Ian Williams

Dr. Ian Williams is a Professor of Visual Computing and Head of the Digital Media Technology Lab (DMT Lab) at Birmingham City University. His research focuses on advancing AR/VR technologies, HCI, and broadcast systems, with a strong emphasis on inclusive design and accessibility. He leads the DMT Lab's research strategy, encompassing domains like computer graphics, computer vision, and sound analysis.

Williams holds a PhD in biomedical image analysis from Manchester Metropolitan University (2008). His work bridges academia and industry through Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) programs with companies like GlaxoSmithKline and Sherlock Healthcare. He chairs major conferences such as IEEE ISMAR and serves on technical committees for IEEE VR and IEEE CoG.

Recent research trends highlight inclusive AR/VR systems, multimodal interaction techniques, and overcoming accessibility barriers for visually impaired users. His publications address challenges in haptic feedback, object manipulation, and perceptual tolerance in mixed reality.

• Advises multiple PhD students
• Collaborates with NATO, Facebook, and the British Psychological Society
• Funded by EPSRC, DSTL, and GambleAware

The DMT Lab actively develops innovative tools for immersive environments, including object-based audio solutions and AI-driven synthetic data generation.