Targeted at the new generation of Scottish innovators, any individual aged 45 or under, working in Scotland is eligible to compete for the award. (As ever, innovation and creativity are ageist and considered only attributes of the competitive young.)

2008 winner 3D precision moving to 4D
The 2008 award was presented to Dr Colin Urquhart, (right) CEO, Glasgow-based Dimensional Imaging Ltd, for transforming practices as diverse as burns treatment, facial surgery, orthodontics, dermatology, psychology and entertainment. The company’s DI3D technology is the first commercial application in the world that uses passive stereo photogrammetry to instantaneously capture accurate, high resolution 3D surface images.

DI3D systems are now being used around the world in facial surgery to capture photorealistic 3D models of patients before and after facial surgery. DI3D system are being used by some of the world’s largest and most prestigious video game developers to create realistic video game character models in a highly efficient manner.

Colin says: ”Last year’s award was fantastic recognition for the enormous challenges faced by my team in bringing a highly innovative Scottish technology to a worldwide market.  Scotland is an excellent place for Dimensional Imaging to be based, as it gives us access to the critical mass of world leading expertise in image processing and computer vision in Scottish universities, but it does also present some particular challenges addressing a worldwide market.

"The award has helped the company profile, and the £50,000 prize is also hugely valuable to the company, since it can be multiplied with matching private and public sector funding, an enormous help in allowing us to continue to develop our innovative products and bring them to market.

"In particular the prize will help us to develop our ground breaking 4D surface image capture technology, which is capable of capturing 3D video sequences of dynamically changing surfaces. 4D facial capture is already promising to be a highly attractive solution for high resolution facial performance capture for healthcare, entertainment and research applications.”

The RSE founded by Royal Charter, 1783  for “Advancement of Learning and Useful Knowledge” is Scotland’s National Academy of Science and Letters. It has 1500 Fellows with expertise in sciences, medicine, engineering, law, arts, technology, education, humanities, social sciences, business & industry, professions and public service. Its multi-disciplinary perspective makes it unique in UK’s learned societies.
 
The grant making Gannochy Trust was established in 1937 by whisky distiller and philanthropist Arthur Kinmond Bell and administered by The Royal Society of Edinburgh "seeking to encourage younger people to pursue careers in the fields of science, technology and research which promote Scotland’s inventiveness internationally by recognises outstanding individual achievement, contributes to the common good of Scotland" says Lord Wilson of Tillyorn, president of the RSE.
 
Application forms:
 DI3D