Multi-Sensory Devices
The Multi-Sensory Devices lab (MSD) explores new interactive experiences by developing and using innovative sensor and actuator tech, blending disciplines to push multisensory design forward.
About Us
We are a full-stack research group combining physical and social sciences with prototyping, electronic control, computational fabrication, perceptual research, and experience design.
The MSD lab consists of several PhD students and postdoctoral staff exploring research at the intersection of these disciplines.
Our academic staff bring together disciplinary backgrounds like physics, communication sciences, psychology, computer graphics, and computer engineering.
Our research
Our multidisciplinary approach to research helps shed new light on scientific principles as well as enable creation of untapped interactive experiences and the exploration of their effects on users. This approach allows us to contribute to a broad range of fields through publications in specialised as well as more trans-disciplinary venues. In addition to publishing our work we actively explore impact realisation through patent licencing and start-ups.
Examples of our work include:
- The use of acoustic phased arrays and metamaterials for creating acoustophoretic volumetric displays. These displays are used to create multimodal interactions combining visual, haptics and audio experiences.
- Our novel olfactory interfaces and gustatory delivery devices that we use to explore immersive scent and taste experiences in a range of usage scenarios, from entertainment to healthcare applications.
- Reconfigurable sound modulators that transform an incident audio field into any diffraction-limited acoustic field. Our principal approach to creating sound modulators is through the systematic exploration of reconfigurable acoustic metamaterials - an emerging class of engineered materials designed to control, direct, and manipulate audible and ultrasonic waves.
A tactile 3D display, created with sound
Metamaterial bricks and quantization of meta-surfaces
Our research is primarily curiosity driven and we are supported by funding from a range of sources – including industry, charity and government sources.
This includes the Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Emerging Technologies that provides 10 years funding to explore emerging technologies around metamaterials, the European Research Council Grants for research in tactile, olfactory and gustatory interfaces and UKRI funding for explore interactive multisensory interfaces in arts and circular economy.
Case studies
UCL explores new frontiers in acoustic levitation
Beyond the audio and visual: UCL Computer Science is transforming how we interact with technology
MSD Group Showcase 2021
Watch the video of the Multi-Sensory Group Showcase 2021. Meet the team, watch demos and get an overview of the group and its research activities.
People
Academic Staff
| Name | Role | |
|---|---|---|
| Dr Akin Delibasi | Lecturer in Distributed Systems | a.delibasi@ucl.ac.uk |
| Dr Elia Gatti | Lecturer in Computational Design | elia.gatti@ucl.ac.uk |
| Dr Ryuji Hirayama | Lecturer in Computational Design | r.hirayama@ucl.ac.uk; |
| Dr Diego Martinez Plasencia | Lecturer of Multisensory Interfaces | d.plasencia@ucl.ac.uk |
| Prof Marianna Obrist | Professor of Multisensory Interfaces | m.obrist@ucl.ac.uk |
| Prof Sriram Subramanian | Professor of Computer Science | s.subramanian@ucl.ac.uk |
| Dr Jagmohan Chauhan | Lecturer in Intelligent Sensing | jagmohan.chauhan@ucl.ac.uk |
Research Staff
| Name | Role | |
|---|---|---|
| Dr Shubhi Bansal | Research Fellow in Fabrication of Metamaterials | shubhi.bansal@ucl.ac.uk |
| Ms Ceylan Besevli | Research Fellow | c.besevli@ucl.ac.uk |
| Mr Hongyi Chen | Research Fellow | hongyi.chen.16@ucl.ac.uk |
| Dr James Hardwick | Research Fellow | james.hardwick.19@ucl.ac.uk |
| Ms Fei Huang | Research Fellow | fei.huang.18@ucl.ac.uk |
| Mr Narsimlu Kemsaram | Research Fellow | n.kemsaram@ucl.ac.uk |
PhD Students
| Name | Supervisor | |
|---|---|---|
| Andrea Achilleos | Professor Sriram Subramanian | andrea.achilleos.21@ucl.ac.uk |
| Sourabh Dogra | Prof Sriram Subramanian | sourabh.dogra.22@ucl.ac.uk |
| Lei Gao | Professor Sriram Subramanian | lei.gao.20@ucl.ac.uk |
| Yihan Kang | Professor Marianna Obrist | yihan.kang.22@alumni.ucl.ac.uk |
| Olga Kokh | Dr Elia Gatti | olga.kokh.24@ucl.ac.uk |
| Robert McCarthy | Dr Alex Li | robert.mccarthy.22@ucl.ac.uk |
| Zak Morgan | Professor Sriram Subramanian | zak.morgan.17@ucl.ac.uk |
| Joshua Mukherjee | Dr Ryuji Hirayama | joshua.mukherjee.19@ucl.ac.uk |
| Zhouyang Shen | Dr Diego Martinez Plasencia | zhouyang.shen.21@ucl.ac.uk |
| Oliver Singleton | Professor Marianna Obrist | o.singleton@ucl.ac.uk |
| Jincheng Wang | Dr Diego Martinez Plasencia | jincheng.wang.22@ucl.ac.uk |
| Pengyuan Wei | Prof Sri Subramanian | pengyuan.wei.22@ucl.ac.uk |
| Jing Xue | Professor Marianna Obrist | jing.xue.21@ucl.ac.uk |
| Shu Zhong | Professor Marianna Obrist | shu.zhong.21@ucl.ac.uk |
Honorary Staff
| Dr Prateek Mittal | Honorary Research Fellow | prateek.mittal@ucl.ac.uk |
|---|---|---|
| Dr Francisco Bernardo | Honorary Research Fellow | |
| Dr Emanuela Maggioni | Honorary Research Fellow | e.maggioni@ucl.ac.uk |
| Dr Patricia Cornelio Martinez | Honorary Research Fellow | p.cornelio@ucl.ac.uk |
Professional Services
| Name | Role | |
|---|---|---|
| Lucy Arnold | Administrator | l.arnold@ucl.ac.uk |
| Bonot Gautam | MSc Lab Technician | b.gautam@ucl.ac.uk |
Contact
UCL Computer Science
University College of London
66-72 Gower Street
London WC1E 6BT, UK
