Making Space for Innovation – Queen’s Human Media Lab – Tour Stop #3

The Human Media Laboratory is run by Queen’s School of Computing Professor Roel Vertegaal and six multi-disciplinary and diversely skilled graduate students. It is a lab dedicated to creating adaptive technology meant to be integrated into everyday objects.

The Innovation

A number of leading edge technologies have originated in the Human Media Lab: the MagicWand, a handheld device that responds to physical gestures while also presenting a 3D image on its display; ReFlex, a full-colour, high-resolution, flexible smartphone; and BitDrones, interactive flying microbots that allows users to virtually construct three-dimensional structures – to name a few. This incredible interactive space is designed to foster creativity and collaboration that can spur new cutting edge inventions. As soon as you walk through the doors of this lab, it’s as though you’ve stepped into the future.

 The Future

Professor Vertegaal’s enthusiasm for innovation is infectious and we definitely share the same vision of Kingston as a centre for leading technology innovation. The Human Media Lab is itself a window into the future, where you can glimpse tomorrow’s technologies today. I love visiting spaces like this carefully designed  to encourage creative thinking.

The Tour

If you know of a fresh or innovative approach being taken by a community group, organization or business, I want to hear about it. Connect with me on Twitter and Instagram by following @MayorPaterson and the hashtag #MITour.