Horizon Digital Economy Research

How are Responsible AI UK connecting the AI ecosystem both nationally and internationally? RAI UK champions a reflective, and inclusive approach to AI development. The AI Safety Summit’s Bletchley Declaration stated that we must work together to ensure human-centric, trustworthy and responsible AI that is safe. Cooperation is at the heart of safe AI development, and Responsible AI UK (R...

Horizon and the Mixed Reality Lab at the University of Nottingham have collaborated on several digital creative research projects over the years. Our Media Campaign ran a number of performance-led research in the wild projects, which supported artist residences, established new partnerships and developed and toured new cultural products embedded with emerging digital technologies. Find out about Horizon’s involvement in innovating cultural products for the creative industries in this Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 Impact case study:

Impact case study : Results and submissions : REF 2021

We have a rich portfolio of research addressing protection of young people online. Research findings from the CaSMa, UnBias and Re-Entrust projects, which explored the ethical challenges around social media, how to emancipate users from algorithmic bias and rebuilding trust in online platforms feature in our case study submission to the 2021 Research England Framework (REF). Find out how our research was instrumental in underpinning the amendment added to the 2018 UK Data Protection Act and the translation and implementation of the Age Appropriate Design Code introduced by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in 2020 at:

Impact case study : Results and submissions : REF 2021

Interested in reading the latest news from our Robots Mediating Interaction project. Take a look at :

Robots Mediating Interaction activity update Horizon Digital Economy Research, University of Nottingham Innovation Park, Triumph Road, Nottingham, NG7 2TU [email protected]

Introducing a new Horizon Agile Round 3 project: Effective, Responsible and Safe Research on Online Communities (EFRESH):

Effective, Responsible and Safe Research on Online Communities (EFRESH) – an introduction Helena Webb, Liz Dowthwaite, Virginia Portillo, and Peter Craigon are running a new Horizon project called Effective, Responsible and Safe Research on Online Communities (EFRESH). Here they ...

Introducing Hybrid Relics We are excited to announce the start of Hybrid Relics, a Horizon Agile Round 3 project which is focussing on musical instruments, secular and religious relics as a way to start to explore new and ...

Coronavirus Discourses: linguistic evidence for effective public health messaging was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC/UKRI) and ran from January 2021 to July 2022. It was led by the University of Nottingham in collaboration with Cardiff University, and worked in partnership with Public Health England, Public Health Wales and NHS Education for Scotland. Horizon researchers made up part of a multidisciplinary team which included linguists, computer scientists and experts in human factors who addressed key challenges the pandemic presented in relation to understanding the flow and impact of public health messages in public and private communities.

The project focused on two particular challenges highlighted by Public Health England, Public Health Wales and NHS Education for Scotland: messaging around geographical borders and messaging related to BAME populations. Find out more about the project via the latest blog:

www.horizon.ac.uk

Data-driven product design could offer rapid adjustment to consumer trends in areas where consensus can be identified. However eliciting information from people at scale can be challenging. Our 'Uncovering Consumer Consensus' project video explains how intervals can efficiently and effectively capture flexibility in consumer preferences to support business decision making around the design of fast-moving consumer goods:

What are they thinking? Efficiently eliciting deeper insights with interval-valued questionnaires Eliciting information from people at scale can be challenging. Qualitative approaches provide rich information but are difficult to scale. Traditional quanti...

📣 JOB ALERT 📣

We're recruiting for a part-time Education Project Manager for our spring 2023 production of THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 1936.

In Spring 2023, leading actor, writer and ‘accidental activist’ Tracy-Ann Oberman, will reinvent the role of Shylock in a major production of THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 1936, directed by WPT Artistic Director Brigid Larmour. The Merchant of Venice is a problematic play, and this new production aims to face up to these problematic elements. It will be a vehicle for promoting engagement with the history of fascism and antisemitism in the UK, especially focussed around the Battle of Cable Street in 1936, where and when this production is set. This production will be a vehicle for celebrating Jewish people and culture in the UK today, and to encourage Jewishness to be seen as part of the cultural diversity of this country.

The Palace will maximise the impact and audience engagement of the production by launching a four-part education programme and we are recruiting a part-time Project Manager to lead the development and delivery of the project.

