IDM Institutes in Singapore
NUS, NTU and most of the polytechnics have established cross-discipline IDM research institutes within their campuses. IDMI and IMI from NUS and NTU are also inter-disciplinary in nature, with both research institutes involving professors from the engineering, computer science, design, arts and social science fields. This holistic approach has set in place the necessary structures for collaboration and inter-disciplinary project work, and poised both of our flagship universities for ground breaking work achievements in IDM research.
IDM Institutes and their Schools, Programmes and Faculties
National University of Singapore (NUS), Interactive and Digital Media Institute (IDMI)
Increasingly, the media of combining digital and interaction technologies – Interactive Digital Media (IDM) – has emerged in recent years, and these would have significant effects on our society and life in the twenty-first century. The Digital & Interactive Media Institute (IDMI) is an interdisciplinary institute set up by NUS to carry out interdisciplinary research on the development of next generation IDM, taking social/psychological aspects into consideration in addition to the engineering aspect. The mission of IDMI is:
- To undertake leading-edge, use-inspired basic research in emerging fields of Interactive & Digital Media (IDM) relevant to the critical and future needs of Singapore’s industry;
- To significantly enhance the research reputation of NUS in selective areas of IDM which will enable NUS and Singapore to continue attracting top research talent and participating in global research collaborations;
- To attract talented graduate (PhD/Master) students from Singapore and Asia to NUS to pursue research in IDM and to develop them into a pool of highly competent researchers to help accelerated the pace of IDM industry development in Singapore;
- To transfer the advanced knowledge and technology generated and its trained manpower to the national research institutes, industrial R&D Labs, industrial companies and university spin-off companies.
Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Institute of Media Innovation (IMI)
Living in a world where interactive technologies and content are constantly shaping the business and society around us, IDM inquiries can be truly exciting and rewarding. Singapore is on track to become a global centre of excellence for R & D in the IDM space, and the Institute of Digital Media (IMI) is a multi-disciplinary media research institute that creates an environment where technology and creativity can coexist and develop. It is an incubator of new interdisciplinary project ideas which advances knowledge within the symbiosis of Media Systems Research and Media Content Research. IMI has also launched the Nanyang PhD programme, which aims to produce innovators in IDM through a multi-disciplinary approach.
IMI is a think-tank and collective media research center that builds on the competencies of the following Schools, Colleges and Institutes at NTU:
- School of Art, Design and Media
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
- School of Computer Engineering
- School of Electrical & Electronics Engineering
- School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences
- Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information
- Institute of Media Innovation
NTU also owns a variety of IDM resources such as their Interaction and Entertainment Research Centre (IERC) and Centre for Advanced Media Technology (CAMTech).
National Institute of Education (NIE)
The Learning Sciences Lab conducts school-based learning sciences research to inform technology-enabled pedagogical practices for cultivating 21st century knowledge and skills.
Singapore Management University (SMU)
SMU has established the Centre for Interactive Media. Comprising two laboratories – the Business Games Lab and the Participatory Media Lab, the new Centre for Interactive Media will champion research and development into interactive media to serve the needs of the financial services sector and the supply chain & logistics sector, and eventually other strategic sectors. The centre will also support Singapore’s national effort to nurture talent for the burgeoning digital media and entertainment industries.
The first two major projects of the centre are:
- Multiplayer Business Games
- Viral Culture
To support of the existing IDM ecosystem within TP and externally with other IDM partners, the Interactive & Digital Media Collaboratory @ Temasek Polytechnic (IDMC @ TP) was set up to encourage the convergence of IDM related capability, competency units, experience and expertise.
Interactive Digital Centre Asia (IDC-Asia), a 3D visualization centre jointly was set up by TP, EON Reality Inc. and IM Innovations in October 2006. The initial focus of IDC-ASIA will be in the area of 3D application development and deployment. By creating “smart” 3D interactive digital replicas with powerful visual product configurations to support and enhance the training, development and business of traditionally vibrant industries. IDC Asia is also well positioned to partner other educational and R&D organizations to engage in new pioneering areas such as Simulation-based Learning (SBL) as well as Interactive 3D Web Conferencing.
NYP’s School of Interactive & Digital Media (SIDM) offers 2 IDM-centric diplomas. To provide their students with real-life IDM industry environment, NYP has also collaborated with the following industry partners to provide their students with experience in a real-life IDM industry environment:
- Games Creation Community (GCC), a joint project with EDB
- Electronic Arts
- Joint effort with Defense Science and Technology Agency on military and war-game simulators.
NYP is also conducting strategic R&D on IDM-centric topics like:
- High Performance Computing
- Embedded System Design
- Physical Computing
- Computer Vision and Image Processing
- Robotics
- Content-based Audio Processing and Applications
- Computer Graphics and Computational Geometry
- Multimedia Security
- Interactive Immersive Environment
- New methods of Digital Film making
- Narrative Animated Digital Film
- Hybrid Game
- Ubiquitous Computing
- Public Digital Information Technology
- IP TV / Mobile TV
- Haptic Human Computer Interfaces
- Media Performance
NP’s Interactive and Digital Media Centre (iMC) is involved in project development on IDM-centric topics such as
- Compelling Content Genres
- Built Environment
- Educational Podcasting
- Digital Audio Broadcasting
- Educational IDM
- Games and Simulations
- Speech-enabled Translation
- Interactive and Digital Media Technology Innovation Centre (Research and Industry Collaboration Centre)
- School of Media and Info-communications Technology (SMIT)
SP is currently conducting R&D to mobile applications, games development and the development of new user interfaces such as motion tracking, multi-point input, virtual reality environments and sound scape systems.
RP has a Technology Research Centre, and their research interests lie in :
- Information Security for IDM
- Secure Networking for IDM
- IDM Infrastructure
- IDM application in problem-based learning
- IDM for Mobility
- IDM for Rethinking and Redesigning
The polytechnic has also been working with established IDM organizations on joint collaborations and projects, such as Future Lab UK , The Idea Factory and Vicon.
