THE computer is about to leave its dull grey box and embed itself in everyday toys, signposts, furniture and even clothes - claim researchers at Lancaster University.

The computer boffins at Bailrigg have just won a big slice of a massive £10 million, six-year research project to discover how digital technology can transform everyday lives.

They believe developments in computer technology could radically affect the homes, schools, theatres and even streets of the future.

Prof Tom Rodden from Lancaster University's department of computing explained: "This is a huge and creative project which will uncover new uses of digital technology. At the moment everyone is saturated with lap-top computers, personal organisers and mobile phones that help us work. But what about all the other aspects of our lives?

"The future will be much more concerned with providing everyday objects with special functions, electronic signs in public places, digital toys and information appliances for the home. "Rather than consider computers solely as tools for work we will explore how digital technology can be used to support creativity and imagination and offer new experiences in people's lives. For example, we will develop new forms of display to entertain people on city streets while we also provide virtual models of London that can be experienced from inside a five sided cave."

The EPSRC research project, led by Lancaster and Nottingham Universities in partnership with six other UK institutions including the Royal College of Art, will also examine:

how to combine physical and digital cities to promote people's understanding of the world within which they live

create new forms of play, performance and entertainment

promote learning, participation and creativity

An excited researcher added: "An Internet shopper chooses an item from a web site, triggering a chain of events in the physical and digital worlds that end with a physical book being delivered to their home. Despite these ongoing developments, there are still many everyday activities where the boundary between physical environments and digital space is often over-complex and poorly designed."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.