We are living in an exciting era that benefit from the rapid changes being unleashed by the Internet and the information technology. Armed with more computational power and faster communication networks, scientists and engineers can now create more exciting applications and services to end users. Some of the applications or services that we thought only exist in the science-fiction movies are now within grasp and may become reality within this decade.

Multimedia technologies constitute a multi-disciplinary field that extends beyond engineering to reach the arts, sciences and humanities. Main contributive areas include engineering, computer science, artificial intelligence, communications, design, ergonomics and human factors, cognitive psychology and philosophy. The impact of multimedia applications is tremendous – it can range from medicine to entertainment; from bridging the societal digital divide to remote space exploration. In short, our imagination is the limit.

At the Faculty of Engineering, many professors and students are dedicated to advancing the frontiers of multimedia technology. One can easily find a plethora of relevant research projects and home grown technologies that can benefit different types of end users and companies. The research teams have acquired more than $45million from the Industry Support Fund and Innovation and Technology Fund over the past decade to support various kinds of multimedia research and development projects, a strong indication of the strength and commitment in this important area.