University News Last updated 24 January 2011
With the success of mobile phone apps one academic at Birmingham City University is already investigating what will replace these applications in the future.
Dave Taylor, who is a senior lecturer at the University’s Faculty of Technology, Engineering and the Environment, is looking at the next generation of web interaction tools which promise an enhanced or augmented reality. Possibilities include overlays visible on spectacles or on sun visors, as used by airline pilots, which could render mobile phones and their apps outmoded. In addition the advent of voice activated search and language translation capability could herald easy access to information for the whole world.
He is hosting a talk, and networking event, for creative industries specialists on Thursday 27 January at Fazeley Studios called Apps World: The next generation - Augmented reality, games development and the digital agency. Attending the event will be Marc René Gardeya who is the founder and CEO of Hoppala, an agency in Stuttgart building content and content creation tools for Mobile Augmented Reality www.hoppala-agency.com and Paul Ranson MD of Slam Productions, one of the top 100 game development companies in the world, from Leamington Spa, who have produced a rapid application development tool enabling games to be made in weeks rather than years www.slam-productions.co.uk. Joining them will be Martin Johnstone who is a Director of Clusta Labs, an R&D lab for the digital communications agency Clusta in Birmingham, who deliver innovative work by blending strategic thinking with the latest software development techniques www.clusta.com . The Panel Chair is Jason Hall, Head of Innovation at Screen West Midlands www.screenwm.co.uk .
Dave Taylor said: “Whilst the ubiquitous apps as we know them have demonstrated their value and have played their part in driving the phenomenal sales of iPhones and customisable ‘android’ mobiles, the iPad and other tablet portable devices, they may have peaked in terms of what comes next. It’s early days, like black and white TV, originally like radio with pictures, but navigation by gesture or even thought (like Clint Eastwood’s pilot in the movie ‘Firefox’) may soon begin to be commonplace.
“Open-source software enables developers to innovate and we’re entering an era where smart machines can react to humans in useful ways. For instance, there’s a growing number of independently developed games challenging mainstream blockbusters, interfaces are being adapted to provide intriguing possibilities. “
The event is part of the Creative Networks series of talks by industry specialists, which is now in its seventh year. Held this month in partnership with BSEEN (Birmingham Skills for Enterprise and Employability Network) and NTI (New Technology Institute, Birmingham) the evening will conclude with a panel discussion and informal networking. The event starts at 6pm and is free to attend, more information is available on 0121 331 5400, at creative.networks@tic.ac.uk or at www.creativenetworksonline.com