On Sept. 22, the UMass Amherst Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences (CICS) and Dolby Laboratories, an industry leader in audio and imaging technologies, announced an innovative partnership aimed at advancing the future of immersive technologies. The initiative brings together interested faculty, researchers and industry experts to drive breakthroughs in sound, imaging, AI and data processing.

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The partnership was initiated through a joint effort between Donna M. and Robert J. Manning Dean Laura Haas and Shriram Revankar, senior vice president of the Advanced Technology Group at Dolby and CICS advisory board member. Shlomo Zilberstein, professor and CICS associate dean for research and engagement, also played a crucial role in facilitating the collaboration between faculty members and Dolby researchers.

“From the press to television and film, to the digital revolution, media continues to be a key driver in how we experience the world around us and will be at the forefront of how we design the future of immersive experiences and human connection as a society,” says Revankar. “At Dolby, we’re excited to collaborate with premier academic institutions like the University of Massachusetts Amherst, to encourage deep research in media with the aim of creating new knowledge that will fuel a whole new generation of innovation.”

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“CICS and Dolby Labs share a vision of fostering innovation and driving advancements in technology. This partnership provides an excellent opportunity to leverage our complementary strengths and expertise, with the potential to shape the future of audiovisual and immersive technologies,” says Zilberstein. “We are thrilled for the opportunity to work with Dolby to provide big, long-term breakthroughs that will drive the next generation of immersive consumer experiences."

As part of this partnership, Dolby is enabling research internship opportunities available to CICS students and others, providing access to cutting-edge technologies, mentorship and opportunities to work on passion projects. The customizable nature of these projects is expected to foster long-term, mutually beneficial research collaborations.

“Dolby is really giving CICS students unprecedented leeway,” says Zilberstein. “Their willingness to make many of their researchers available for mentorship for students to pursue their interests and passions is an extraordinary opportunity that should provide extraordinary learning and professional development opportunities to our students.”

In addition to the internships, Dolby has partnered with CICS faculty to provide gift funding for research projects of faculty interest that could advance the state-of-the-art in immersive experiences. A virtual workshop held in late 2022 allowed Dolby and faculty members to establish relationships, discuss research priorities, and identify potential collaboration opportunities. Following the workshop, Dolby Laboratories provided an initial gift to support multiple projects of faculty interest – five of which have already been identified. In the future, new projects will be identified through mutual visits, workshops, and research collaborations. In addition, Dolby intends to provide additional gift funding in support of research at CICS on a regular basis moving forward.

“I'm confident that Dolby’s generous funding will produce exciting innovations that are of interest to Dolby Laboratories, whose technologies provide awe-inspiring experiences for billions of people around the world,” says Zilberstein.

More information about the partnership, including details on the projects it will fund, can be found on the CICS website.