About Us

The Human Interface Technology Laboratory New Zealand (HIT Lab NZ) is a human-computer interface research centre hosted at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. The lab is a partner of the world-leading HIT Lab US based at the University of Washington in Seattle.

The HIT Lab NZ is revolutionising the way people interact with computers, by creating cutting-edge interfaces to:

• enhance human capabilities
• vanquish human limitations
• increase the flexibility and utility of industry's existing products

The HIT Lab's multi-disciplinary approach to research and education facilitates an entrepreneurial climate, which fosters a wealth of innovative ideas. Currently the lab is working on a range of Projects in collaboration with industry and academia.

One of the HIT Lab's key goals is to expedite economic development within New Zealand by transitioning breakthrough interface technologies to industry.

How does the HIT Lab operate?

The HIT Lab NZ integrates research & education, providing students with a project-based learning environment. Undergraduate and postgraduate students from existing departments within the University carry out projects in the Lab.

Staff and students can work on their own initiatives or on industry and faculty-driven projects, all of which have the potential to result in real commercial products. Students can undertake projects in the Lab as part of their studies or alternatively work in the Lab as an extracurricular activity.

The HIT Lab NZ engages in projects with members of its Virtual Worlds Consortium, a large and diverse group of market-leading companies associated with the Seattle-based HIT Lab, and with members of the New Zealand HIT Lab Consortium. Members of both consortia are from a variety of fields ranging from design to software development.

More information about our mission and research methodology is described here.

What are the research subjects explored at the lab?

Some of the technologies currently being developed at the HIT Lab NZ include virtual and augmented reality interfaces, multimodal interaction techniques, multi-point touch screen applications, new collaborative videoconferencing tools or interactive online applications.

These new technological innovations will increase human capabilities by accelerating people’s ability to learn, to create, to communicate and conquer physical barriers and limitations of all kinds.

Leading-edge technologies developed in the Lab find application in areas such as education, science, communication, entertainment as culture or in the medical domain.

More info about augmented reality...

More info about our research projects...

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