Singapore team from A*STAR emerge finalists in World Technology Summit and Awards 2010

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A*STAR I²R team that pioneered Dance!3D system selected to be one of six finalists out of 23 nominees

A team of researchers from A*STAR’s Institute for Infocomm Research (I2R), creators of the highly successful Dance!3D system has received more accolades again. The team was awarded at the World Technology Summit and Awards 2010 in New York. As such, they were voted as one of six award finalists among the highly selected 23 nominees under the Entertainment category. The 2010 World Technology Awards were announced on Dec. 1, 2010, in a gala ceremony at the TIME & LIFE Building in NYC by Ali Velshi (Anchor and Chief Business Correspondent) and James P. Clark (Founder/Chairman of the WTN).

Dance!3D is the world’s first 3D immersive and truly tetherless system that allows a two-way live and face-to-face dancing with a virtual character in three dimensions under fast changing and low lighting conditions that simulates night clubs’ environment with no need for user to carry/hold any devices or to go through any calibration process. The virtual character performs non-repetitive dance performance each time to attract the user’s attention. A series of technologies in computer vision, human computer interaction, and human character animation have been developed to achieve real-time and immersive performance for such a highly interactive application. (http://virtualdance.i2r.a-star.edu.sg/)

Professor Lye Kin Mun, Executive Director, I²R said, “We are very proud to receive recognition by the WTN for our innovation and to be amongst such distinguished company. This stands out as another example of our ability to develop real world solutions, whether for infotainment or other industry sectors, that leverage cutting edge research to deliver technologies that are globally marketable and internationally acclaimed.”

The World Technology Network (WTN) is a global meeting ground, a virtual think tank, and an elite club whose members are all focused on the business and science of bringing important emerging technologies of all types (from biotech to new materials, from IT to new energy sources) into reality. The WTN's membership is comprised of approximately 1000 members from more than 60 countries, judged by their peers to be the most innovative in the technology world.

All Winner and Finalists are automatically inducted into the World Technology Network (WTN) as new individual Fellows or as new Corporate Members. The World Technology Awards are presented each year to the outstanding innovators from each sector within the technology arena, both as a way to honour those individuals and as a vetting mechanism to determine the newest WTN members. The awards are announced each year in a gala ceremony at the close of the annual World Technology Summit.

The team's highly immersive entertainment technology emerged as one of six finalists in entertainment category. The criteria for making it as a finalist is that the top individuals or corporations must receive the most votes by the WTN judges (individual WTN members).

The I2R team comprised of Dr Susanto Rahardja, Dr Farzam Farbiz, Dr Huang Zhiyong, Chua Gim Guan, Dr Yuan Miaolong, Christina Tang Ka Yin, Loke Mei Hwan, Dr Corey Manders, Dr Ishtiaq Rasool Khan, Dr Zhu Yongwei, and Chan Ti Eu.
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encl. photo of team and award

Background
About Institute for Infocomm Research
The Institute for Infocomm Research (I²R - pronounced as i-squared-r) is a member of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) family. Established in 2002, our mission is to be the globally preferred source of innovations in `Interactive Secured Information, Content and Services Anytime Anywhere’ through research by passionate people dedicated to Singapore’s economic success.
I²R performs R&D in information, communications and media (ICM) technologies to develop holistic solutions across the ICM value chain. Our research capabilities are in information technology and science, wireless and optical communications, and interactive digital media.
We seek to be the infocomm and media value creator that keeps Singapore ahead. Website: www.i2r.a-star.edu.sg

About the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)

The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is the lead agency for fostering world-class scientific research and talent for a vibrant knowledge-based and innovation-driven Singapore. A*STAR oversees 14 biomedical sciences, and physical sciences and engineering research institutes, and nine consortia & centre, which are located in Biopolis and Fusionopolis, as well as their immediate vicinity.
A*STAR supports Singapore's key economic clusters by providing intellectual, human and industrial capital to its partners in industry. It also supports extramural research in the universities, hospitals, research centres, and with other local and international partners.

For more information about A*STAR, please visit www.a-star.edu.sg

About World Technology Network (WTN)

The WTN brings key players together - from the most cutting-edge technologists to the most forward-thinking financiers, from the most conceptual futurists to the most grounded entrepreneurs, from the most insightful science writers to the most savvy marketers, from the most big-picture government officials to the most focused policy analysts, and from the world's leading corporations to the world's newest start-ups --helping to make things happen sooner and better than they might have.

The WTN exists to "encourage serendipity" -- the happy accidents of colliding ideas and new relationships that cause the biggest breakthroughs for individuals and institutions. The WTN works to accomplish its mission through global and regional events for its members (and others) to help make connections among them, and to examine the likely implications and possible applications of emerging technologies. The WTN also seeks to provide useful information and provoke action through its publications.

The World Technology Summit is a global gathering of the WTN membership as well as other delegates.