Introducing the 'living lab'

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Ross Whitehead, president of the Computer Science Society, likes the idea of the living lab. (Nick Pearce Photo)

At Dalhousie, the stereotypical image of the anti-social nerd, programming in isolation and avoiding human contact is a thing of the past. Here, computer science is dynamic. It’s about hands-on learning, collaboration, innovation and problem solving in an environment that is less about “pushing code” than it is about exploring and redefining the role technology plays in our lives and in our communities.

That’s the philosophy behind the campaign for Dalhousie’s Living Lab – a $2-million initiative that will turn the Goldberg Computer Science Building into a high-tech showpiece supporting teaching and research through access to interactive collaborative technologies.

'The whole building becomes a lab'

“Normally, when we talk about a lab, it’s inside a room in a building somewhere,” says Mike Shepherd, Dean of Computer Science. “What we want to do is turn that around so the whole building becomes a lab.”

The living lab will consist of touch screens throughout the public spaces of the Goldberg Computer Science Building. All of these computers will be connected, allowing students to work collaboratively and even from different locations. Hand-held devices such as phones will be able to interact with the public display screens, meaning that a student can provide input from outside the building.

The collaborative nature of the living lab is particularly useful for computer science students, who frequently work in groups much like workers in the industry. The hope is to provide an environment similar to industry and maybe even beyond that.

'Will make things easier'

Students will be able to sit in a semicircle at a big screen and interact with it together, rather than huddling around a table trying to view a small laptop screen.

Ross Whitehead, a 21-year-old computer science student and president of the Computer Science Society, says the living lab is a great idea. “Four people can't sit around a laptop. It’s not comfortable. So if one person can connect to the screen and everyone has a good view of it, that will make things easier.”

Renovations will start in a year, with an initial nine or 10 screens being installed on the fourth floor.

Dr. Shepherd says he hopes a video wall in the atrium may eventually be installed. The video wall would be one huge screen that could be used to project one image, or be subdivided to show multiple images.

This article is part of the Dalhousie Difference series, introducing and showcasing some of the 50 innovative projects in development. The first story, "The Dalhousie Difference," explored what the power of philanthropy means to a university like Dalhousie. "All in a Day's work" was about the new scholarship fund created in the name of Sir Graham Day. "Imagining where they can be" announced the new TD Black Student Opportunity Grants and "More than a great idea" outlined plans for the new IDEA building for Sexton campus.