Research centre supported by First Choice

A new £2.2m Centre for Vision, Speech and Signal Processing has been opened at the University of Surrey by the Parliamentary Under Secretary for Science and Innovation, Lord Sainsbury.
Mainly funded by the Government Joint Infrastructures Fund, the centre comprises of four specialist departments: Multimedia Signal Processing, Visual Media, Medical Imaging and Robot Vision.
As an ongoing partnership with the University of Surrey, Guildford based First Choice Solutions were actively involved in the research and development for the Visual Media Department.
The department is to research technologies for the next generation of communications and entertainment applications, and, with the assistance of First Choice Solutions, various camera, monitor and matrix technologies.
The contract placed with First Choice Solutions in December 2001 was for 14 Sony Broadcast cameras, along with a range of broadcast monitors, video matrix equipment, plasma technology units and specialist cabling.
Upon completion of the installation, there were extensive trials and the total system is now supported by a sophisticated three-year maintenance contract.
The Visual Media laboratory has been remodelled to support research in Real Time Video Processing and Visualisation with an extended lighting kit and high specification audio-video cabinets and networks.
First Choice Solutions, who are an appointed preferred supplier for the University of Surrey, have subsequently been contracted to supply and install the total video and AV solutions for a new Management School, scheduled to open in early 2003.
For further information contact Dr Adrian Hilton, University of Surrey, on +44 (0)1483 686030.
(GB)