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Nerve Lab

Nerve Lab is an immersive research and production facility in London, powered by UAL Creative Computing Institute. It was made possible by Research England’s Regional Innovation Funding.

The lab enables creatives, researchers and industry professionals to quantify, test and incorporate human experiences into new artistic creations using AI, motion capture and neurotechnology.

Partnership opportunities

You can work directly with Nerve Lab's facilities and staff expertise through:

  • academic research collaborations
  • commercial projects and consultancy
  • workshops and training programmes.

Technical capabilities

The facility enables real-time measurement of human experience through:

  • immersive LED display environments
  • wearable neuroimaging (Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy [fNIRS], electroencephalogram [EEG])
  • motion capture systems
  • AI-powered performer and audience analytics.

Projects and applications

The lab supports a wide range of projects, including:

  • performance capture and virtual production
  • immersive experience and XR design
  • generative AI for creative applications
  • neuro-enhanced user experience testing and audience analysis.

Nerve Lab facilities

Black Box immersive performance space

Create content, AI models or end-to-end study design and analysis with Nerve Lab's immersive space.

You can also study your user audiences with real-time integration with wearable neuroimaging (fNIRS, EEG), physiology and eye tracking.

Nerve Lab’s immersive environment supports the above with:

  • direct interaction with 3D virtual environments
  • a high-quality digital backdrop for performance and virtual production.

The environment is equipped with Vicon motion capture, 7.1 surround sound system and a 5x2.5m curved Sony Verona LED wall (1.5mm pixel pitch, 120Hz).

A person with neural scanning technology on their head standing in and exploring an immersive digital space.
Black Box immersive performance space, Nerve Lab, UAL

Living Room Lab

Capture real-time audience experiences in a controlled, living-room environment designed for user research.

Get support from Nerve Lab staff with user-experience testing, interviews, focus groups and observational studies. They can help with advanced neurocognitive methods supported by technical capabilities in fNIRS, EEG, eye tracking and AI-powered emotion tracking.

The Living Room Lab enables live stream data of screen content and user behaviours.

Over the shoulder shot of a female sitting on a desk and watching video on a laptop while wearing EEG wearable device on her head.
Living Room Lab, Nerve Lab, UAL

Bespoke creative-AI model development and application

Create AI models for user modelling and generating audio-visual content.

Nerve Lab also offers workshops and training in creative AI.

Available in-house experience and equipment

Specialist technicians/researchers with expertise in:

  • advanced data curation (including neuro- and performance data)
  • media analysis
  • machine learning for creative outputs.

High-performance GPU computing resources.