University of Southern California


Sponsorship

Commitment to Sponsors' Needs

IMSC's strong commitment to industrial collaboration and technology transfer ensures that the research pursued in the Center is relevant to Sponsors' needs, and that results are designed to advance their competitiveness in the global technological marketplace.

Since its inception in 1996, dozens of companies have participated in IMSC's Sponsor program, each lending a unique breadth and depth of expertise that, when combined with IMSC's research efforts, has further strengthened the Center's goals.

Cost-Effective Research

Companies find sponsoring research with IMSC to be a cost-effective resource for conducting technology investigations with longer lead times that are still on the companies' strategic technology roadmap. In addition, a progressive Intellectual Property policy and a company-friendly culture aim to ease traditional university barriers and objections to collaboration.

Flexible Sponsorship Program

IMSC has developed a diverse program of collaboration and technology transfer that encourages joint Sponsor-IMSC research projects on multimedia and Internet technologies. Regular interactions between IMSC and Sponsors enable researchers to test technology breakthroughs in IMSC's extensive laboratories and advanced testbeds within the companies' own business atmosphere.

To address a spectrum of Sponsor needs, IMSC's Sponsor Program offers a range of levels of Sponsorship and licensing opportunities. Sponsor benefits include:

  • Participation on IMSC's Scientific Advisory Board and the ability to influence future research directions.
  • Joint research projects with IMSC faculty investigators and students.
  • Access to IMSC students and graduates with a cross-disciplinary systems perspective of the research and education experience.
  • A neutral ground to engage in productive interaction and collaboration with other Sponsors.
  • Participation in workshops, conferences and symposia focusing on the technologies of integrated media.

More information is available on the IMSC Sponsor Programs page.

Technology Transfer and Licensing Success Stories

IMSC also actively pursues the dissemination of advanced immersive technology into commercial applications. These activities include technology transfer and licensing, startup and spin-off company creation; raising industry awareness of the Center's research, internship and educational programs, and development of the Center's business strategies of selected technologies.

To date, IMSC has had:

  • 106 invention disclosures across the multimedia and Internet technologies spectrum
  • 56 patents filed (6 Awarded)
  • 105 total commercial licenses and technology transfers
  • 9 spin-off companies formed

Example technology transfer and spin-off company success stories currently in the marketplace:

Geometrix, a company based in San Jose, CA, licensed IMSC's 3D face modeling technology and used it to create a high speed 3Dface capture solution, FaceVisionTM, and a virtual try-on solution for the retail optical market. Geometrix worked with Visionix of Israel to introduce 3D iView, the first commercial 3D virtual try-on system for eyewear. Hoya Corporation of Japan, the world's second largest manufacturer of eyeglass lenses, adopted the 3D iView Virtual Try-On System, deployed in Japan as "3D Best."

Rhythm & Hues Studios in Los Angeles licensed IMSC's augmented reality software, and created a computer-generated special effects system called "Fastrack". The software is being used routinely in the making of feature films, including such hits as "X-Men II", "Daredevil" and "Cat in the Hat". The tracking method developed by IMSC researchers adaptively selects the "best" features to track in natural scenes, reducing the time for scene rendering from minutes to seconds, and reducing the need for hand correction.

Our most recent spin-off company, Audyssey Laboratories, was founded in 2002 by Prof. Chris Kyriakakis and two IMSC ERC graduates. Audyssey develops innovative technologies for enhancing the quality of sound in home theaters, automobiles, movie theaters, cell phones, and portable music players. These technologies were developed from research at the IMSC Immersive Audio Laboratory. Audyssey's first licensed product appeared in October 2004 from a major consumer electronics manufacturer. Several more product releases will appear in 2005. The company, headquartered in downtown Los Angeles, completed its first round of financing in December 2004 and currently employs 8 people. Other spin-off companies, such as Fetch Technologies, and New Media University Academy, continue to grow.

Additional Available Technologies

IMSC's research has led to the development of an impressive list of technologies supporting the Center's vision of integrated media systems. We currently have a Technology Catalog with close to 50 advanced technologies available for licensing and/or collaborative research and development in the fields of computer interfaces, media communications and information management. These are described in the Technology Catalog.