Researcher

Isabella Beyer

patconley i-DAT, Researcher

I design and produce 360° spatial visualizations from 2003 onwards for planetariums, VR and AR applications and interactive displays. Some recent productions are Superhelden der Ozeane (Superheroes of the Deep Sea), which uses many different media formats, including: fulldome, VR full spherical and stereographic content or the 360° film Dream to Fly, on which I consulted on and produced parts for, won the most prices in the fulldome industry. My productions have a global reach and have been awarded many industrial prizes.In my practical and research work I am interested in visual concepts, which make the invisible visible and experiencable by using the spatial component. In my research I am compiling an extensive  investigation of historical epistemic concepts in science communication. This maps the field of Geography and Cosmology used in spherical environments from the 17th century to contemporary times.These findings explore how thinking, understanding, and acting with spatial knowledge in 360° have shifted and is informed by excellent interviews with experts in the field and a strong practice based element which unifies and tests the outcome. I strongly believe that this research is valuable to every new 360 design work in Fulldome, VR, AR or MR.

Prof. Dr. Isabella Beyer
Immersive Medien und Transmedia
Technische Hochschule Lübeck – University of Applied Sciences
Fachbereich Elektrotechnik und Informatik
Studiengang ITD – Informationstechnologie und Design

Mönkhofer Weg 239
23562 Lübeck
Germany

Web: www.itd.th-luebeck.de
Mail: isabella.beyer@th-luebeck.de

Ricky Burke

patconley i-DAT, Researcher
Ricky Burke

Ricky is a researcher working with i-DAT and Architecture in the School of Art, Design and Architecture. Ricky has an academic and professional background in architecture, specialising in digital design and BIM systems and focused on user development of environments through user engagement. Ricky has taught in higher education since 2011, with a focus on digital architectural design.

Ricky’s research is focussed on development of intelligent design systems, in which virtual environments can learn from the behaviour of users and adapt to respond to difficulties in spatial coordination and interpretation. The research is centred around the design of specialist environments for individuals with cognitive and perceptual impairments, with a particular focus on design for dementia.

Ricky’s research builds upon virtual reality, artificial intelligence and BIM technologies and involves the development of prototype models for a reciprocal design platform in which user behaviour and experience actively drive design.

Email: ricky.burke@plymouth.ac.uk

Michael Straeubig

patconley i-DAT, Researcher
Michael Straeubig

Michael is a member a Research Fellow on the EU Marie Curie CogNovo Project he Investigated the nature of play in a practice-based manner by designing and developing playful systems in mixed reality.

Background

Michael Straeubig is a game designer / creative coder exploring games and playful experiences in various media.
Selected Projects
neurotic
Mobile Location based Multiplayer experience (in development as part of my PhD)
KlingKlangKlong
Mobile Location based Multiplayer experience (in development as part of my PhD)
Secret City Season I: Missing Max
Mobile Location Based / Augmented-Reality Game, Game Design, Content Production
Gardening Guerilla / (Speed)
Outdoor Games, Game Design
Glockenspiel
Theatrical Interactions, Theater Erlangen, Play Design / Development
20000 Nanometers Under the Sea
Mixed-Reality Game, Game Design / Development
Eine Gegen Eine
Experimental Card Game, Initiator / Co-Game Design
Tidy City
Location Based Game, Game Design
apo-Fest
Large scale Event Game, Game Design
ACP-Krimi
Event Game, Game Design
Grand Tour 1765
Board Game, Game Design
Grand Tour
Large Scale Outdoor Event Game, Game Design
Teaching
Guest Lecturer MOOC “The Future of Storytelling“ Episode 6: Location Based / Augmented Reality Games, Fachhochschule Potsdam
Lecturer „Gödel, Escher, Bach“ , Leuphana University of Lüneburg
Lecturer „Introduction to Creative Coding“, Leuphana University of Lüneburg
Lecturer „Game Design Basics“, Leuphana University of Lüneburg
Seminar „Location Based Games“, Media Design Hochschule München
Seminar „Minimizing Games“, University of Augsburg
Workshops / Conferences / Talks / Festivals / Gamejams / Hackathons
MediaCity 5 Conference, playin’ Siegen, Malta Festival Poznan, Fascinate Cornwall, Making The City Playable Conference, Bristol, Playpublik Krakow, Prototype Dublin, Gamecity und Mixed Reality Game Design Workshop at the University of Nottingham, The Exposition of Practice as Research Workshop Plymouth, Researching Games, Wiesbaden, Digital Research in the Humanities and Arts, London, Come out and Play, New York, International Symposium on Augmented and Mixed Reality, Munich, AR World, Leuphana Hyperkult, Droidcon Berlin, Droidcon Tunis, Quo Vadis Deutsche Gamestage, Researching Games, Gamescamp Munich, Mobile Camp Dresden, Fraunhofer FIT TOTEM Summerschool, Wherecamp, Photonic Camp, Sigint, Easterhegg, Gulaschprogrammiernacht, 29C3, 30C3, Weilburger Spielautorentagung, Medienkongress Köln, Ludum Dare, Global Game Jam, Music Hackday Berlin, Amsterdam, Google IO ADK Showcase Finalist, Devfest Berlin / vHack Android, You Are Go! , Arena / Klangtapete, Playpublic / Klangtapete, Placcc Festival Budapest, Battlehack Berlin, w00t Kopenhagen
Initiator and Co-Organisator of the First German Location of the Global Game Jam 2009
Publications
Wetzel, R., Blum, L., Feng, F., Oppermann, L. & Straeubig, M., (2011). Tidy City: A location-based game for city exploration based on user-created content. In: Eibl, M. (Hrsg.), Mensch & Computer 2011: überMEDIEN|ÜBERmorgen.München: Oldenbourg Verlag. (S. 487-496).
„Die dunkle Seite der Medaille: Bestrafung als Gestaltungselement in Spielen“ (in publication)
„Spiele als Belohnungssysteme“
in: Merkle, Conrad, Friese, et al. (Hrsg.) „Spiele Entwickeln 2011“, Pro Business Verlag, Berlin, 2011
„Tractatus logico-ludoricus“
in: Merkle, Conrad, Friese, et al. (Hrsg.) „Spiele Entwickeln 2010“, Pro Business Verlag, Berlin, 2010
„Spiel ohne Spielanleitung“
in: Merkle, Conrad, Friese, et al. (Hrsg.) „Spiele Entwickeln 2009“, Pro Business Verlag, Berlin, 2009
„Minimal spielbare Spiele als Denkanstoß und als Methode“
in: Merkle, Conrad, Friese, et al. (Hrsg.) „Spiele Entwickeln 2008“, Pro Business Verlag, Berlin, 2008
Education
FAU – Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg — Informatik (Computer Science), Academic degree: Diplom-Informatiker, Exchange Student at University of Kansas / Lawrence
Universität Regensburg — Law
Goethe Gymnasium Regensburg (High School), Degree: Abitur

