We are excited to announce that CAMERA has recently secured funding from the European Structural Investment Funds (ESIF) for a second studio space. This funding will enable us to provide access to state-of-the-art digital innovation facilities, including a high-end motion capture array and an instrumented treadmill for high end gait analysis.

The new studio will provide access for the region’s thriving digital creative and digital healthcare clusters to world leading research expertise in visual computing (machine vision), machine learning and artificial intelligence, sports, rehabilitation, biomechanics, creative production and technical skills. These facilities and expertise will enable increased levels of innovation in content creation and production efficiency through raising awareness of new motion based technologies for animation of digital content for virtual and augmented reality, avatar animation, training simulation and motion analysis for healthcare assessment, prevention and treatment of motion based conditions and development of next generation rehabilitation solutions for physical and mental health conditions.

Bringing together regional academic leaders with industry specialists and world leading training institutions, the team at CAMERA will provide business support, training and product development expertise, to the region’s digital creative and digital healthcare SMEs. Specific collaboration areas will include; development of high end and affordable motion capture and analysis technologies for creative content generation for gaming, film, TV, VR and AR; dual location real time streaming of motion capture data for live performances; development of intelligent tools for post-production in VFX; development of next generation performance analysis and physical rehabilitation tools for the sports and healthcare sectors.

“This new ESIF Studio project is such an important addition for CAMERA and our project partners; Bath Spa University, Radium Audio Ltd, and Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. It will give us the means to make the research and expertise in novel applications of motion capture technology developed by CAMERA and our partners available to 100 digital creative and healthcare SMEs in the West of England region over the next 3 years.

Qualifying companies will be able to access a state of the art motion capture facility, including a new instrumented treadmill, for testing and data collection as well as general introductions to motion capture. In addition companies will benefit from access to the technical expertise necessary to understand how motion capture can be applied to their pipeline and enable them to innovate new products and services where tracking human motion is a central element.

The ambition is to significantly lower the barriers to adoption and exploitation of this technology for small companies in our region, and in doing so, increase their capacity for innovation and general productivity. All support is provided at no cost to the individual companies, thanks to funding received from the European Structural Investment Fund.”

Oscar De Mello, CAMERA Innovation and Commercial Services Manager

This project it funded by the European Regional Development Fund, HM Government and the University of Bath.