3D and multimedia on the information superhighway.

YesWhat has generated the unprecedented fascination with the Internet? What future lies ahead for computing as the Internet and its associated infrastructure expand? Will the network be able to cope with rising demands for carrying capacity and response speed? Will it change the way scientists, designers, artists, computer professionals, and home users work in the future? These are some of the wideranging questions being asked about the Internet and World Wide Web

Digital media

YesDevelopments and advances in information and communications technology are boosting a convergence of computing, media, and telecommunications. This is dramatically affecting every aspect of society from technology designers and content creators to users. The design-to-product cycle time continues to decrease as new markets open up, and windows of opportunity exist for those who can move fast and make the right connections. Challenges and opportunities exist in each area of the convergence, but one thing is here to stay: being digital

Computer animation for virtual humans.

YesAdvances in computer animation techniques have spurred increasing levels of realism and movement in virtual characters that closely mimic physical reality. Increases in computational power and control methods enable the creation of 3D virtual humans for real-time interactive applications. Artificial intelligence techniques and autonomous agents give computer-generated characters a life of their own and let them interact with other characters in virtual worlds. Developments and advances in networking and virtual reality (VR) let multiple participants share virtual worlds and interact with applications or each other

Examples of the Impact of Collaboration in Creative and Technological Practices

Over recent years, the creative industries have continued to flourish, especially in the UK, where its economic growth and impact has bucked trends of national decline. One of the most identifiable characteristics of the creative industries is the range and diversity of people who work in the field. As such, it includes employees from many disciplines working in collaboration to achieve organizational goals. It is this creative collaboration, with a rich level of technological support in the background, which is the focus of discussion. This article describes an analysis of collaborative practices, followed by the formation of a model that attempts to capture and explain the relationship between the key features. This model is then applied as a lens to a small case study of 63 technology–related employees' perceptions of their employer in three successful companies who were in the top 5 of the 2017 Fortune 500 list, with the intention of determining how well their experiences map to the model. It was found that the six characteristics of the model were evident in each of the three organizations studied, but that one feature, organizational support, seemed to be more prevalent than the others. Consideration, via a second case study, is then given to creative multidisciplinary work, specifically in the field of crowd–accelerated development and the factors that surround it, leading us to devise a set of recommendations as to how future successful creative collaborations might be assessed and valued, along with a discussion of questions that have been identified for additional research and exploration. This is an extended version of a paper published at the Cyberworlds 2015 international conference

Knowledge Exchange, Technology Transfer and the Academy

NoThe relationship between the academy and the business community is currently perceived to be important to the future of both parties. Universities provide graduates to meet the needs and requirements of society and industry, and the latter supplies products and services to meet the needs of the market place. Whether public or private, industry increasingly seeks to use tools and techniques that increase efficiency and effectiveness, whilst at the same time maximizing quality and minimizing cost. The current trend towards companies outsourcing their R & D requirements to reduce corporate overheads and optimize staffing levels means that Universities can utilize the opportunity and bid to supply this expertise. Universities also generate their own spin-outs from intellectual property they create, as well as licensing technology to industry, rather than transferring it. However, the relationship between university and industry is not without its challenges, chief of which is the historical commitment of the academy to advance knowledge whether it is directly applicable or not. In addition, there are many fundamental and important long term research issues that many would argue are the primary duty of the academy to address, which may have no direct application in the short to medium term. This is resulting in increasing tensions in the academy, and in the priorities for national and international funding agencies. There can also be significant cultural differences and reward models between the academy and industry which give rise to difficult issues for staff at the interface. This chapter reviews the current developments and the issues at the interface between business and the academy