HIHuman IntTerfaceLa Technologyb Lab NZNew Zealand Hangarau Tangata, Tangata Hangarau
Human Interface Technology
WE PUT PEOPLE BEFORE TECHNOLOGY
Master’s and PhD qualifications in Human Interface Technology Virtual Reality - Augmented Reality - Applied Immersive Game Design - Human-Robot Interaction 2 Welcome to the HIT Lab NZ
Hangarau Tangata, Tangata The HIT Lab NZ is involved in many sectors and Hangarau | The HIT Lab NZ, is the industries, including; University of Canterbury’s primary • Medical • Safety • Construction • Emergency Response research centre for virtual reality • Rehabilitation • Education (VR), augmented reality (AR), applied • Entertainment • Agriculture & Environment immersive game design, and human-robot interaction. Why Human Interface Technology? The HIT Lab NZ is a world leader in At HIT Lab NZ, we cultivate connection between Human Interface Technology. industry and our students to create highly skilled graduates who are ready for careers in Our work provides people with cutting edge industry or academia. technological solutions to enhance their work The technology industry is growing and daily life. We put people first, by looking at exponentially. Interactive media is the the tasks they are trying to accomplish, then world’s largest and fastest growing media add an appropriate mix of technology, to solve sector, achieving higher levels of growth real-world problems. We are a multi-disciplinary, (2.5%) than the global movie sector in 2018, innovative team, which consistently produces making revenues of USD $136 billion*. HIT Lab high calibre research and development using NZ recognises the high demand in rapidly state-of-the-art technology. growing interactive media industries for skilled We pride ourselves in our ability to disrupt graduates who have analytic, coding and traditional uses of technology. For 18 years our creative skills. research has explored how people use these In 2020 we formed the Applied Immersive technologies in order to better understand Gaming Initiative to join our existing VR/AR human behaviour, cognition and perception. Research and human-robot interaction groups. The quality research we have produced has *https://nzgda.com/news/philtwyfordinteractiveaotearoa/ revolutionised how people interact with technology.
3 Master of Human Interface Technology
HIT Lab NZ’s MHIT programme Taught Courses: MHIT Course Highlights • HITD602 – Design & Evaluation teaches students how Human • HITD603 – Prototyping & Projects • Supportive work environment. Interface Technology is applied, In the first three months we teach course • Individual and group projects. developed and analysed in work, including theory, process, and • Flexible research options available. research and industry settings. techniques for producing and using creative • Strong connections with industry. technical solutions. Following this, students • Some industry & scholarship funding is We teach an exciting range of complete an applied design project which available. diverse topics: ideation, user- tests these skills. centred design, rapid prototyping Entry Requirements of hardware and software, and Thesis New Zealand bachelor’s degree with Honours formal user evaluation. Our students select their research topic and or equivalent. supervisors. This allows them to explore Suitable fields include Computer Science, Students in our MHIT programme engage research topics they are interested in and Design, Statistics and Psychology. passionate about. with industry through dynamic projects While we prefer candidates with experience and scholarships. Graduating with an MHIT We ensure that students receive support in programming and statistics, due to the prepares students to enter the workforce or from their lecturers, senior academics, PhD multi-disciplinary scope of HIT research, continue their research with a PhD. students and fellow master’s students. Our students from related fields such as Business, collaborative lab space facilitates connection Education, Engineering, Health and the Arts Structure of the and creativity in research. may also qualify. MHIT Programme The thesis component of the MHIT programme takes 9 months to complete. The The MHIT programme consists of two courses thesis makes up 75% of the final grade. and a thesis, which are completed full-time over 12 months. Students learn key interface design principles, MHIT Degree Timeline the ability to describe and evaluate interface hardware and software, and research and development skills. HITD 602 Design and Evaluation The MHIT is a 75% thesis and 25% taught HITD690 qualification. Industry/Research Project HITD 603 Prototyping and Projects
0 3 Months 12
4 PhD in Human Interface Technology
The doctorate in Human Unlike other institutions Reality, Applied Immersive • Disaster Management throughout the world, New Gaming and Human-Robot • Education Interface Technology Zealand PhD degrees are typically Interaction. Yet, due to the is a multi-disciplinary • Emergency Response completed in three to four years, diverse expertise of our faculty, • Entertainment and do not involve course work. other topics will be considered. degree that is designed • Medical As a result, students can start to allow students from a Fields of work HIT Lab NZ is • Rehabilitation conducting research when they currently focused on: variety of backgrounds to begin their PhD programme. • Retail & Transportation • Agriculture & Environment • Safety undertake research in the At HIT Lab NZ, research topics • Business technology field. typically involve technology • Sport Science within Virtual Reality, Augmented • Construction
Faculty Both the master’s and PhD programmes are delivered by world-class academics. As a team, they teach the MHIT course work and provide supervision to both the master’s and PhD students.
Associate Professor Heide Professor Lukosch – AIGI Team Lead Stephan Lukosch • Applied Immersive • Virtual, Augmented & Gaming Mixed Reality Professor Rob Lindeman Professor Andrew Phelps Associate Professor • Serious Gaming • Game design & –Director • Virtual & Augmented Christoph Bartneck • Games for Change development • Virtual, Augmented & Reality • Human-Robot • Mobile & ubiquitous Mixed Reality Interaction • Games for Resilience • User Experience & Design computing • 3D User Interaction • Science & Technology • Virtual Training • Game Design • Design Patterns • Game Design and Studies • Educational Games • Game Development • User Experience & Design Development • Visual Design • Games in Disaster • Games in Education • Computer-Supported • Human-Computer Management • Serious Games Collaborative Work Interaction • Communication • Human-Computer • Interactive Computer Interaction Graphics • Sport Science • User Experience & Design • Disaster Management 5 Possible Careers
‘The environment and Graduates of the MHIT programme have the skills to work as user experience design professionals people are just amazing. across many industries. MHIT students It doesn’t feel so much a lab sometimes continue their research as part of a PhD programme. Some of our alumni are still as it does family. Everyone working in academia (a couple of whom are at the is really nice here and helps HIT Lab NZ). Other MHIT graduates in the workforce are currently in the each other out. So you’re following roles: not battling alone, you have • Senior Product Designers • AR & VR Developers support all around you. • Software Developers • Head Researchers Plus everyone wants to • Prototype Engineers • User Experience Designers work together and share • Audio Visual Engineers the research they are • Consultants • Systems Analysts working on.’ • Senior & Business Management • Directors & Owners of Companies
Jonathan O’Duffy Master of Human Interface Technology Graduate
6 7 Quick details
Why ‘My goal is to have a Join a team which works with the most up to date technology in a high growth industry. Get the skills to produce human interface vibrant lab environment technology research that has a powerful impact on the world around us. that supports creative What people collaborating to Work on world-leading human interface technology research with a multidisciplinary focus. Use state-of-the-art technology to gain solve real-world problems. a top qualification and connect with local and global industry. We aim to create new When Annual February intake. insights to support people
Prerequisites through human interface New Zealand Bachelor’s degree with Honours or equivalent. technology.’ More Information Human Interface Technology Lab NZ Professor Rob Lindeman Phone: +64 369 2226 Director [email protected] www.hitlabnz.org
Apply Now at www.myuc.canterbury.ac.nz
HIHuman IntTerfaceLa Technologyb Lab NZNew Zealand Hangarau Tangata, Tangata Hangarau HITK768 HITLabNZ.org