The Interactive Worlds Applied Research Group (iWARG) is a multidisciplinary team, drawn from the Department of Computing and the Digital Environment, Faculty of Engineering and Computing at Coventry University. iWARG is dedicated to innovative applications for interactive worlds. The work of the group includes a number of specific topic areas and objectives:
| Ubiquitous Computing and Applications: | Simulations and demonstrators of a range of multi-device and location-based systems and services; researching the social and cultural impact of these technologies. |
| Computer Graphics and Visualisation: | Innovative systems for visualising complex multi-modal data and simulations; procedural generation of visual content and real-time rendering of virtual worlds. |
| Mixed Reality Interfaces: | Mapping of audio-visual information into real spaces, for a variety of ubiquitous applications. |
| Mobile Computing: | Research into existing and new approaches towards algorithms and system design for the use of mobile devices as interfaces for virtual worlds and digital environment applications; investigation of ad-hoc networks for multi-device and multiplayer virtual world applications and games. |
| Artificial Intelligence: | Research into existing and novel algorithms for intelligent applications; behaviour definition and real-time behaviour synthesis for believable embodied conversational agents in virtual worlds; adaptation of existing AI technology for use in computer games, investigating the optimal trade-off between accuracy and real-time requirements. |
| Human Computer Interaction: | New approaches to creative co-design of ubiquitous computing, and development of approaches and heuristics for ubiquitous usability; research of the philosophical foundations of technical communication, information design and HCI. |
| Image Analysis: | Image processing for data retrieval/gathering; synthetic vision for embodied agents in virtual worlds. |
| Creative Computing Education: | Research of student perceptions and use of social networking and asynchronous collaborative tools; adapting computer science education to degrees targeting the creative industries. |
These research areas are related but each is nominally headed up by the relevant group members. In addition, they are or strategic in terms of departmental teaching excellence and innovation.