Deakin-Coventry Cotutelle - Making Motion Tangible

Prof Stefan Greuter

Dr Luke Heemsbergen (Deakin)

Dr Ruth Gibson (Coventry)

Prof Scott Delahunta (Coventry)

School of Communication and Creative Arts

Faculty of Arts and Education

Melbourne Burwood Campus (Australia)

Coventry University (United Kingdom)

This is a doctoral Cotutelle project between Coventry University (UK) and Deakin University (Australia).

The successful PhD Student will be awarded a scholarship from Coventry University (UK) with the supervision team being drawn from Coventry University and Deakin University. The PhD Student will graduate with two testamurs, one from Coventry University and one from Deakin University, each of which recognises that the program was carried out as part of a jointly supervised doctoral program. The program is for a duration of three years.

A key focal point of research for many industry sectors, including health, entertainment and manufacturing, is how dynamic interaction between the physical and virtual world can take full advantage of the sophistication of human activity. Immersive multimodal haptics, primarily relying on the human senses of touch and motion, form a core part of this research. Driven by the development of the technology with specific industry uses in mind, this research currently lacks adequate experimentation and exploration on the human activity side of the interaction paradigm. 'Making Motion Tangible' seeks to address this gap in part by engaging with the embodied knowledge found in skillful bodily practices such as dance, somatic bodywork and in some cases crafts. Such practices also facilitate critical questions around accessibility, gender, and ethics, which need fuller consideration in the design and development of human-computer interaction.

"Making Motion Tangible" aims to engage two researchers, one hosted at the Deakin Motion Lab, Deakin University and one hosted by the Centre for Dance Research, Coventry University, to develop complementary research strands. Both strands will explore the application of embodied knowledge and experience in the context of practical experimentation with novel immersive multimodal haptic interfaces aimed at enriching human interactions between the digital and the physical. Prospective candidates should have a background in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), media studies, serious games and/or other digital research (including accessible and healthtech) interested in full body movement or embodied design principles.

The primary novel interfaces to be used are several Teslasuits available at the Deakin Motion Lab that can be used in combination with Virtual Reality devices. This means that the research which begins at Coventry will first establish a theoretical/ reflexive base of understanding involving embodied knowledge and its application in this context before encountering these novel interfaces in their second year. The study that starts at Deakin will immediately begin to practically explore these interfaces in the first year, followed by the second year at Coventry engaging in a period of analysis and reflection. In the third and final year, both researchers will be supported in comparing and contrasting findings. Both research trajectories will involve the study and integration of embodied and computational knowledge throughout, albeit on different complementary pathways. The core supervisory teams at Deakin and Coventry are well-positioned to support this learning approach from which both researchers and organisations can expect to benefit. Deakin and Coventry have active immersive media industry connections and once selections are made a third specialist supervisor will be brought on to support these links.

For more information please see Coventry website , FindAPhd and Jobs .

The ‘Making Motion Tangible' Cotutelle project aims to engage two researchers, one hosted at the Deakin Motion Lab, Deakin University and one hosted by the Centre for Dance Research, Coventry University (UK), to develop complementary research strands. The aim will be to investigate the application of embodied knowledge found in skillful bodily practices such as dance in the context of practical experimentation with novel immersive multimodal haptic interfaces. The development of this interactive technology is a key focal point of research for many industry sectors including health, entertainment and manufacturing. These sectors are seeking to take full advantage of the sophistication of human activity, but this research currently lacks adequate experimentation on the human activity side of the interaction paradigm. By approaching this through the lens of embodied knowledge and skillful bodily practices, this Cotutelle project aims at enriching interactions between the physical and virtual world. A central objective of this project will be to fully engage with critical questions around accessibility, gender and ethics which need fuller consideration in the design and development of human-computer interaction. Prospective candidates should have a background in HCI, media studies, serious games and/ or other digital research interested in full body movement or embodied design principles.

Applications close 5pm, Thursday 30 September 2021

This scholarship is supported by Deakin University, is available over 3 years and includes:

• Stipend of $28,600 per annum tax exempt (2021 rate)
• Relocation allowance of $500-1500 (for single to family) for students moving from interstate
• International students only:  Single Overseas Student Health Cover policy for the duration of the Australian student visa
• Tuition fees offset for the duration of 4 years
• Funding to support travel of PhD Student between Deakin University and Coventry University (UK)

To be eligible you must:

• be either a domestic or international candidate. Domestic includes candidates with Australian Citizenship, Australian Permanent Residency or New Zealand Citizenship.
• meet the PhD entry requirements of both Deakin University and Coventry University, including English language proficiency requirements
• enrolling full-time
• be able to physically locate to both Coventry University (UK) and Deakin University (Australia)

Please refer to the research degree entry pathways page and Coventry’s research entry criteria page for further information.

For more information about this scholarship, please contact Prof Stefan Greuter

Prof Stefan Greuter
Email Prof Stefan Greuter
61 3 924 46523