Queen Mary, University of London

Departmental facilities and resources

Informatics Teaching Laboratory

The ITL consists of four large open-plan programming laboratories over three floors, a robotics research lab, workshops, a range of seminar, study and meeting rooms, a quiet room, a 'help-desk' and offices for support staff.

The ITL is a purpose-built building designed by the architectural firm MacCormac Jamieson Prichard, who also designed our student village. The Laboratory was made possible by a generous gift from the Wolfson Foundation and substantial funding from the UFC (now HEFCE).

Equipment and Software

Our rolling replacement programme ensures that we maintain a high-quality, modern computing provision with over 150 fully networked multimedia workstations, which run both the Linux and Windows operating systems. The workstations are connected to the department's own network, which provides fileservers and additional services. Network ports are also provided for students choosing to use their own laptops for practical work. In addition, a wireless network covers all areas of the Department. A high quality printing service is provided by laser printers on each floor.

Students have access to a wide range of industry-standard software, including a variety of integrated software development environments, database management systems and web servers. A variety of specialised equipment and software is also available for course and project work.

Open Access

The Laboratory is open between 7am and midnight seven days a week. During supervised laboratory sessions some areas may be reserved for use by individual courses. Access is under security card control. Students can also gain remote access to the department's facilities 24-hours-a-day via a system which provides the same software as the workstations.

Antenna Measurement Laboratory

The Antennas Measurement Lab (AML) specialises in high quality measurements for the purposes of antenna design. It is one of the most comprehensive in a European university. It includes a Microwave CATR reflector, a general purpose anechoic chamber and a body-centric wireless sensor lab. MSc students would typically only use this lab during their final project.

Further information on the AML.

Augmented Human Interaction Laboratory

Our Augmented Human Interaction (AHI) Laboratory combines high-tech technologies including full-body and multi-person motion capture, virtual and augmented reality systems and advanced aural and visual display technologies. It allows students and staff to explore the potential of digital media to enrich and transform human communication.

Founded on a collaboration between the School's Interaction, Media and Communication research group and the Computer Vision group, in conjunction with researchers in open and distance learning, it exploits a unique combination of expertise in expression and gesture recognition, 3D modelling, human-human interaction and engagement and creativity.

Further information on the AHI Laboratory.

Media Arts and Technology studios

The Media Arts and Technology (MAT) studios at Queen Mary's Mile End campus have been designed to facilitate many different types of sound, music and performance research. Uses of the spaces include:

  • Multi-track audio recording of bands and small choirs or orchestras
  • Lab teaching/demonstration of audio and video equipment
  • Performance rehearsals and recordings
  • Ambisonics experiments
  • Microphone/speaker array experiments
  • Distributed performances
  • Longitudinal studies
  • 3D distributed motion tracking
  • Observation and video of interactions
  • Interactive Installations
  • Video Shoots
  • Large art projects
  • VJing experiments and performances
  • Diffusion of Electro-acoustic performances

Performance Space

This is a large space with a high ceiling (approx 9x8m space but with two large pillars leaving a main open floor space of about 9x5m) with all surfaces painted in matte black. There are hanging points and lighting bars in the ceiling of this lab space for lights/projectors/speakers/screens etc. The space can be used for a variety of performance research and recording applications including motion capture, audio recording of large ensembles, interactive art installations, use as a film/video sound stage and many more.

Listening room

This is an acoustically isolated room (approx 6x5m floor space) mainly intended for audio recordings and experiments where low reverberation and very low ambient noise are important. The space is equiped for high-end multi-channel audio recording and playback. A 16-speaker ambisonic system can be used for immersive surround sound research and high quality audio recording is possible using our Focusrite mic preamps and 24-channel SSL AD/DA MADI converters.

Control room

The studio control room is set up with a high-end Mac-based digital audio workstation running various recording software including Logic and Cubase for recording performances or post production mixing/mastering work. The room has a high quality 5.1 surround sound monitoring system with Apogee converters that allow multi-channel 192kHz audio recording and playback. The control room is connected to the Performance lab and Listening room via MADI optical links that allow up to 128 simultaneous channels of digital audio to be routed between the spaces.

Postgraduate resources

The School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science provides a superb physical environment in which each group has its own research laboratories, integrating full-time researchers and research students. All the groups benefit from a strong departmental infrastructure and a high level of technical support. Most groups also have their own specialised equipment to support their research.

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