Coral Manton

patconley i-DAT, Researcher
Coral Manton

Coral is a researcher and developer at i-DAT. Her current PhD is funded through the 3D3 consortium. She is a qualified curator and her professional background is in museums and galleries specialising in collections and exhibitions. She is an interdisciplinary artist and technologist with a specialism in data visualisation, interactive design, VR/Mixed-Reality and immersive experiences. Coral is a maker – she was commissioned to design and build a series of interactive exhibits for Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum’s exhibition Come Create exploring art, engineering and celebrating the Maker Movement.
Coral leads the IVT/VR research group at Plymouth and last year went on a research residency to SAT in Montreal. Her VR research including prototyping speculative experiences – she developed a EEG Brain controlled VR experience for Birmingham Arts Science Festival 2018. Coral led a lecture series in making immersive films for full-dome cinema with the University of the West of England and the Royal Academy of Music and been in-house digital artist for Birmingham Planetarium.

Coral is an audio visual performer and coder she performs regularly at Algoraves and was featured in the Guardian in an article on the future of underground dance music. She is an advocate for women in technology and coding speaking at Digital Catapult and doing a BOM fellowship exploring methods for collaborative working for women in technology and exposing the effects of negative representations of women online through a series of workshops and interventions. In collaboration with Birgitte Aga she is developing an feminist conversational AI, programmed by women through a series of workshops around the UK.

Coral is a game developer/designer. She previously worked for RARE on Kinect Sports. Coral now lectures on the Game Art & Design degree course, along with Digital Media Design. She is developing a game exploring digital relationships online through sexology cultural collections. This project is in collaboration with Dr. Jen Grove researcher at Rethinking Sexology, a Wellcome Trust funded research project at Exeter University and writer Dr. Abigail Parry.

Coral has a passion for science engagement. She has been working on a collaborative project with Gravitational Wave/Ligo Researchers at The University of Birmingham and a synth developer. She created a visualisation from Gravity Wave Data, live modulated using a desktop laser interferometer built be the astrophysicists for a performance at Future Everything 2018.

Coral is a Research Affiliate of the British Library. She has an interest in the aesthetics of stored knowledge and exploring this in VR. She led a research project with the EThOS team exploring multimedia research in UK PhD theses and future multimodal theses. This project was cited in the AHRC Academic Book of the Future Report and has now been cited is multiple publications.