To apply please complete a WPT application form (available to download from our website in the link below) and send to [email protected]

Deadline for applications : 10am, Wednesday 22nd August

For more information and to apply click here 👉 https://bit.ly/3zLqjB4

"Responsible research and innovation in practice: Driving both the ‘How’ and the ‘What’ to research"
Read our latest paper led by Jiahong Chen and authors Elena Nichele, Zack Ellerby and Christian Wagner addresses how research projects may benefit from Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) engagement in different ways and how it can be not just a research safeguard to conduct research in an ethically responsible way, but also about what research topics to cover to ensure technologies are developed in a socially responsible way:

Responsible research and innovation in practice: Driving both the ‘How’ and the ‘What’ to research There have been ongoing discussions in research communities, including the field of trustworthy autonomous systems (TAS), on how researchers may meani…

"The use of human operator managed robotics, especially for safety critical work, includes a shift from physically demanding to mentally challenging work, and new techniques for Human-Robot Interaction are being developed to make teleoperation easier and more accurate. This study evaluates the impact of combining two teleoperation support features (i) scaling the velocity mapping of leader-follower arms (motion scaling), and (ii) haptic-feedback guided shared control (haptic guidance). We used purposely difficult peg-in-the-hole tasks requiring high precision insertion and manipulation, and obstacle avoidance, and evaluated the impact of using individual and combined support features on a) task performance and b) operator workload. As expected, long distance tasks led to higher mental workload and lower performance than short distance tasks. Our results showed that motion scaling and haptic guidance impact workload and improve performance during more difficult tasks, and we discussed this in contrast to participants preference for using different teleoperation features."

The Impact of Motion Scaling and Haptic Guidance on Operators’ Workload and Performance in Teleoperation | CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Extended Abstracts research-article Free Access Share on The Impact of Motion Scaling and Haptic Guidance on Operators’ Workload and Performance in Teleoperation Authors: Soran Parsa School of Computer Science, University of Lincoln, United Kingdom School of Computer Science, University of Lincoln, United KingdomSea...

"While users often share accounts with others, currently most accounts support only single user interactions. Within industry, Netflix and Disney+ providing profiles within accounts are testaments to popular services identifying and responding to user needs in this context but the solutions here are mostly naïve. Within academia, while sharing practices are of interest, the practicalities of dealing with them are yet to be studied. This paper highlights said gap in research and reports the preliminary findings of 4 user focus groups that reveal practical challenges and future expectations around the experience of sharing, social implications and user privacy, which when accounted for would support users in their sharing interactions. We intend to extend these findings by integrating them with expert interviews with ‘makers’ who research and work on said technologies, to produce a holistic set of design recommendations that form a practical guide for support around account sharing."

“Where lots of people are sharing one thing, as soon as one person does something slightly different it can impact everyone” : A Formative Exploration of User Challenges and Expectations around Sharing of Accounts Online | CHI Conference on Human research-article Free Access Share on “Where lots of people are sharing one thing, as soon as one person does something slightly different it can impact everyone” : A Formative Exploration of User Challenges and Expectations around Sharing of Accounts Online Authors: Neelima Sailaja Horizon Digi...

Join The Future Machine on the 20th April (6.30pm onwards) to celebrate the blossoms: https://www.horizon.ac.uk/the-future-machine-celebrating-the-blossoming-trees-on-20th-april/

The Future Machine – celebrating the blossoming trees on 20th April The Future Machine will be appearing in Christ Church Gardens, Ilkeston Road in Nottingham on Wednesday 20th April to celebrate the blossoming trees at sundown. Come along and join us from ...

Finishing up: Uncovering Consumer Consumer Consensus project blog post: https://www.horizon.ac.uk/finishing-up-empowering-consumers-by-identifying-hidden-consensus-comes-to-an-end/

Finishing up: Empowering Consumers by Identifying Hidden Consensus comes to an end The Horizon project ‘Uncovering Consumer Consensus’ is coming to its end, but team members are still busy with final reports and deriving outputs. It has been an exciting project and we are ...

hoRRIzon project final blog: https://www.horizon.ac.uk/horrizon-responsible-research-and-innovation-institutions-and-policy/

HoRRIzon – Responsible Research and Innovation: institutions and policy Responsible Research and Innovation: institutions and policy The HoRRIzon project has been investigating potential policy impact of responsible research and innovation (RRI) and how it can become ...

