Dr John McCarthy Research Fellow

Research

John has a thorough grounding in low-level vision, attention processes and learning mechanisms in addition to considerable experience in research methods and statistics. This knowledge is now being applied to examine image compression algorithms for streaming multimedia content over packet networks. By adopting a model of human attention to pick out salient aspects in an image - significant reductions can be made in the information that needs to transmitted and compressed.

Background

John gained his doctorate at UCL in 1996 examining low-level visual attention mechanisms in the human brain. He then worked for 4 years as a post-doc research fellow with the Centre for Economic Learning and Social Evolution (ELSE) investigating learning and social interaction through multiplayer computer games. While working with ELSE he was on the team that designed and tested the UK 3G auction - that raised 22.5Bn for the UK government.