an EV manufacturer, and developed the concept for an interactive 3D sales enablement experience spanning the dealership floor, the web and augmented reality, so customers could configure and explore the vehicle themselves.

Product visualization 3D sales enablement Augmented reality

Industrial · Trade fair VR · Under NDA

Battery welding machine, VR trade fair experience

A VR experience for a manufacturer of industrial battery welding machines, made for trade fair use: hardware too large to ship becomes something a visitor can walk around, open up and operate in minutes. Client and imagery confidential.

Under NDA · No imagery

VR product experience, drilling systems

A VR product experience around heavy drilling equipment for a machine builder in the industrial technology sector. Machine behaviour and operating procedures are modelled in real time so the product can be shown anywhere. Client and details confidential.

Working under NDA

Most of my work sits inside confidential product and R&D programmes, which is why few clients are named here and little of it can be published. If you need evidence for a specific capability, I will show it to you directly, within what the agreements allow.

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What I build

Three areas that cover most of what industrial and research clients ask for.

Sales enablement: configurators, showroom and trade fair tools

Interactive product applications for the stand, the showroom and the sales conversation. Customers change options and see the result immediately, at accurate specification, including products that cannot be brought into the room. Quick to start and robust in front of visitors.

Virtual training applications, 3D and VR

Applications where staff learn machines and procedures by carrying them out virtually, including the steps that are too expensive or unsafe to practise on real hardware. A field I am actively expanding.

Interactive applications for research and investigation

Fully interactive tools for scientific and investigative work, often as a shared multi-user session: data represented faithfully, examined from every angle, and discussed by several people inside the same virtual space.

Speaking & advisory

I speak about real-time interactive 3D, and advise the people paying for it

On stage and inside companies I cover what interactive real-time 3D is worth in a business, scientific and research context: what it can carry, what it costs, and where a simpler answer is the better one. Useful when decision makers need a clear picture before budget is committed.

Your event or your management team

Available for conference talks, internal sessions and advisory days. Tell me the audience and I will shape the session around it.

Employer branding · Game platforms

Recruiting and brand experiences on game platforms

Industrial and technical companies compete for apprentices, students and young engineers whose attention sits on game platforms rather than career pages. Fortnite alone reaches hundreds of millions of them, and a custom experience there can carry an employer brand, a product story or a recruiting message in a form that audience actually engages with.

Dragonbattle: Clash of the Elements is a complete original experience of that kind, built and released by me: an aerial battle between two rival kingdoms fought on the backs of giant dragons, with a fully self-composed and produced soundtrack that reacts to gameplay in real time, so music becomes an active storytelling layer instead of background sound.

I covered every part of it myself: gameplay design, visual effects, the interface, and the music together with its interactive implementation. The same range goes into a branded experience for your company instead of a default template.

Play the island Island code 2018-4725-0070

Dragonbattle: Clash of the Elements in-game screenshot 1

Dragonbattle: Clash of the Elements in-game screenshot 2

How I work

I take a project through the whole pipeline myself: understanding what you need, shaping the concept, and building the application end to end. One person carries it from the first conversation to the finished result, so you are talking directly to whoever does the work, not briefing a project manager who then briefs a team.

What you get by default is a finished, working application, ready to use. If you have an internal team that wants to keep developing it afterwards, I prepare the handover for that instead, and can upskill your team along the way, tailored to what the project needs.

Not every project starts as a full build. Some begin as a short research or prototype phase, to find out whether real-time 3D is genuinely the right answer for your use case before committing to more.

Concept to finished application Research & prototyping Handover for internal teams German & English NDA-friendly

Scope the real question

What has to be understood, by whom, and for what it will be used. That decides the build, not the other way round.

Build in short loops

A running version early, then iterations you can try yourself instead of approving on paper.

Deliver a finished application

A working product you can use right away. If your team wants to keep building on it, I prepare the handover for that instead.

Common questions

The things that usually come up before someone gets in touch.

How long does a typical project take, and what's the investment like?

Anywhere from a two-week research sprint to a multi-month build, depending on scope. Most projects fall somewhere in between. Tell me what you're trying to achieve and I'll give you a realistic estimate before anything is committed.

Do you sign NDAs?

Yes, as standard. Most of my work already runs under NDA, which is also why several case studies on this page are described by scope only rather than named.

Can you work alongside our in-house team, or only build solo end to end?

Both. Some clients want the finished application built for them; others want a specialist working alongside their team, including upskilling where that's useful. Tell me which fits and I'll shape the engagement around it.

Do we need to fly you in, or can this work remotely?

Remote is the default — most collaboration happens over video calls and screen-sharing. I come on site for specific needs: measuring a machine, running a headset session with your team, or presenting in the room.

We're not sure real-time 3D is even the right fit yet — can you help figure that out first?

That's exactly what a short research or prototype phase is for. It's a low-commitment way to test whether real-time 3D genuinely solves your problem before investing in a full build — and I'll tell you honestly if it doesn't.

What happens to the application after the project ends — are we locked into you?

No. The default deliverable is a finished, working application that's yours to use. If you have an internal team that wants to keep developing it, I prepare the handover for that and can upskill your team along the way.

Have a project that needs to work in real time?

Tell me what you want people to understand and where it has to run. I will tell you honestly whether real-time 3D is the right answer.

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