Sheridan’s SIRT awarded $200,000 from NSERC to advance digital human capture technology

A new federal investment will equip Sheridan’s Screen Industries Research and Training (SIRT) Centre with the ability to enhance its industry-leading virtual production technology.

SIRT has been awarded nearly $200,000 in funding through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Applied Research Tools and Instruments (ARTI) program.

This investment will significantly enhance SIRT’s capacity to support the development of high-fidelity digital humans — virtual characters designed to closely resemble real people both in appearance and behaviour — enabling breakthroughs in animation, visual effects and virtual production.

The funding will be used to upgrade SIRT’s state-of-the-art infrastructure for capturing digital doubles and detailed facial performances – critical components in the creation of believable virtual humans. This includes upgrades to the Centre’s ESPER Global Illumination Rig, such as additional cameras, enhanced lighting and advanced synchronization systems to enable ultra-high-resolution 3D facial scanning. Additionally, the investment will support the acquisition of stereoscopic head-mounted cameras, aligning SIRT with the latest innovations in 3D scanning and animation technologies.

“This investment strengthens our ability to support Ontario's thousands of film, television, animation and gaming companies by fostering innovation and giving our partners access to world-class tools and expertise.”

– Dr. Vicki Mowat, Dean of Research at Sheridan

“These enhancements will allow Sheridan to stay on the leading edge of virtual production research,” said Dr. Vicki Mowat, Dean of Research at Sheridan. “As demand for digital humans accelerates across Canada’s screen industries, this investment strengthens our ability to support Ontario’s thousands of film, television, animation and gaming companies by fostering innovation and giving our partners access to world-class tools and expertise.”

The funding comes at a pivotal time for the screen industries – and other sectors - as the convergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and rising computational power is transforming how digital content is produced and experienced. From hyper-realistic facial animation in films and games to the use of embodied AI in customer service, education, healthcare and companionship applications, the ability to capture and animate virtual humans is becoming a cornerstone of innovation.

SIRT’s upgraded infrastructure will also allow the Centre to generate the high-quality datasets necessary for training next-generation AI models, supporting broader applications in machine learning and synthetic media. These enhanced capabilities will allow industry partners to access advanced tools and workflows, refine their production pipelines and accelerate the development of new products, services and storytelling techniques to remain competitive.

About the Screen Industries Research and Training Centre

The Screen Industries Research and Training (SIRT) Centre drives creative and technological advances within the screen industries — such as film, television, interactive digital media, gaming and virtual/augmented reality — and innovative application of screen industry technologies within the performing arts and other sectors. SIRT empowers industry and community partners to advance innovation in storytelling and content creation through leading-edge applied research and customized training to equip professionals with the skills and practical knowledge they need to make an immediate and positive impact on the workforce. SIRT is an integral part of Generator at Sheridan, where people with diverse perspectives work together across disciplines and sectors to spark ideas and advance solutions that really matter. For more information, visit sirtcentre.com.

About Generator at Sheridan

Generator at Sheridan is where purpose and passion unite the extraordinary research, innovation and entrepreneurship undertaken by Sheridan’s faculty, staff and students, working across disciplines and sectors, to drive meaningful impact for an everchanging world. For more information, visit sheridancollege.ca/generator.