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ABOUT US

"DAE-Research offers an attractive information service for organizations facing challenges, for which game technology might offer a solution"

DAE-Research is the research cell of the bachelor study program Digital Arts and Entertainment of Howest Kortrijk, where both demand-driven applied research projects and applied research projects on its own initiative are set up.

The research projects are oriented on exploring new game, VFX, animation & film technology (hard- and software) and transferring that knowledge to the bachelor program as well as companies in different sectors. Besides entertainment purposes, technology can be used in multiple ways to stimulate innovation tracks in companies, social-profit organizations as well as a partner in research consortia.

What is applied research? Scientific findings from university and other research labs, combined with experts’ experiences in the respective professional field and expectations of the envisioned end users, are creatively translated into innovative solutions and prototypes. This offers a surplus value for achieving the goals within the industry and/or social impact.

In addition to projects on demand, DAE-Research also conducts exploratory research on its own initiative. Hereby, the potential surplus value of new technology, whether this is hardware or software, is mapped out to work out innovative solutions for the various sectors.

Recent research topics are linked to our 6 majors within the DAE bachelor program: game development, game graphics production, independent game production, interactive sound production, VFX and 3D animation.

Research topics include immersive technology (VR/AR) and metaverse, spatial computing, applied games, artificial intelligence, conversational AI, motion capture, immersive sound, pose estimation and body tracking, procedural 3D content and automation (Houdini, photogrammetry, …)

Do contact us for more information on project ideas.

OUR LATEST REEL

HIGHLIGHTED USE CASES

Panamarenko AR
Panamarenko AR Trail is an augmented reality proof of concept developed as part of the Proeftuin Media XR & 5G project. In collaboration with the Panamarenko Foundation and researchers from the Immersive Lab (AP Hogeschool), DAE Research explored how AR technology can be used to connect people with cultural heritage in a more direct and location-based way.
Using AI to enhance historical visualisations
Artificial intelligence is transforming the creative industry, offering new ways to generate, iterate and visualise concepts at unprecedented speed. However, the use of AI raises essential questions around authorship, accuracy, process integrity, environmental impact and artistic identity.
Soft bodies simulations
When creating a 3D model, the focus is on how it visually looks from the outside. Where a traditional 3D model is hollow inside, a soft body has a volume with mass and weight. The ultimate dream of various sectors – including medical imaging, medical training and police investigation – is to create a real-time soft body simulation. In such interactive simulations, for example, an organ can be cut and a physically correct reaction of the fat tissue, muscle tissue, blood vessels, etc. is displayed at the moment. The technology is not yet so far that this is possible.
Automatic Packaging tool
We made a proof of concept that generates packaging in Houdini automatically and as optimally as possible for the safe transport of fragile objects. We used an online library of scanned models from the Smithsonian museum. For the development of the tool, we based ourselves on the three most comprehensive methods of packaging. Instapak, where an object is surrounded by a foam material, cushion or foam packing, where the objects are cut out of an insulating material, and brace packaging, where the artifacts are held in place by a wooden construction.

CONTACT US

Vicky Vermeulen – Research manager
vicky.vermeulen@howest.be

Jan Pauly – Project manager
jan.pauly@howest.be

Howest Campus The Level
Digital Arts & Entertainment

Botenkoperstraat 2
8500 Kortrijk
Belgium

Howest Campus The Square
Digital Arts & Entertainment Research Lab

Luipaardstraat 12A
8550 Kortrijk
Belgium