Partner Article

Teesside Uni collaborates with Chinese

Computer experts in the North East have embarked on a collaboration with software experts in China to research imaging tools that could one day help doctors train for complicated surgery procedures.

The partnership between Teesside University’s Computer Graphics and Visualisation department and academics at Shanghai University began earlier this month.

The £123,000 research aims to solve problems faced by Augmented Reality systems, which produce advanced visualisation technologies by merging real and computer generated imagery.

Dr. Wen Tang of Teesside University said: “The opportunities and applications for Augmented Reality are vast, but at the moment it is still in the territory of research and development.

“However, we’re really hopeful that this collaboration will help bring it out of the laboratory and into the real world where it could be used to instruct surgeons and simulate a range of training environments where the consequences of a mistake are huge.”

The research was suggested by Dr Charlie Song, a medical doctor formerly at Dundee University, but who has since returned to Shanghai. Dr Song approached One North East and Knowledge House looking for a collaborator from one of the North East’s universities.

Mark Jackson, Business Development Director at Knowledge House, said: “Partnerships and knowledge sharing, utilising international technology resources and combining the strengths from both parties and practical needs, are the fastest way to accelerate the technology development and commercialisation which have benefits for society as a whole.

“It’s very satisfying to have helped set up a partnership as far-reaching as this, and best of luck to the researchers both in Teesside and in Shanghai for the project.”

The project will finish in June 2011. To find out more contact m.jackson@knowledgehouse.ac.uk.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .