The Mixed Reality Lab

Introduction to the MRL

mcp@cs.nott.ac.uk (Mark Paxton) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 20:46:43 +0000

The Mixed Reality Lab (MRL) at the University of Nottingham is a dedicated studio facility where computer scientists, psychologists, sociologists, engineers, architects and artists collaborate to explore the potential of ubiquitous, mobile and mixed reality technologies to shape everyday life.

The MRL was first established in 1999 with £1.2M funding under the JREI programme and its facilities were updated in 2005 through a further £1M under SRIF 2. The laboratory is currently home to over fifty academics, research associates and PhD students who are undertaking a wide ranging programme of research into mixed reality and its applications. Between 2000 and 2007, the MRL was the lead partner in EPSRC's Equator IRC, a £10M, eight partner, initiative exploring the interweaving of physical and digital interaction for everyday life.

To find out more about the MRL's research, visit the research section of the website.

PhD studentship opportunity - Reactive Environments

hms@cs.nott.ac.uk (hms) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:17:21 +0000

The School of Computer Science, University of Nottingham invites applications for 3 PhD studentships. We would like to hightlight the opportunity to do research in the area of Reactive Environments, one of a number of areas on offer. Reactive Environments are those computationally-augmented environments that are driven by data derived from the activity of inhabitants, the environment and objects present. At various scales, they take the form of rooms, buildings and entire urban environments and are designed to be entered and inhabited, while the time scale of such inhabitation can vary widely.

Please find full project details here: http://www.mrl.nott.ac.uk/~hms/ReactiveEnvironments.html

MRL Visiting Researcher Lecture Programme, Autumn 2009

mcp@cs.nott.ac.uk (Mark Paxton) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:11:29 +0000

MRL announce the first in their monthly Lecture Series for 2009/2010, which aims to invite senior researchers in industry and academia to present their research in the area of ubiquitous computing and identify areas for collaboration.

Transforming the way we live in Digital Britain

mcp@cs.nott.ac.uk (Mark Paxton) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 12:42:15 +0000

A new £40m research centre at The University of Nottingham will develop digital technology to transform modern living.

The Horizon Digital Economy Research Hub centre, one of three announced on April 29 by Lord Drayson, Minister for Science and Innovation, will help to connect people with digital technology to radically improve the way we live, work, play, and travel to ensure that everyone is included in the digital future.

The University of Nottingham centre will develop new ways to use the electronic ‘footprints’ we leave behind whenever we use mobile, internet and other digital technologies, and new ways to utilise digital technologies to help business and stimulate economic growth.

Click here for full story

Design Council's Innovate for Universities

hms@cs.nott.ac.uk (Holger Schnadelbach) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:56:15 +0000

The University of Nottingham has been awarded a place on the Innovate for Universities program sponsored by the Design Council. The MRL's Mixed Reality Architecture is one of four technologies at the University that will receive dedicated design input over the next 12 months. Dr Susan Huxtable, Director of Technology Transfer at The University of Nottingham, said: “We are very pleased to have won the opportunity to participate in this exciting initiative. We anticipate that the input to our projects from the design consultants will accelerate their development and significantly increase the potential for commercial success.”

More details

New Doctoral Training Centre in Ubiquitous Computing

david.lloyd@nottingham.ac.uk (Dave Lloyd) — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 12:59:42 +0000

The MRL will be part of Nottingham's new Doctoral Training Centre in Ubiquitous Computing for the Digital Economy. Ubiquitous Computing, in which millions of computers become embedded into the world around us, promises to transform the ways in which we work, shop, travel, learn, socialise and play, and will drive the growth of the digital economy in the 21st century.

Supported by £8 million investment from EPSRC, the University, and over 30 industry partners, we will recruit more than 50 PhD students over the next five years. These students will experience an innovative PhD programme that combines a PhD research project with training in interdisciplinary research and innovation skills and an industrial internship.

Click here for more information.

New CoSpatial Project Funded

azc@cs.nott.ac.uk (Alan Chamberlain) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:36:37 +0000

The Mixed Reality Lab has recently been awarded funding for a new project entitled, "CoSpatial - Communication and Social Participation: collaborative Technologies for interaction And Learning". This an EU funded project, part of the 7th Framework Programme on Research, Technological Development and Demonstration. The Project is in collaboration with 4 other institutions, including the Bruno Kessler Foundation in Italy, University of Birmingham, and the Universities of Haifa and Bar Ilan in Israel. This important project starts on February 1st and lasts for 3 years and is worth in the region of 1.6 million euros.

The Project is a collaboration between the MRL and Human Factors. Dr Tony Glover, a senior research fellow with the MRL will be the co-investigator on this project. The project is concerned with investigation and development of new technologies to aid in the advancement of social skills in young children and those with learning difficulties.