The Bridge: A Creative Lab For Physical-Meta Production

摘要：战略资金和技术创新正在推动制造业、机器人、人工智能和创意技术领域改变世界的进步。这一进展为创造性研究提供了机会，推动了这些技术在英国创意和文化部门及其他领域的采用和应用。然而，真正具有颠覆性的跨学科研究需要创造性的实践者获取和吸收尖端技术的知识和专业知识。我们已经确定了UWE在“物理元生产”方面不断增长的研究能力领域，目前没有基础设施的支持。在整个教育和工业结构中，技术支持创意产业和内容生产的艺术过程之间存在明显的区分。随着技术迅速塑造创意经济的方方面面，考虑到美学、文化和伦理影响的必要研究往往滞后。将物体的物质性和触感与虚拟沉浸式环境进行复杂的整合，在探索创意和数字方法的碰撞方面具有巨大的潜力。The Bridge是UWE Bristol的一个新实验室，它将艺术、人文和技术研究人员团结在一个独特的跨学科“碰撞空间”中。它将利用学术、PGR和技术专长，最大限度地提高UWE创意和文化领域的弹性、资源和协同效应。这座桥将通过(1)为跨学科、基于实践、以设计为主导的创意研究提供一个空间，(2)推动艺术和人文领域新兴技术的采用，以激发创造性表达和生产的新形式，(3)通过提供数字技能支持、培训和指导，打破技术壁垒，从而加强UWE在物理元生产方面日益增长的专长。桥的创建将克服UWE创造性研究能力的以下不足：1)抑制性研究环境：UWE创造性研究基础设施不满足跨学科研究对物理元探索的需求。400平方米的翻新将提供一个物理和技术上的研究空间，促进无缝互动。2)数字技术进入壁垒：由于高进入壁垒和缺乏知识，许多艺术和人文学科（AH）的研究人员不敢在研究中使用技术，从而减少了创新机会。桥梁的设备将配备用户友好界面，一名1.0 FTE的技术人员将提供并提高技术能力。3)技术人员分散：关键技术人员的能力仍然分散在不同的研究中心实验室中。桥梁将为技术人员提供一个网络空间，就关键研究主题和技术专长进行合作。将这一知识库联网将使跨学科活动和设备的创新用途成为可能。4)缺乏设备和分散：UWE目前缺乏适当的设备协同定位/工作流程来实现物理元探索。该桥梁将配备新设备，升级的UWE设备和从工业中翻新的项目，共同定位数字技术和物理实验室空间。平等、多样性和包容（EDI）以及可持续的原则和做法将从项目启动开始嵌入。将建立一个无障碍和开放的跨学科研究环境，同时促进循环和可持续消费。这将通过我们对UWE EDI章程的承诺，以及分别通过翻新和重新利用现有设备采购至少25%的设备来实现。最终，这座桥将成为英格兰西部和更广泛地区的灯塔，寻求新的技术应用来加强AH研究，同时支持英国的创意和文化经济。

Summary:Strategic funding and technological innovation are driving world-changing advances in fabrication, robotics, AI, and creative technologies. This progress is opening opportunities for creative research to drive the adoption and application of these technologies for the UK's creative and cultural sector and beyond. However, truly disruptive, interdisciplinary research requires creative practitioners to access and assimilate knowledge and expertise of cutting-edge technologies.We have identified an area of growing research capability at UWE in 'physical-meta production', unsupported by current infrastructure. Throughout educational and industrial structures there is a clear division between the technology enabling the creative industries and the artistic processes of content production. As technology rapidly shapes every facet of the creative economy, the necessary research that considers the aesthetic, cultural and ethical implications often lag. Sophisticated integration of object materiality and touch with virtually immersive environments holds great potential to explore a collision of both creative and digital approaches.The Bridge, a new laboratory at UWE Bristol will unite arts, humanities, and technologies researchers within a unique, interdisciplinary 'collision space'. It will leverage academic, PGR and technician expertise, maximising resilience, resources, and synergies within UWE's creative and cultural sphere. The Bridge will strengthen this growing specialism at UWE in physical-meta production by (1) providing a space for interdisciplinary, practice-based, design-led creative research, (2) driving adoption of emerging technologies in the arts and humanities to stimulate novel forms of creative expression and production (3) break down technological barriers by providing digital skills support, training, and mentoring.Creation of The Bridge will overcome the following shortcomings within UWE's creative research capacity:1) Inhibitory research environments: UWE creative research infrastructure does not meet the needs of interdisciplinary research for physical-meta exploration. The refurbishment of 400sqm will provide a physically and technically enabled research space that facilitates seamless interactions.2) Digital Technology Entry Barrier: Many Arts and Humanities (AH) researchers are deterred from using technology within research due to high entry barriers and lack of knowledge, reducing innovation opportunities. The Bridge's equipment will be set-up with user-friendly interfaces and a 1.0 FTE in-kind technician will provide and grow technology capacity.3) Technician Dispersion: Crucial technician capacity remains within siloed within disparate research centre labs. The Bridge will provide a network space for technicians to collaborate on key research themes and technical expertise. Networking this knowledge base will enable interdisciplinary activities and innovative uses of equipment for new purposes.4) Lack of Equipment and Dispersion: UWE currently lacks appropriate equipment co-location/workflow to enable physical-meta explorations. The Bridge will be equipped with new equipment, upgraded UWE equipment and items refurbished from industry, co-locating digital technologies and physical lab space.Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and Sustainable principles and practices will be embedded from project initiation. An accessible and open interdisciplinary research environment will be built whilst simultaneously promoting circular and sustainable consumption. This will be achieved through our commitment to UWE's EDI charter and by sourcing at least 25% of equipment through refurbishment and repurposing existing equipment, respectively.Ultimately, The Bridge will act as a beacon for the West of England and wider regions, seeking novel applications of technology to enhance AH research, whilst supporting the UK's creative and cultural economy.