Shoppers can find their Heart of Steel thanks to app

The one-ton sculpture — with more than 17,000 dedications across 134 panels — has been unveiled at Meadowhall.

And the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre has created the touchscreen app to help people navigate the engravings.

Michael Lewis, digitally assisted assembly technical lead at the AMRC Integrated Manufacturing Group, said: “A person can come along, type in a name and the app will animate through the heart and zoom in to where that name is engraved on a particular panel.

“The way we did this was by getting a 3D model of the heart, importing it into a games engine called Unity and programming the functionality to tie it to the names. We have essentially made a mini-game.”

He added: “As a digital team, it’s nice to be involved in something like this. It’s a real opportunity to be creative.”

Michael was helped by programming student Charlie Conte, on an IMG work placement from Coventry University.

The app, which is on a tablet computer beside the heart, features a film about the making of the heart and allows users to find out more about the AMRC.

It also highlights the partnership with the British Heart Foundation, which receives ten per cent of donations for engravings.

The heart was built by Doncasters Bramah in Sheffield from a superalloy called Inconel 625, which is more often used in F1 engines.

It will remain on display until it is eventually placed inside the completed 32-metre Steel Man landmark at Kimberworth.

The overall project aims to celebrate the region’s proud steel and coal heritage and symbolise its growing advanced manufacturing prowess.

Steve said the unveiling of the heart — along with the replica Steel Man model — marked another milestone in the project.

He added: “The AMRC is a founder member of the Steel Man project and continues to offer high level expertise and practical help, machining a three-metre model of the Steel Man, and a smaller, 3D-printed version.

“At the beginning, and over the years, we have faced many setbacks and challenges. 

“So many unforeseen events have threatened to derail the project, but we have pulled together a team of experts who, luckily, share our vision and passion to create an icon that will have a major benefit to the region for future generations.”