Creative Technology Network

EPICentre

What we do

EPICentre is a research centre that undertakes visualisation research in the fields of art, design, science, medicine and engineering. EPICentre's major research facilities are accessible to UNSW and external researchers.

Our tech infrastructure

XR-Lab consists of several hardware solutions that allow the development and delivery of fully featured collaborative Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality applications. This lab also hosts a 3m hemispherical dome and multiple interaction devices such as Emotive EEG, Microsoft Kinect 2, 360-degree cameras, laser projector, various gesture cameras, a large set of IoT sensors communicating through networked embedded systems, and an upcoming multi-touch wall.

EPICylinder system that is seven metres in diameter, 340-degree panaoramic projection, 33 speakers in a surround audio system, screen resolution of 120 million pixels in 3D, which is three times higher resolution than its nearest equivalent.

AVIE-SC consists of a 160-degree cylindrical screen driven by two 3D projectors. The lab also includes a motion capture system.

DomeLab is a six-metre diameter 3D hemispheric projection environment (Fulldome). DomeLab is a UNSW-led Australian Research Council funded project with collaborators across 11 organisations in Australia. The system is designed to travel both nationally and internationally.

Key contact

Associate Professor John McGhee, EPICentre & 3D Visualisation Aesthetics Lab Director and Scientia Fellow

epicentre@unsw.edu.au 

3D Visualisation Aesthetics Lab

What we do

3D Visualisation Aesthetics Lab specialises in 3D computer animation and visualisation. Areas of research include 3D virtual world design, Virtual Reality (VR) education, simulation, training, biomedical communication, Visual Effects (VFX), 3D computer animation and serious video game design.

Key contact

Associate Professor John McGhee, Director and Scientia Fellow, 3D Visualisation Aesthetics Lab 

john.mcghee@unsw.edu.au

Creative Robotics Lab

What we do

The CRL is a collaborative research and educational space that advances interaction between humans and machines by designing and evaluating novel interfaces and incorporating the principles of creative practice in its approach to social robotics. 

Key contact

Professor Mari Velonaki, Director, Creative Robotics Lab

mari.velonaki@unsw.edu.au

Dr Scott Brown, Assistive Technologies Lead, Creative Robotics Lab

scott.brown@unsw.edu.au 

National Facility for Human Robotic Interaction

What we do

The Facility is purpose-designed to host a wide variety of experiments investigating how people interact with technological devices, including robots. State-of-the-art sensors are concealed in the experiment space allowing unobtrusive measurement of human physical attributes such as location and limb position. Internal states such as affect and intent can then be inferred from the physical measurements. The streams of time-stamped data can then selectively be logged to computer disk and/or used in real time to control technological devices in the experiment space.

Our tech infrastructure

The Facility is available for academic or commercial collaborative or contract research and for social purposes. There is no comparable facility for HRI research worldwide.

• Dedicated space for experiments with people and technology
• Large experiment room 16x7.5x4.5m high (120m2 floor area)
• Controlled acoustics, climate and lighting
• Isolated experiment control room for experiment data acquisition and control, as well as audio, visual and telemetry monitoring during experiments
• Separate pre- and post-experiment interview room
• Separate foyer and waiting room
• All rooms acoustically isolated
• Wheelchair accessible

Key contact

Professor Mari Velonaki, Director, National Facility for Human Robotic Interaction Research

info@hri.edu.au

The Liveability Lab

What we do

The Liveability Lab, part of the Enabling Built Environments Program (EBEP), investigates the design of the built environment for those who are often excluded from design decisions. 

Our tech infrastructure

The lab boasts an 18-camera 3D motion capture system, handheld 3D scanner, pressure mats and an array of anthropometric measurement equipment to assess eronomics, biomechanics and usability.

Key contact

Dr Konstantina Vasilakopoulou, Director HMInfo

k.vasilakopoulou@unsw.edu.au

Design Futures Lab

What we do

The Design Futures Lab has ten different spaces, each of which houses a unique group of machines, materials and making possibilities. 

