Middlesex University Dubai launched the Centre for Innovation in Human Experience on 28 October 2019 in the presence of faculty, industry professionals, and experts. The first of its kind in the United Arab Emirates, CIHX brings together three specialised labs: InsightsX Lab, RoboTechX Lab, and Immersive VR LabX , each equipped with state-of-the-art technology and resources.
CIHX is comprised of academics from the University and other professionals with varied backgrounds and expertise in the fields of Data Science, Robotics, Virtual and Augmented Reality, and Human Centred Design; working together to meet the needs of organisations, entrepreneurs, and government for humanised digital transformation in business and society. The core beliefs and practices of the Centre are innovation, empathy, collaboration, safety, integrity, lawfulness and excellence.
“We are pleased to launch the Centre of Innovation in Human Experience as we strive to collaborate and build a community that will drive forward research and development across humanised technology,” said Dr Cedwyn Fernandes, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Director of Middlesex University Dubai.
“Above all, the Centre is focused on three main pillars: Research and Development, Consultancy, and preparing the next generation of industry ready IT professionals and entrepreneurs. We are all thrilled to launch this unique initiative in the company of our esteemed partners and industry experts,” commented Dr Fehmida Hussain, Head of the CIHX and Head of the Computer Engineering and Informatics Department at Middlesex University Dubai.
In line with the UAE’s National Agenda of transitioning to a knowledge-based economy, promoting innovation and research and development, CIHX aspires to bridge the gap between academia and industry in using innovative technologies to improve quality of life. It will do this through three specially designed labs:
InsightsX Lab
The InsightsX Lab is the Data Science hub to connect the analytics community and academic fraternity with organisations willing to derive insights from their data. The lab enables academic researchers and the data science community in the UAE to help companies understand how to better monetise their data through the development and application of new predictive models and by taking an analytical approach.
RoboTechX Lab
The RoboTechX Lab researches and develops various robots and internet connected devices. Its activities include cover designing, developing and testing a wide range of hardware and software – from a simple plant watering system and distributed energy metre to industrial manipulators and autonomous robots.
Immersive VR LabX
The Immersive VR LabX aims to promote research and development in the transformative field of VR. It aims to understand the technology itself and how it can be utilised to push the boundaries across hardware and software. It will also study the underlying cognitive and behavioural aspects of people using these Immersive VR systems. The potential of this technology is limitless in a plethora of fields such as training, education, medicine and healthcare.
For more information about CIHX visit www.mdx.ac.ae/cihe.
