SurfNet in Canada

I just finished visiting with about a dozen researchers plus perhaps four dozen students, as part of the SurfNet annual meeting (I am on the Advisory Board). This is an NSERC sponsored strategic network in Canada, focused on different aspects of surface computing, and with strong ties to many different industry partners (e.g., Smart, TRLabs, Bedarra Research Labs).

The workshop was very impressive, largely because of the incredible range and novelty of the projects underway by the major researchers and their students. Universities involved include Calgary, Queens, Waterloo, Saskatchewan, Carleton, and UPC. An important strength is the extensive collaboration already underway among researchers within the network, their industry partners, and many other collaborators as well, including international researchers. Topics are focused on visualizations, novel interaction techniques, user experience in tabletop gaming or other applications, and lots more. Application areas include e-health, software teams, GIS, and educational games. Wow!