Coral’s PhD research brings together her background in museums and immersive digital art practice. Her research investigates whether an immersive museum collection database can be an effective way for visitors and curators to explore collection objects and historical data. Her study also explores ways visitors can interact with the collection database and whether visualising the collection in an immersive way can be useful for curators understanding of the collection and extracting multi-layered narratives for exhibition. The visualisation pulls together constellation of objects, promoting new understanding through links and changing contexts. She is developing prototypes with Birmingham Museums as part of the master planning process for a proposed redevelopment of the museum.
Website: coralmanton.com
Email: coral.manton@plymouth.ac.uk

Aurora (Xu) Zhang

patconley i-DAT, Researcher
Aurora (Xu) Zhang

Aurora moved from China to study in Plymouth.  She is currently a PhD research student at i-DAT and as a Mandarin speaker she is a key link to the Chinese student community. Aurora’s research, currently titled: ‘Guanxi 2.0: social capital within the cultural context been gathered from digital platforms’, continues her personal research and practice in the field of Guanxi, Social Capital and Social Media with the exist i-DAT social operation system (S-OS) to fulfill the techno-ethnography process. The intention is to explore the practices through interventions in the city of Plymouth, using it as a testing market to evaluate social participation influenced by digital platforms.

Xu Zhang <xu.zhang@plymouth.ac.uk>

Peter Jones

patconley i-DAT, Researcher
Peter Jones

The prime focus of Peter’s research is the investigation of radical alternatives to how target audiences may be defined and how the latter may impact on Communication Design processes and outputs.

“The audience is the message?”The latter question forms the basis for his research. Defining target audiences (market segmentation) is an established practice and core methodology within Communication Design. Target audiences are commonly based on developments of advertising market groupings (a, b, c, d and e’s) that in turn within the UK stem from historical social and class structures. Consequently how target audiences are classified and markets are segmented, tend to follow well-established patterns such as: age, gender, income, wealth, education, employment, ethnicity, nationality, family status, sexual orientation etc.

Although the latter forms a key part of Peter’s research and is a fertile area for analysis and social comment, the principle focus of his research is to develop radical alternatives to established target audience groupings and investigate how these alternatives may impact on the message or indeed may lead to new Communication Design opportunities and outputs.

The latter forms the basis for Peter’s PhD research on which he enrolled at the University of Plymouth in Sep 2009.

David Strang

patconley i-DAT, Researcher
David Strang
Dr David Strang is an artist and researcher working with sound, noise and interactive elements. His work explores the creative potential within the movement of noise in and around systems of sound and light by making / hacking bespoke devices and tools for performance, workshop, installation and intervention. Through processes of interaction and making, his practice investigates the links between objects, material consciousness and the body. David runs various experimental workshops exploring sonic arts, hacking, sensors, making and objects / materials in an open collaborative framework. These workshops are aimed at the sharing of knowledge (Doing It With Others) throughout the group to create an artwork/performance. Recent work includes site-specific installation, performance, field-recording, re-appropriating media objects, hacking and noise.

Birgitte Aga

patconley Core Team, i-DAT, Researcher
Birgitte Aga

Dr Birgitte Aga [B] is a creative technologist, researcher, producer and designer with an MBA in innovation and a PhD in conversational AI. She has 20 years of experience initiating and producing R&D with a focus on the creative application of emergent technologies, in particular conversational voice and text-enabled experiences.

She also creates conversational AI artworks, curates exhibitions, presents at international conferences and delivers a program of workshops that claim, drive and develop technological innovation for cultural, artistic and social impact. Central to her work is an ethos of collaboration with people, companies and cultural venues, driven by an ambition to engage the next generation of young people (in particular women) in designing future AI technologies.

Birgitte is also a South West Creative Technology Fellow (UK) for automation/AI, co-organiser of the Fulldome UK Biennial (UK), part of the  i-DAT Research & Design Collective and in receipt of funding from the ACE Artists International Development fund (UK).

mail: baga@plymouth.ac.uk

https://birgitteaga.com/

Jago Eliot

janeconway Alumni, News, Researcher
Jago Eliot

Jago Eliot (24 March 1966 – 15 April 2006).

We say goodbye to Jago, a life force and vibrant student and researcher at i-DAT, the pleasure was all ours. After joining the BSc MediaLab Arts programme Jago went on to excel at the MA/MSc Digital Futures programme before continuing with i-DAT to achieve the Artist Fellowship in Creative Technology by Hewlett-Packard in Bristol. Thorough out this time we plotted to cultivate St Germans as a nexus of international digital magic and innovation. We fondly remember his pneumatic Telematic performance, the lurking in telephone booths and the electrifying live tele-dominatrix experience, biting down on the rubber mouth guards with our feet in buckets of water. Experiences only to be surpassed by his telematic homage to Vito Acconci’s Seedbed and the live webcast of his son, Albie, from his mother, Bianca’s womb. Thank you for the support with Interstices, and the Planetary Collegium sessions held at Port Eliot.  But the pièce de resistance would surely be the upside-down rainbow at Jago’s funeral.

Update: It’s a year to the day after Jago’s departure and I am wondering back to my hotel room at some conference in Boston. Staggering through the lobby I hear the faint sounds of “What a Wonderful World”, beautifully sung at Jago’s funeral by his brother Louis, swooning from the bar. There, like a choir of angels from beyond, there, surrounding the piano and singing their hearts out, a troupe of drag queens, for certain a telematic message… “I’m thinking of you!”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jago_Eliot