Our tech infrastructure

• Wood workshop
• Advanced manufacturing lab
• Digital fabrication lab (laser cutting)
• Metal workshop
• Robotic collab
• Wet lab
• Light activity space
• Polymers workshop
• Digital fabrication lab (3D printing)
• Spray booth

Key contact

design.lab@unsw.edu.au

The Making Centre

What we do

The Making Centre at Paddington is a collection of six main workshops and studios. Additonally, there are several production facilties.

Our tech infrastructure

Workshops and studios

• Ceramics
• Jewellery
• Wood
• Metal
• Screen printing
• Printmaking

Production facilities

• Interactive Media Lab
• Makerspace
• The Blackbox
• Audio capture studio and control rooms
• Sound edit suites and vocal booths
• Video edit suites
• Image capture studios
• Photography darkrooms
• Photography film processing lab

Key contact

artdesignmakingcentre@unsw.edu.au

Interactive Media Lab

What we do

The Interactive Media Lab (IML) at UNSW School of Art & Design researches and teaches emerging media technologies and their application in creative work. The lab's research areas include:

• Immersive environments
• Data visualisation
• Media architecture and media facades
• Spatial audio
• Wearable technology
• Biofeedback
• Music and performance technology
• The potential for creative agency in machines

Key contact

Associate Professor Ollie Bown
o.bown@unsw.edu.au 

Dr Patricia Flanagan
patricia.flanagan@unsw.edu.au

High Performance Architecture

What we do

The High Performance Architecture research cluster aims to deliver research innovation in design, planning and management of high performance buildings and cities.

Our tech infrastructure

• Energy bus - mobile weather station
• Radiometric infrared drone
• Thermal comfort meter
• Air quality monitoring device
• Multiple infrared cameras
• Temperature loggers (sensors and supporting structure)
• Portable cup anemometers
• Infrared thermometers (pirometers)
• Mobile thermal comfort kits
• Surface

Key contact

Associate Professor Lan Ding

hpa@unsw.edu.au

City Analytics Lab

What we do

CAL comprises a large decision support theatre and three dedicated Virtual Reality (VR) / Augmented Reality (AR) rooms, along with a Tangible Table sandbox and observation rooms for undertaking experiments. CAL has been established to support the envisioning of sustainable, productive, liveable and resilient cities and provides a unique opportunity to study the decision-making processes associated with city planning and design.

Our tech infrastructure

• VR
• Observation rooms with two one-way mirrors and separate adjoining rooms
• AR sandbox
• Six high-end mobile workstations for Mobile VR Lab (Oculus Rift)
• Three high-end mobile workstations for Red Centre Basement (Oculus Rift and HTC Vive)
• Five Oculus Gear VRs with Samsung S7s
• Five Microsoft Hololens AR headsets
• One Tobil pro glasses 2
• One virtual reality eye tracker

Key contact

Professor Christopher Pettit

Balamurugan Soundararaj 
s.bala@unsw.edu.au

ARC ITTC (Industry Transformation Training Centre) for Next-Gen Architectural Manufacturing

What we do

The ARC Next-Gen Architectural Manufacturing centre will address the productivity, performance and sustainability issues in Australia's Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) sector through a sector-wide digital transformation.

The next generation of AEC practitioners will receive business-specific, industry-recognised training in innovative advanced technologies, built on interconnected research themes that will unlock the potential of new and existing data, more effective software, and advanced computation to create new commercial opportunities and operational savings of $900M a year. 

Our tech infrastructure

• Office space for a total of 25 admin staff / post doc / PhD and academic lead
• With the Design Futures Lab, a fabrication facility which allows us to manufacture architectural components and elements

Key contact

Associate Professor Matthias (Hank) Haeusler

archmanu@unsw.edu.au