The Media Experimentation, Sensing and Computing Hub (MESH) is an interdisciplinary initiative to build capacity in emerging forms of computational media, with a focus on the development of new sensing and imaging interfaces across humanities disciplines. The hub will support education and research activities, with a focus on visual methodologies in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at King’s College London. MESH equipment is currently housed in Somerset House, rollout is planned for the 2026-27 academic year.
The hub was funded through a £50,305 Research Infrastructure Fund (RIF) bid I developed through my affiliation with the Digital Futures Institute. I conceptualised the hub, drafted the case for support, and defined the equipment specification, in collaboration with my colleagues Btihaj Ajana and Steven Connor. I am also currently involved in the implementation and rollout with Virginia Elgar from the DFI.
What equipment will be available through MESH?
Through MESH, Arts & Humanities researchers can borrow and use:
- Single-board computers (Raspberry Pi and equivalents)
- Environmental and physical sensors
- Edge machine learning components
- Fabrication equipment, including 3D printing
- Professional video production tools
- A deep learning workstation
Why now?
Computing and specialist hardware have historically been underrepresented in Arts and Humanities at King’s, with infrastructure investment concentrated in STEM disciplines. MESH directly addresses this issue, making hands-on computational experimentation and rapid prototyping accessible to students and researchers in A&H. The hub directly enables project-based learning, initially in Digital Humanities, but extending to other departments in 2027-28.