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The Geometric Modelling and Pattern Recognition (GMPR) Group at Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) has developed and patented internationally-known line projection technologies for fast 3D scan, reconstruction and recognition. Three types of impact can be identified: (i) through our patents, we have licensed to companies in Europe and the USA; (ii) these technologies are being transferred to Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) across Europe, through the European funded MARWIN and ADMOS projects; and (iii) social and cultural impacts are evidenced by the 3D scanning of representative items from the Museums Sheffield Metalwork Collection which have been made publicly available on the web, and through the `Man of Steel' community project where a landmark sculpture will form a gateway to South Yorkshire and the Sheffield City Region.
Research at the University of Cambridge Department of Engineering (DoEng) since 1997 created methods for reconstructing a three-dimensional (3D) model of an object from a single two-dimensional photograph. Metail, a company founded in 2008, sponsored further research at the DoEng and commercialised the results in an online fashion retailing application. Metail enables customers to select an item of clothing and see how they would look wearing it from a variety of angles, having entered just one photograph of themselves and a few basic body measurements. Metail attracted over GBP3.5M investment. Its application is used by Shop Direct, Tesco, Warehouse, Zalando and Dafiti. Sales data shows that the Metail application increases the propensity of customers to buy and reduces the proportion of goods returned.
The Boujou special effects software was developed from research carried out at the Department of Engineering Science. It enables sophisticated computer generated imagery (CGI) to be quickly and easily added to `real' film footage, facilitating the visual effects that feature so importantly in films such as Harry Potter and X-Men. The software has become an essential tool used by film-makers, TV advert producers, and video game manufacturers, and for instance played a pivotal role in helping `The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' win the 2009 Oscar for Best Visual Effects. Between 2008 and 2013, sales of Boujou totalled £1.37 million and this software boosted productivity and profitability right across the global digital entertainment industry.
Research at the University of Cambridge Department of Engineering (DoEng) has enabled accurate positioning to be added to 2D freehand ultrasound probes to enable the acquisition of large coherent blocks of high-resolution 3D ultrasound image data. The software code base developed in the DoEng was licensed to two separate companies, Schallware and MedaPhor, to enable them each to develop an ultrasound training product. Both companies have sold to more than 30 customers worldwide during the REF impact period; the Cambridge software had a key role in contributing to the innovation and quality of the products developed by both companies, and significantly increased the speed at which they were able to bring these products to market.
The introduction of computer vision algorithms that allow creation of stereo 3D content in film and broadcast using conventional 2D monocular video cameras has permitted fundamental advances in the 3D reconstruction of complex real-world dynamic scenes from video, enabling the rendering of stereo views from a single camera view. Technology introduced by Surrey has been used for 3D scene analysis by the UK company, The Foundry, in their film post-production for major Hollywood 3D film productions (Avatar, Harry Potter, Planet of the Apes, Tron, The Hobbit). Since 2007, The Foundry has transformed to become the leading provider of 3D stereo production software tools to the global visual effects industry, growing from 20 to over 200 employees.
A critical step in drug discovery is accurate determination of bioactive 3-dimensional structures of biologically-relevant molecules. Almond and Blundell's proprietary method for analysing Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) data has led to a world-first capability and establishment of the company Conformetrix (renamed C4X Discovery in 2013). The platform technology ('MolGyrate') is used to determine the dynamic 3-dimensional-conformation of biologically relevant molecules directly from NMR data within weeks, compared with months to years for traditional methods. C4X Discovery has secured substantial private investment (the company has not disclosed the amount). In 2012 AstraZeneca began to apply the technology across their entire pre-clinical therapeutic pipeline to enhance lead discovery and hit identification.
This impact is on society, culture and creativity. Series and Schleimer from Warwick's Geometry and Topology group have produced attractive visualisations and physical realisations of mathematical objects arising in their research. These have elicited a wide response from members of the public, with designs being creatively used for commercial, aesthetic and educational purposes.
Series popularised a novel form of fractal art, based on the geometry of iterated Möbius maps, in her book Indra's Pearls. This has inspired many artists working in a variety of media ranging from posters to quilts. Schleimer designs elegant yet mathematically accurate realisations of three and four dimensional figures, such as knots and related surfaces, suitable for 3D printing. These are being commercially manufactured, sold and displayed publically.
This case study describes the innovative 3D Head and Neck learning tool and its impact on teaching in both academic and clinical settings. Since its inception, the 3D Head and Neck project has developed an innovative and rigorous workflow and a learning tool which has had immediate impact on education and training within the NHS and academic sectors in Scotland, directly benefitting dentists, doctors, nurses, surgeons and the full range of allied health professionals underpinning high quality, safe clinical care. This innovative learning technology continues to be vigorously adopted within Scotland and the research methodology developed has led to significant follow-on research.
A permanent museum display has been set up at House for an Art Lover, Bellahouston Park, Glasgow as a direct result of the AHRC-funded "British Empire Exhibition" project undertaken at the Digital Design Studio. The display includes workstations with project outputs such as 3D interactive virtual models of the non-extant architecture of the 1938 Exhibition (which itself was situated in Bellahouston Park), large format images of the architecture, interviews and interpretation, the full digitised project archive, and a selection of the physical project archive materials (a collection which was significantly enhanced by multiple donations from members of the public thanks to engaging and effective project publicity). The display has contributed intellectually, artistically, and economically to the House's assets.
Virtual Worlds are challenging to develop and deploy in small community settings. Our research into their measurement, design, and usability has allowed us to radically reduce the cost and footprint of a platform needed to support the collaborative creation of content, letting communities share their histories with both local and global audiences. Integrating this platform with an approach to virtual fieldwork lets communities explore authentic recreations of historical scenes, giving new perspectives on cultural heritage that stimulate reflection and understanding across the generations and enhancing the visitor experience by making new modes of interaction available for museums. This has enabled educational and cultural heritage bodies in Scotland to connect with new audiences and increase public participation in local heritage.