Research programs

Leader: ARC Laureate Fellow Prof. Dennis Del Favero (UNSW Art & Design)
Co-Leaders: A/Prof. Grant Stevens (UNSW Art & Design) with Dr Baylee Brits (Office of National Intelligence)
PhDs: Nagida Helsby-Clark (CSIRO), Mario Flores Gonzalez (UNSW Art & Design), Frank Wu (UNSW Engineering)

This program explores how fire-laden landscapes can be visually created through the joint decision making of users and an AI virtual environment across networked museum sites so that they co-author evolving situations unrestricted in aesthetic form, complexity and inventiveness using atmosphere, flora, humanoid and topographical data.

Leader: A/Prof. Yang Song (UNSW Engineering)
Co-Leaders: Dr Renhao Huang (UNSW Art & Design) with Frank Wu  (UNSW Engineering)

This program enables spontaneous encounters between human and machine agencies that facilitate unexpected links between intelligent databases underpinning a dynamic visualisation system that learns and grows through joint interaction with users.

Leader: Dr Susanne Thurow (UNSW Art & Design)
Co-Leaders: Dr Prue Gibson with Prof. Alison Gwilt (UNSW Art & Design)

This program addresses how emergent theories of sensory perception and performance provide innovative insight into pressing terrestrial events using digital aesthetics.

Leader: Prof. Michael Ostwald (UNSW Built Environment)
Co-Leaders: Mario Flores Gonzalez  (UNSW Art & Design) with Nagida Helsby-Clark (CSIRO) and Lara Clemente (UNSW Art & Design)

This program probes how virtual design and technology systems can enable a creative team to prototype and test unforeseen interactions between settings, users and technology before construction.

Leader: Dr Baylee Brits (Office of National Intelligence)
Co-Leader: Prof. Maurice Pagnucco (UNSW Engineering)

This program investigates the augmentation of decision making by artificial intelligence or machine learning in narrative or immersive environments. This program considers the valence of AI aesthetics for creating new knowledge and enabling preparedness in high stakes decision-making situations.

Leader: Prof. Jason Sharples (UNSW Canberra)
PhD: Tanvir Saurav (UNSW Canberra)

This program investigates how groups of users can interactively engage with unanticipated extreme fires that develop spontaneously and unpredictably in high-fidelity visualisations where users and intelligent systems can collaboratively model and explore event dynamics.

Leader: Prof. Carol Oliver (UNSW Science: Australian Centre for Astrobiology)

This program develops frameworks that explore how virtual reality field trips can be utilised to effectively engage diverse stakeholders with risk-laden scenarios.

Leader: Prof. Steven Sherwood with Dr Moutassem El Rafei (UNSW Science: Climate Change Research Centre)

This program develops the 3D simulation necessary to depict the fluid dynamics of convection currents in extreme wind situations, such as during a wildfire and a cyclone, using satellite and ground data.

Leader: Prof. Ismet Canbulat (UNSW Engineering: Minerals and Energy Resources Engineering's Advanced Visualisation Lab)

This program develops the 3D networked real-time visualisation necessary between sites and command/control centres to depict the distributed dynamics of extreme mine emergencies, using live feed data.

This program formally mentors ECRs as iCinema Fellows through programmatic collaboration and workshopping in the application of cutting-edge aesthetics.