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Imaging Guided Interventional Needle Simulation Left hand side is a snapshot of virtual patient with ultrasound probe and needle being manipulated,
Right hand side is a simulated ultrasound image, which is used to guide the needle to the target. |
Visual computing is the study of the scientific foundations of visual information processing and display, the technologies for computation involving visual information, and their applications in science, engineering, arts and humanities, medicine and industry. It encompasses a number of traditional subject areas in computer science, including visualization, computer graphics and animation, computer vision, image and video processing, computer aided design, virtual environments, multimedia interaction and communications, and graphical user interface design. This new institute will enable the reconfiguration of the academic research landscape in visual computing by creating a close partnership between the computing science departments in Aberystwyth, Bangor, Cardiff and Swansea through the establishment of the Welsh Assembly Governement Institute of Visual Computing (IVC). Despite the ‘virtuality’ of its geographical location, the institute is real in almost every other aspect, including real researchers, real resources, real collaboration, real marketing, real management, real objectives, real deliverables, and real applications.
The key objective in creating this Institute is to build upon the substantial infrastructure investment (e.g., skill base, buildings and large capital equipment) for visual computing in Wales, and to raise the overall international standing in terms of research quality and scientific impact in areas of visual computing in Wales. It will have a beneficial effect on research in all associated departments and wider impact across all institutions with collective outcome being that Wales will be a leading place in visual computing research in the world. IVC is a catalyst for:
- Reaching Higher in Research
- Pump priming development of research infrastructure
- Building capacity
- Promoting long term and sustainable collaborations between Welsh HEIs
- Supporting Excellence in Computer Science Education
- Through research led teaching, and collaboration in teaching and learning
- Industrial Research and Knowledge Exploitation
- Development of Third Mission activities
The Institute has received pump priming funding totalling £5M over 4 years:
- To enrich and strengthen the pool of core academic scientists in visual computing in Wales by moderately increasing the number of academic staff and by bringing in high quality research scientists who have a track record of working at the frontier of the science and technology, and operating at the international level.
- To stimulate and facilitate collaborative research by providing human resources (in the form of research officers) in specific areas where R&D synergy has been identified. These resources are dedicated to collaborative research. Multiple interlock mechanisms have been designed to ensure collaboration through the research officers.
- To stimulate and facilitate international collaboration throughshort-term visiting research fellows, typically 3-6 months, which enable direct collaboration between IVC and the top research groups around the world.
- To run a Graduate School and produce employable students with the necessary skills to support the growth of the digital economy.
- To equip IVC with knowledge exploitation capability, enabling a strong connection between the institute and other stakeholders of Wales, and ensuring IVC’s service to the WAG’s economic strategies, the industry and public services (e.g., NHS) in Wales.
- To support the administrative and financial management and public-engagement in the pump priming period of the IVC.
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