Joint submission of research evidence included in House of Commons report: https://www.horizon.ac.uk/submission-of-research-evidence-features-in-house-of-lords-report/

Submission of research evidence features in House of Lords Report The House of Commons Justice and Home Affairs Committee has released a Report: Technology rules? The advent of new technologies in the justice system, following an inquiry into new technologies ...

Connected Everything conference addressing challenges faced by the manufacturing sector including trying to achieve net zero carbon and adapting to the ongoing pressures caused by covid: https://connectedeverything.ac.uk/conference-2022/

Conference 2022 A return to face-to-face Connected Everything conference. Title: Connected Everything Annual Conference: Digital Manufacturing Research Collaboration and Innovation Location: University of Liverpoo…

"Bubbly, outgoing VR ride design studio; new in town. Seeks partners for good times ahead. Must have content to activate and/or audiences to engage"

Yes, I'm in Austin, Texas for SXSW 10-16 March. DM if you're in town & would like to meet. Studio Go Go is on a trade mission with 15 creative tech companies selected as having high growth potential - part of a UK Research and Innovation Innovate UK Audience of the Future Global Business Innovation Programme to the US

We have been working with the BBC R&D on research to investigate the infrastructure of the internet from a public service point of view and the implications for audiences, as their personal data is collected, stored and analysed to create personalised recommendations and support targeted advertising.

Our research project 'New Forms of Public Value at the Edge' involved the design of a Personal Data Store (PDS) referenced in this article (https://publicspaces.net/2021/11/26/the-bbcs-new-personalised-data-service/), in which Ian Forrester and Hannes Ricklef, BBC R&D, talk about personalisation, user privacy and handling of data. The article also mentions earlier our earlier research - Databox and Living Room of the Future.

Find out more about the Personal Data Store and listen to our stakeholders feedback in this short video: https://youtu.be/4QNxEXGwTnU

New Forms of Public Value at the Edge A short video describing research to develop a Personal Data Store and stakeholder feedback to the work.

The UK’s national academy of Science, The Royal Society, has today released a report recommending that Governments and social media platforms should not rely on content removal for combatting harmful scientific misinformation online. In addition the report warns that the UK Government’s upcoming Online Safety Bill focuses on harms to individuals and fails to recognise the wider ‘societal harms’ that misinformation can cause.

Professor Derek McAuley was invited by The Royal Society to join the Working Group developing the report, which recommends wide-ranging measures that governments, tech platforms and academic institutes can take to build resilience to misinformation and a health online environment.
https://bit.ly/3nEZJEy

royalsociety.org

We are delighted to announce that Horia Maior, Horizon Transitional Assistant Professor, has been named by the Foundation for Science and Technology as one of their 2002 Future Leaders.

The programme brings together a cohort of around 30 mid-career professionals over the course of a year, with approximately 10 representatives each from the research community, industry, and the civil service and wider public sector. Over the 12-month period, the group meet and discuss with senior figures from government, parliament, universities, large industry, SMEs, research charities and others. Just as importantly, Future Leaders present their own expertise, develop skills and make future contacts. The programme includes external visits and the development of an annual conference for a wider group of mid-career future leaders in science, technology, research and innovation.

As part of the Hybrid Gifting project, the Mixed Reality Laboratory at the University of Nottingham has been working with Nottingham Castle to develop the Christmas countdown clock to celebrate their re-opening.

The clock was built for the Castle to host and has multiple ways of blending physical and digital interactions with different items that might be seen as gifts. Providing a novel way to expand their digital offerings, the clock also supports the Castle’s interest in thinking about physical objects through the lens of what they mean to us, personally. Gifting is an everyday practice that immediately shifts a person’s perspective. It takes them out of their own shoes to consider what the gift receiver might think of the object and what that person would like, encouraging the giver to see the object ‘through new eyes’.

The clock exists in two forms: online, where content automatically updates every day, and in the real world, where images from the day’s content is projected on the Gatehouse between 4 and 8pm.

