Digital World Research Centre (DWRC)

Description

The Digital World Research Centre (DWRC) was founded in 1998 within the University of Surrey's School of Human Sciences and now operates under the Department of Music and Media, in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Initially, the centre's research focused on the social effects of emerging technologies like mobile phones, e-books, and the internet. Currently, the DWRC explores new types of digital media production and consumption, striving to enhance these with innovative media genres, formats, devices, and services.

The DWRC has been responsible for the creation of novel audio-based social media systems for mobile digital storytelling, unique photo display systems for maintaining familial and friendship connections, and advanced paper systems for web integration. It manages a mix of PhD and post-doctoral research projects, backed by governmental and industrial sponsors including UK research councils, the EU, and companies like Vodafone, Microsoft, British Telecom, Hewlett Packard, and Fujitsu. The centre also partners with small creative and third-sector organisations and seeks to commercialise selected research results.

The centre's staff are drawn from all three university faculties (Arts and Social Sciences, Engineering and Physical Sciences, and Health and Medical Sciences) and contribute to their respective disciplinary programmes. An interdisciplinary approach is fundamental to the centre's modus operandi. They conduct design research focusing on social science studies of new media practice, design explorations of new media technologies, and artistic explorations of media content.

Their current focus is on 'Assistive media for health and wellbeing', or media systems offering therapeutic benefits. Examples include digital stories and soundscapes for dementia care, time-based media for social isolation, immersive media for emotion regulation, and augmented paper for health communication. This work has evolved from a continuous UK-Brazil network, in collaboration with the Department of Gerontology, Federal University of São Carlos, and the Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Computing, University of São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil.

Offers funding

No, this infrastructure does not provide funding.

Founding year

1998

Contact details

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Categorisation

Type

Project Tags

University affiliation(s)

University of Surrey
Guildford

Partner Universities

Falmouth University

Lancaster University

Royal College of Art

Swansea University

The Open University

University of Central Lancashire

University of Dundee

University of South Wales