The ‘Virtual eMotions’ project at SCIRIA is convened by Dr. Barbara Rauch and investigates emotions, and particularly human facial expressions. The project is a continuation of an AHRC funded research project, ‘Mapping Virtual Emotions: 3D-surface capturing of animated facial expressions in animals and humans’, that was completed in June 2007.

Since then the research has continued into the morphing of human and animal facial expressions, in order to create a visual platform to scale a face from, showing a range of signs from happiness to sadness. The future research of the project is concerned with evolutionary aspects of human emotions, consciousness studies and scientific findings about the links between emotions and rationality. It uses 3D technology for the scanning of animal and human, and investigates 3D print technologies to visualise physical data.

Dr. Barbara Rauch is an artist practitioner and academic with a fulltime research position. She is the holder of a 2-year AHRC research grant, ‘The Personalised Surface within Fine Art Digital Printmaking’ (together with Prof. P. Coldwell, FADE). As co-applicant and co-investigator she conducts several case studies with an emphasis on 3-dimensional prints and screen-based works.

As acting director at SCIRIA, Rauch leads on the ‘Virtual e-Motions’ research group. The group investigates emotions and in particular human facial expressions. The project is a continuation of an AHRC funded research project, ‘Mapping Virtual Emotions: 3D-surface capturing of animated facial expressions in animals and humans’, that was completed in June 2007.

Rauch’s research is practice-based; her art practice is concerned with contemporary technology-assisted art. It combines consciousness studies with digital art theories and practices. Much of her work uses computers and data capture technologies.

Rauch holds a BA in Fine Art (1995), an MA in Digital Art from Middlesex University, CEA (1998) and a PhD from the University of the Arts London (2007). Her PhD thesis is entitled ‘Natural and Digital Virtual Realities – a practice-based exploration of dreaming and online virtual environments’ and is available through the British Library in London and as reference only at Camberwell College of Arts Library.

She currently is a visiting senior fellow at the McLuhan Program in Culture and Technology, FIS, University of Toronto.

Her practical work includes video and installation work, print technology, visualisation of digital 3D work, animation, computer-mediated art, sound works, drawings, performative and site specific installations.