Pixar’s Research Lead, Tony DeRose, was once asked “What advice would you give someone who wanted to use maths to make movies?”. He responded, “Learn as much mathematics as you can, particularly applied maths. The areas of mathematics we use most heavily today are Euclidean and affine geometry, trigonometry, linear algebra, calculus, and numerical analysis. We don’t really know what the mathematical tools of tomorrow might be, so we’re counting on the next generation of employees to tell us.” (see the TED-Ed interview)

Insight specializes in the areas of mathematics behind post-production and computer game development. Mark gained this expertise through his PhD in Mathematics and over 20 years of experience in the field of medical imaging analysis. Insight actively works in mathematical modelling in science and engineering (see Insights in Engineering Data). Amongst other projects in 2024 we started a research project (with academic collaborators) exploring the impact of head injury where we used image segmentation to extract the shape of the brain from medical imaging data, built a Finite Element Model using the shape of the brain and the material properties of the brain, and then explored the forces experienced throughout the brain as a result of head injury. In 2025 we also started a research project using similar techniques to explore wave formation in the Gold Coast Seaway.

Techniques we use regularly include:

• Image registration - used to align images taken from different scans (different patients, or repeated scans on the same patient)

• Image segmentation - classifying the tissue type present in each voxel within a medical image (using clustering methods such as k-means clustering, and linkage algorithms)

• Image reconstruction - uses signal processing techniques to convert spatio-temporal data into separate signals representing physiological parameters of interest (such as diffusion and perfusion) and different noise components (such as cardiac and breathing components, equipment artifacts, and Gaussian noise)

• Finite Element Models - these models fit a triangular mesh to the shape of anatomical regions of interest, and then use a set of differential equations representing different laws of physics to determine how that mesh changes over time.

• Linear algebra - matrix operations describing the manipulation of a linear set of equations

• Statistics - from simple methods such as regression and factor analysis, to advanced methods such as structural equation modelling

• Geographical Information Systems - where datasets are characterized by two, three, or four dimensions (representing 2D space, 3D space - 2D space and elevation, 3D space plus changes over time). Data is either stored in a raster format (like a TV or computer screen) or a vector format (points, lines, and polygons). GIS is used not in medical imaging, but in the analysis of data from survey questionnaires.

We also provide training in these areas of mathematical modelling.

Our staff are members of the Australian Academy of Cinema Television Arts (AACTA). Insight is a member of Experience Gold Coast and the Queensland Tourism Industry Council. Another Division of Insight actively works in mathematical modelling for scientific and engineering applications (Insights in Engineering Data).