| Staff Details | ||||
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| Personal Information | ||
| Name | Lacey, Gerard James | |
| Main Department | Computer Science | |
| College Title | Senior Lecturer | |
| gerard.lacey@tcd.ie | ||
| College Tel | +353 1 896 1410 | |
| Web | http://https://www.cs.tcd.ie/Gerard.Lacey/ | |
| Fax | +353 1 677 2204 | |
| Biography | |
| Dr. Lacey has an international research track record using sensors and computers to embed intelligence into everyday devices thereby creating new types of human-machine interaction. He has 37 publications including journals, conferences, patents, book chapters, and is co-editor of one book. The majority of this research has been in the healthcare domain with technical contributions in Image Processing, Robotics and Human-Computer Interaction. In 2000 Dr. Lacey founded Haptica Ltd, a company that develops and sells Augmented Reality surgical training products to hospitals and universities around the world. From 2000 to 2005 he was CEO and CTO of the company. In November 2005 he returned to TCD as a lecturer. He remains as a director and scientific advisor to Haptica. His main research area is sensor driven human-machine interaction. The best know output of this research has been a novel robotic walking frame for the elderly. This research won several best paper awards and was featured on Tomorrows World 1999 and was the subject of a New Scientist article 1999. His main research topics are Computer Vision, Augmented Reality, Robotics and Decision Making in Uncertainty. In his academic carrier he has managed international EU research Projects (3), Enterprise Ireland Projects (2). In 1998-2000 he was leader of the Computer Vision and Robotics Research Group which comprised Post Docs (3), PhD Students (5), MSc Students (7) and visiting professors. His has been a reviewer for Enterprise Ireland 1999-2002, on the scientific review panel for SIRS, IROS, IMVIP, EAAI, RESNA, and reviewed papers for IEEE Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering, Robotics and Autonomous Systems, and the International Journal of Robotics Research. He has been a visiting researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Field and Space Robotics Lab (1999) and the University of Edinburgh, Dept of AI (1995). | |
| Representations |
| Details | Date |
| Editorial Boards: Managing Interactions in Smart Environments(MANSE'99), Springer. | 1999 |
| Membership of Professional Institutions, Associations, Societies |
| Details | Date From | Date To |
| Member of IEEE |
| Awards and Honours | |
| Award | Date |
| National Rehabilitation Board Scholarship | 1995 |
| Rehab Engineering Soc. Of North America Design Prize | 1999 |
| Campus Company Development Award | 2001 |
| EU Information Society Technology (IST) prize winner | 2004 |
| Soc. Laparoscopic Surgeons (SLS) Innovation of the Year | 2004 |
| More Awards and Honours>>> | |
| Description of Research Interests |
| The Key research areas are Medical Image Processing, Augmented Reality and Mobile Robotics for Assistive Technology. Medical Image Processing (video and still images): This research is focused on analysis the images from endoscopes and other imaging tools using in clinical practice and providing the user with additional information to assist in clinical decision making. Augmented Reality: By combining Video Images and Graphical Images into a single view the computer and real worlds may be merged to create and "augmented reality" the applications for this technology are as diverse as medical procedure guidance, e-learning and entertainment. Dr. Lacey's research is focused on object tracking and accurate rendering of Graphical Objects and studying the human factors issues involved. Mobile Robotics applied to Assistive Technology: technical aids for the elderly and disabled e.g. Robot Mobility Aids (PAM-AID) Robot Mobility Aid (GUIDO), Intelligent Interfaces and Smart Buildings |
| Research Interests | |||
| Augmented Reality | Computer Vision and Image Processing | Computer vision and robotics | Decision Making in Uncertainty |
| Human computer interactions | Imaging and Computer Vision | Medical Image Processing | Multimedia |
| Robotics | Virtual Reality | Wireless Sensor Networks |
| Research Projects | |
| Project title | PAM-AID |
| Summary | The PAM-AID project (www.cs.tcd.ie/PAMAID) has been running in the Department of Computer Science, Trinity College, Dublin since 1994. It aim is to develop a mobility aid for people who are both frail and visually impaired. It is motivated by the fact that the combination of visual impairment and frailty severely limits a persons independence. PAM-AID aims to provide a mobility aid with makes taking independent exercise a safer and more enjoyable experience. The project has been funded by the Trinity Foundation, the National Rehabilitation Board and The Telematics Applications Programme of the European Union. PAM-AID is now being commercialized by Haptica (www.haptica.com). The Potential User Population As blind people get older, infirmity prevents the safe use of common mobility aids such as long canes and guide dogs. Often this can mean they are confined to bed for their own safety. The resulting sedentary lifestyle results in a rapid deterioration of their physical and mental health. Because the incidence of blindness rises as we get older over 65% of blind people are over 70 years old. Approximately 20% of all people over the age of 65 have some visual impairment and if you have a visual impairment you are twice as likely to have a mobility impairment as well, therefore number of people involved is significant. The Project Achievements The success of the project has been built upon the strong collaboration between User Organisations, Universities and Industry. Since 1994 many versions of PAM-AID have been developed and evaluated. By 1999 eight systems had been built and nine field trial have been carried out in Ireland, the UK and Sweden. The users, all visually impaired residents of retirement homes, found PAM-AID to be well designed and useful. In 2000 this technology was spun off to www.haptica.com |
| Funding Agency | Trinity Foundation, the National Rehabilitation Board and The Telematics Applications Programme of t |
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| Publications |
| Peer Reviewed |
| Gerard Lacey, Derek Young, Derek Cassidy, Fiona Slevin and Donncha Ryan, Augmented Reality Interface for Laparoscopic Skills Training, Society of American Gastrointensitnal endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES), Florida USA, April 13-16 2005, 2005 | |
| Gerard Lacey, Derek Young, Derek Cassidy, Fiona Slevin and Donncha Ryan, Haptica Ltd, Surgical Training Simulator, 2002, US2005084833 | |
| Paddy Nixon, Gerard Lacey and Simon Dobson, Managing interactions in smart environments, London, Springer-Verlag, 1999, 250pp | |
| Gerard Lacey, Adaptive Shared Control of a Robot Mobility Aid, Proc. Field and Service Robotics (FSR), August, CMU, 1999 | |
| Gerard Lacey and Kenneth M Dawson-Howe, The Application of robotics to a mobility aid for the elderly blind, Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 23, 1998, p245 - 252 | |
| More Publications>>> | |
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