Dr. Francisco Bernardo

Biography

I’m a Research Associate in Digital Musical Instrument Design at the Augmented Instruments Lab within the Dyson School of Design Engineering. My research focuses on advancing digital musical instruments, critical design, posthumanist theories, multi-sensory embedded systems, and machine learning. Previously, I served as a Research Fellow at the Multi-Sensory-Devices Lab at University College London, where I worked on computational design optimization, acoustic metamaterials, ultrasonic phased arrays, and next-generation mid-air haptic interfaces. I also contributed to the Experimental Music Technologies Lab at the University of Sussex, focusing on the design and development of web-based live coding environments that integrate language processing, audio signal processing, and machine learning workflows for novel accessible methods of interaction. My academic journey includes a PhD in Computer Science from Goldsmiths, University of London, an M.A. in Management of Creative Industries from Portuguese Catholic University, and Licenciatura in Computer Science Systems Engineering, along with an MSc in Mobile Systems from the University of Minho. With over 10 years of experience in applied research and development, I have worked on large-scale publicly funded projects, collaborating with industry leaders such as Meta Reality Labs, Sony R&D, and Google ATAP, alongside creative startups and scale-ups. Before transitioning to academia, I spent 7 years as a software architect and engineer in the industry, developing digital signage and business intelligence solutions.

Research Interests