Pervasive Media Research Group

The advent of 'pervasive' or 'ubiquitous' media, such as mobile smartphones with GPS sensing and wearable computing, means that new dispersed forms of interaction are now possible for the public. The convergence of mobile technologies and ubiquitous computing is creating a world where information-rich environments may be mapped directly onto urban topologies.

Whilst other emerging technologies are already redefining existing forms of screen-based exhibition and reception (interactive television and digital cinema), they still tie down the audience in relation to the screen. Locative technology blurs the borders between physical and virtual space, leading to the redefinition of the concept of the 'virtual' from that of simulation to that of augmentation.

This research space will provide an opportunity to explore the technologies and social engagements possible in this new ecology by raising a series of questions around changing concepts of space and place for a wide range of traditional disciplines ranging from Anthropology, Art and Architecture, Computer Studies, Cultural and Media Studies, Fashion to Graphic design.