Centre for Cultural and Industrial Technologies Research (CiTech)

The principles of CiTech

The guiding principles of the centre are the:

  • Nurturing and sustaining research excellence throughout our portfolio of Future Proof computing, Intelligent Systems, Biomedical Robotics, Games and Gameplay, Virtual Reality Healthcare Applications, High Performance Computing specialisms.
  • Engaging, enhancing and promoting the research endeavours of our staff and research degree students.
  • Embracing local, national and international agendas to enable our knowledge creation to give economic benefit and encourage creative response.

Under the guidance of these broad principles, activity is focussed in particular areas of implementation.

In order to support researchers in both Cultural and Industrial Technologies, and to allow for consolidation and enhancement of research strengths, activity is grouped under clusters.  The Institute of Industrial Research (IIR) and the Intelligent Systems & Biomedical Robotics Group (ISR) have a strong track record of nationally and internationally funded-research in the industrial / medical arenas. Similarly, the Future Proof Computing Group plays a major role in international digital preservation research, working alongside cultural institutions on nationally and internationally funded projects.  The Games and Gameplay cluster has won international acclaim pushing the boundaries of experimental gameplay, and is leading several nationally-funded projects.  

Work in the high performance computing area comprises funded projects in the development of algorithms for computer graphics visualisation, particularly for applications in healthcare and cosmology. The Virtual Reality and Virtualisation group explores the use of Virtual Reality and 3D visualisation technology for a range of healthcare applications.

 

Future Proof Computing Back to top

Digital Preservation Theory and Practice is at the stage where emulation is starting to be taken seriously as a mainstream strategy alongside migration, to ensure maintainable long-term preservation for cultural institutions first and foremost, but ultimately affecting most areas of society. The Future Proof Computing Group is playing a key role in creating the tools and techniques needed to bring this about, including data modelling for databases and RDF, dimensional modelling for data warehousing, GUI development, and identifying salient legal issues. This work is particularly important for complex digital objects, the creation of whose definitions the group are facilitating in the areas of simulation, visualisations; digital art and computer games.

Projects in this area are:

Staff connected are:

  • Dr David Anderson
  • Dr Janet Delve
  • Dr Antonio Ciuffreda
  • Dr Leo Konstantelos
  • Dr Milena Dobreva
  • Dr Dan Pinchbeck
  • Mr Vaughan Powell
  • Mr Clive Billenness (on half-time release from the British Library)

Researchers connected are:

  • Ms Angela Dappert (Digital Preservation Coalition / British Library)

 

Games and Gameplay Back to top

Research into games falls into two categories. One concerns experimental gameplay and game production, developing and releasing games into the public domain. The core principle is to test new areas of design and gameplay and the viability of these products within the gaming community, both commercially and uncommercially. The second focuses upon locative, mobile and mixed-reality gaming and game design and is more theoretically concerned with the conceptualization and analysis of new gameplay forms and experiences. Projects falling within the games cluster are therefore driven by:

  • Novel game design and new gameplay experiences.
  • Application of theory and analysis to practical implementation.
  • A focus on the business of developing and releasing games.

Projects in this area are:

Staff connected are:

  • Dr Dan Pinchbeck (Reader in Computer Games)
  • Mr Mark Eyles
  • Mr Neil Dansey
  • Mr Gavin Wade
  • Mr Andy Bain

Researchers connected are:

  • Arjan Dhupia
  • Peter Howell
  • Mitu Khandaker

 

Virtual Reality and Visualisation Back to top

This research cluster explores the use of Virtual Reality and 3D visualisation technology for a range of applications in the following areas:

  • Physical rehabilitation
  • Health and fitness
  • Medical visualisation
  • Exploration of interaction between VR interfaces and the user
  • Visualisation of complex cosmological data

Staff connected are:

  • Mel Krokos
  • Wendy Powell
  • Vaughan Powell
  • Brett Stevens
  • Steve Hand


Information on some research clusters are to follow soon. Please revisit this page regularly for more information and updates.
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