Online, people can watch content, submit feedback, get involved in the project by suggesting ideas and register for a prize draw.

The Gatehouse 'real world' projection is a bit like the bright lights on a giant Christmas tree and provides a fantastic light show that changes every day to portray unique pieces of Nottingham’s history – drawn from the Castle’s Museum collections.

Other Hybrid Gifting projects include the ‘Hybrid Chocolate Gift’, a collaboration between the Mixed Reality Lab and Studio Chocolate in Nottingham.

Professor Steve Benford talks about the 'Metaverse: five things to know – and what it could mean for you' in this article in The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/metaverse-five-things-to-know-and-what-it-could-mean-for-you-171061

Metaverse: five things to know – and what it could mean for you This (virtual) reality is still probably many years away.

Visitors to COP26 can share experience with digital Gift: https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/news/visitors-to-cop26-can-share-experience-with-digital-gift

News - Visitors to COP26 can share experience with digital Gift - University of Nottingham Visitors to COP26 are being given the unique opportunity to create and share personalised digital content from the summit to engage others in the climate conversation.

Half time: Empowering Consumers by Identifying Hidden Consensus: https://bit.ly/3pHhh4F

Half time: Empowering Consumers by Identifying Hidden Consensus It has been a busy few months for the Horizon ‘Uncovering Consumer Consensus‘ project, with progress on multiple fronts, but lots still to do! Early in the project we began ...

Great to see this Artcodes-related project continuing to evolve. The 'All Aboard for Rushden' app takes visitors along a trail that follows the story of a mailbag accident on a local railway in 1911 and the imagined contents of the bag. As visitors work their way along the former rail line they discover more about Rushden's history as they visit and scan each stop: https://nenescape.org/news-and-features/all-aboard-october-halfterm

Try 'All Aboard for Rushden' this October half-term! — Nenescape A fantastic activity to this half term! The ‘All Aboard for Rushden’ is a trail between Rushden Lakes and Rushden Historic Transport Museum. The trail follows the story of a mailbag accident on a local railway in 1911 and the imagined contents of the bag, visitors can work their way along the fo...

The Future Machine is a large octagon on wheels made of ash, oak, steel, brass and copper, with a hand crank, lever, dials and a slot where personalised ‘future quests’ are printed on cards for people to take away. It stands as a witness to the places, stories and events of these turbulent times, as the Earth changes, and we take a journey into an uncertain future. Travelling across England every year for the next 30 years, ‘Guardians of the Future Machine’ will help it along it’s journey.

The Future Machine will be travelling to Finsbury Park, London on Saturday 13th November ‘When the Autumn Leaves Fall’ and will appear in different parts of the park throughout the day, finishing with music and food:https://www.whenthefuturecomes.net/london-hub/

London Hub – When The Future Comes Finsbury Park, London When the Autumn Leaves Fall A Procession in the Park will take place every year to celebrate the Autumn. The Future Machine will appear, visiting different parts of the park along the way, finishing with music and food at Furtherfield Commons. In 2021 this will take place on Sa...

The “TAS for Health” project is exploring attitudes towards the use of technology in health and wellbeing decision-making in the home, across users including patients, carers, and family members. We are particularly interested in how use relates to shared values such as trust, self-efficacy, and privacy.

We are currently recruiting for a series of workshops, which will explore how people currently use technology to support their own health and wellbeing, and that of others, and how they may do so in the future. We are looking for four groups of people:

People who have made use of technology such as apps or smart devices to support their health and wellbeing during lockdown.
People who have experience caring for or living with others with conditions such as multiple sclerosis, dementia, or stroke, with or without technological support.
People who have multiple sclerosis.
People who have had a stroke.
If you fit into any of these groups, we’d like to invite you to take part in our online workshops, in which we will discuss the use of technology in healthcare decision-making. It will not be necessary for you to discuss your medical history, or that of others, and you are under no obligation to disclose any information you do not want to. Workshops will last around 2 hours and will take place online, with adjustments to be made depending on participant needs. You will receive a £20 shopping voucher for contributing to the study.

Workshops will take place in October and November 2021, with dates to be confirmed once we have an idea of participant availability.

For more information, or to sign up, contact Dr Liz Dowthwaite: [email protected]