Dr Laura Morgan and Dr Xavier Aure each awarded UWE Vice-Chancellor’s Early Career Researcher Development Award 2020/2021
Congratulations to Dr Laura Morgan and Dr Xavier Aure who have each been awarded a UWE Vice-Chancellor’s Early Career Researcher Development Award (2020/21).
Dr Laura Morgan has been awarded for the project Digital Processing for BioMaterial Design and Sustainable Material Finishing. Resource use and waste in textile manufacturing poses significant socio-environmental issues, globally. Cited among the most pollutive industries, research towards a circular textile economy is imperative. This timely year-long study will examine the commercial viability of bio-materials as sustainable alternatives within the fashion and textiles industry. It will question current barriers to the use of these materials and address identified issues via a body of practical research into reduction of non-biodegradable textile waste and alternatives to chemical dyes and finishes that render textile goods ‘un-compostable’. The research will investigate digital processes for emerging bio-materials (e.g. bio-plastics), existing bio-materials (e.g. linen and other less conventional plant fibres), dye recipes, and the effects of laser processing and 3D printing on the chosen materials.
Dr Xavier Aure has been awarded for the project A 3D surface scanner: development of workflows and processing algorithms. This project approaches the 3D digitisation of artefacts in a novel combination of methods to guarantee a scientific workflow when digitally capturing and processing data. Dr Aure will develop a scanner that will offer cultural heritage institutions a new affordable imaging system to document, investigate and share artworks. With growth in demand for high level 3D assets for virtual and augmented reality applications, gaming and cinematography, there is an opportunity to lead the future in photorealistic cultural heritage content creation. His research will contribute and facilitate the generation of high-quality replicas and will raise public awareness of preservation of artefacts. The research finding will also inform the potential of the scanning methodology for use in other industrial and commercial applications.
