Mikael Fernström studied Electronic
Engineering and Telecommunications at the Kattegatt Technical College
in Halmstad in Sweden, graduating1975. He then worked in industry as
inventor, electronics engineer, industrial designer, manager, composer
and company director, principally in Sweden. He worked with AVAB Electronics
in Gothenburg, from 1976 to 1979 building and designing sound and light
equipment for theatres. He set up ILF Innovation and developed the
business between 1980 and 1989. During this period he developed a number
of patents for Signal processing of EMG-signals, Heat-pump control-system,
Optical Interconnects, etc. In 1989 the company was taken over. He
stayed on until 1991, when he took the opportunity to move to Ireland
to work as a freelance consultant.
From 1996 he worked as a Research Officer in the Interaction
Design Centre at the University
of Limerick, primarily on the development of Multimedia
Browsing Systems and the use of sound in human-computer interaction.
In 1998 he was awarded an M.Sc. by research by the University of Limerick
and appointed as Lecturer. Subsequently he spearheaded the development
of a new taught Masters degree
in Interactive Media at UL and was appointed
Course Director. He is one of the co-designers of the LiteFoot interactive
floor. His research interests cover Computer Science, HCI, Electronics,
Sound, Music, Multimedia, History, Archaeology and the Performing Arts.
In 1999 he was commissioned by the Irish Pavilion at EXPO2000 in Hanover,
together with Mr. Sean Taylor of the Limerick School of Art and Design,
to create Bliain Le Baisteach, a multimedia artwork, which was also sponsored
by the Art Council and Met Eireann. Between 2001 and 2003 he has been
awarded research grants for collaboration with Dr. Joe Paradiso of MIT
Media Lab to develop new interactive surfaces in conjunction with Media
Lab Europe in Dublin and an EU Future and Emerging Technologies grant
within the Disappearing Computer initiative on new object models for
sound on computers.
In 2002 he collaborated with Sean Taylor and developed musical composition
software that resulted in a multimedia work Coisir an tSionnan, performed
an recorded at ESB’s Ardnachrusha turbine hall in October 2002.
Both the Irish Chamber Orchestra, the Berlin based Brul Chor and Daghda
Dance were involved in delivering the piece.
In 2003 he collaborated with
Sean Taylor on Common Ground – and with
Michael O’Suilleabhain, ‘SIONNA’ European
Festival of World Music, Limerick.
In 2005, again with Sean Taylor, created TXTULTR, Interactive Public
Art commission with RTE Lyric FM, Limerick.
He is currently finishing his Doctoral research in Interactive Sound
Design in the context of Human-Computer Interaction.
He has been the Irish delegate in the European COST Action G6 on
Digital Audio Effects and is one of the initiators of a new European
COST action
on Control of digital audio effects from human gesture. He is a
Member of the Audio Engineering Society; Member of the International
Society
of Ecological Psychology; and Lifetime Member of the Electronic
Music Foundation.
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