Kenny Mitchell

Kenny Mitchell is a part-time Full Professor of Video Games Technology at Edinburgh Napier University, concurrently serving as part-time CTO for 3Finery Ltd and Cobra Simulation Ltd while leading the European-funded CAROUSEL project. His career bridges high-impact industry roles including Roblox (where he directed rendering features for 70m+ daily users contributing to $40Bn valuation), Disney (founding Disney Research UK and collaborating with ILM London on Star Wars digital acting), and Electronic Arts (developing game engines for Harry Potter and BAFTA-winning Boom Blox).

Education:

• Honors Degree in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, University of Edinburgh

Mitchell's research centers on real-time photorealism, extended reality social systems, and generative AI graphics. Key focus areas include Intermediated Reality (MagiPeeps, LisNav), conversational AI avatars, VoxSpars technology for digital twins, and low-latency interaction systems like the CAROUSEL project. He investigates scalable delivery of immersive 3D experiences to mass audiences through practical industry applications.

Professional Recognition: Holding approximately 50 patents and 100+ technical publications, Mitchell serves as Editor-in-Chief of ACM GAMES: Research and Practice, Associate Editor for PACMCGIT and Elsevier Computers and Graphics, and member of the ACM SIGGRAPH Conference Advisory Group. His Boom Blox development earned a BAFTA award while Roblox leadership achieved unprecedented commercial scale.

Research Funding: As consortium lead for the European FET Pathfinder CAROUSEL project, Mitchell directs significant public research investment. His industry positions at Roblox, Disney, and EA generated substantial commercial R&D funding, with Roblox alone reaching $40Bn valuation through his rendering innovations. Academic mentoring occurs through Edinburgh Napier University's part-time faculty role.

Labs and Teams: Mitchell co-founded 3Finery Ltd (Edinburgh Napier spinout) developing Intermediated Reality applications, and serves as CTO of Cobra Simulation Ltd advancing immersive hardware/VoxSpars. He leads the CAROUSEL consortium while previously directing Roblox's rendering team, Disney Research UK, and EA's game engine division for major franchises.