Expertise

The Design and New Product Development group have generated a number of significant outcomes, such as the LSEP (Leicester Shire Economic Partnership) and EMDA (East Midlands Development Agency) funded projects, Improving Business by Design (IBBD) and Resource Efficient Design - RED.

Dr Martin Richardson is well known in industry circles for his work in holography and leads our research into this fascinating area. Advances made by the University in the development of holographic switch technology have the potential to save the flagging music and film industry an estimated £1,150 million each year by combating CD and DVD piracy. The technology may also have uses in keyhole surgery – allowing surgeons to see a 3D hologram of the area they will operate on.

Other notable projects include that of our award-winning Knowledge Media Design group, which touched the lives of many visually impaired people by enabling them to access content from the National Library. Cutting-edge work carried out by our Department of Product and Spatial Design examines the sustainability and recycling potential for household goods like fridges and freezers, while the Department’s architecture team are focused on creating sustainable, environmentally friendly buildings for developing countries.

Meanwhile, the School of Fine Art is revolutionising the way art is produced, using rapid prototyping to visualise a sculpture before it is made. Staff received a grant of nearly £40,000 to investigate the relationship between sculpture, rapid prototyping and magnetic resonance imaging.

Case Studies:

Interaction of Consumers with 3D Environments within E-Commerce

TEXFLAX