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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

Virtual Reality Collaborative environment
With this concept we want to demonstrate the added value of collaborative training. Again using the Unity game engine, we can have two players, regardless of their physical location, working together in one virtual world. For the prototype, it was decided to let the users assemble a LEGO car together on the basis of a step-by-step plan and productivity tools. Within a professional context, remote training could be provided via this method, independent of the physical location of the users.
Pothamus AB Live Immersive show
For this project, we collaborated with the Belgian post-metal band Pothamus to design a custom visual experience for a showcase of new material from their upcoming album, “Abur.” Our aim was to stay true to the band’s intense, ritualistic aesthetic, while using cutting-edge tools to create something both visually reactive and emotionally immersive.
Virtual Reality escape room
​For some prototypes, specific attention was paid to historical stories and events. How can Immersive Technology help to tell these stories in an interactive way? Can we make visitors feel like they are part of this? Allowing them to discover the story themselves through certain interactions without presenting it to them ready-made? Deze vragen gaven, in combinatie met enkele van de ideeën die tijdens de brainstormsessies werden geopperd, aanleiding tot de ontwikkeling van twee prototypes waarbij role-playing, groepsbeleving, interactiviteit, gameplay en Storytelling centraal stonden.
Procedural 3D Asset creation
A classic example for the use of procedural 3D in the gaming industry is the creation small tools that accelerate the creation of 3D objects . In certain games, the in-game weapon is prominently displayed on the screen. In these situations a lot of detail and variation is expected on the weapons to keep it visually appealing. The different parts of the rifle can differ per type of weapon. In this use case a gun was used as an object to illustrate the usefulness of procedural tools.

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