Centre for the Analysis of Motion, Entertainment Research and Applications (CAMERA) - 2.0

Intelligent Visual and Interactive Technology allows us to perceive, understand and re-create the world around us. With it we can digitise the world with 3D cameras, use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to predict and enhance the health of people within our world or to educate and train them. It allows us to experience this world, or imagined ones, through immersive technologies, movies and video games, and interact with these worlds through technologies that analyse our movement and behaviour. There is a clear benefit to applying this technology across domains, for specific health or education purposes, but doing so requires coordinated action and genuine democratisation of the underpinning technologies, such that non-expert users are empowered. To address this challenge, CAMERA 2.0 will perform world-leading research in Intelligent Visual and Interactive Technology - underpinned by academic and partner expertise across Computer Vision, Computer Graphics, Human Computer Interaction (HCI) and AI - and engage a range of partners to generate impact and translate this technology across a range of themes. This multi-disciplinary approach is supported by academic and external partner expertise spanning healthcare, biomechanics, sports performance and psychology. These collaborations will allow us to carry out new research, create new impacts and develop further partnerships that would otherwise be impossible to achieve. This proposal builds on our highly successful Next Stage Digital Economy Centre for the Analysis of Motion Entertainment Research and Applications (CAMERA). Over the last 4 years, we have built a team of 14 academics and over 40 PhDs and researchers who have created real impact, alongside our partners, across themes of i) Entertainment; ii) Health, Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies and; iii) Human Performance Enhancement. CAMERA 2.0 will also focus on three themes, supported by over 20 impact partners: i) Creative Science and Technology, ii) Digital Health and Assistive Technology and iii) Human Performance Enhancement. Furthermore, CAMERA 2.0 will work closely with our EPSRC CDT in Digital Entertainment and our new UKRI CDT in Accountable, Responsible and Transparent AI (ART-AI). Our research programme will deliver continuing impact through four primary mechanisms: (i) Theme Driven Impact Projects, (ii) Cross-Cutting Theme R&D Challenges, (iii) Reactive Impact Projects and (iv) Open Community Engagement. Theme Driven Impact Projects will be 12 to 24-month projects co-designed through sand-pits and co-delivered with partners. Although primarily aligned with a single theme they will overlap with at least one other. Our Cross-Cutting Theme R&D Challenges engage with R&D challenges shared by partners/academics across themes. Translating innovations across themes not only democratises and accelerates technology adoption but can significantly enhance impact. This will be addressed through key research projects, that support and feed into all other activities. Our reactive model allows us to carry out commercial projects as research impact vehicles at short notice - essential being able to work with the short-deadline driven creative sector. CAMERA 2.0 evolves our unique reactive impact model by placing our CAMERA student technical team at its core under the supervision of our experienced studio managers. Impact through Open Engagement. Our ambition is to raise the level of UK and international DE research through collaboration and technology democratisation. CAMERA 2.0 will operate an open-door model for reasonable access to facilities, data, software and training. In coordination with commitments from the University of Bath and external EU funding we are expanding our physical facilities and technical team to provide assisted motion capture and immersive technology training for free to over 100 creative industries, HEIs and healthcare companies.