Graphics Interface

Graphics Interface 2005 http://www.graphicsinterface.org/ May 9-11, 2005 Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Visit Graphics Interface 2006 in Quebec City

Invited Talks

Spatial Augmented Reality

The goal of Augmented Reality (AR) is to insert computer-generated virtual objects in the real world and the challenge is in creating an illusion of consistency between the real and the virtual environments. Traditional AR approaches involve head-mounted, eye-worn or hand-held displays. But we can draw parallels between the displays techniques used for virtual reality (VR) and AR, and speculate about the alternative approaches for AR.

In this talk I will discuss new practical alternatives using spatially augmented displays. The spatially augmented reality (SAR) approach exploits video projectors, cameras, radio frequency tags such as RFID, large optical elements, holograms and tracking technologies. The underlying techniques in SAR overcome some of the annoyances of the eye-worn AR in authoring, identification and image registration. I will discuss enabling techniques and describe our experience with applications in industrial maintanance, entertainment, art, education and various forms of human computer interactions.

Bio

Ramesh Raskar joined MERL as a Research Scientist in 2000 after his doctoral research at U. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he developed a framework for projector based displays. His work spans a range of topics in computer vision and graphics including projective geometry, non-photorealistic rendering and intelligent user interfaces. Current projects include composite RFID (RFIG), multi-flash non-photorealistic camera for depth edge detection, locale-aware mobile projectors, high dynamic range video, image fusion for context enhancement and quadric transfer methods for multi-projector curved screen displays.

Dr. Raskar received the TR100 Award, Technology Review's 100 Top Young Innovators Under 35, 2004, Global Indus Technovator Award 2003, instituted at MIT to recognize the top 20 Indian technology innovators on the globe, Mitsubishi Electric Valuable Invention Award 2004 and Mitsubishi Electric Information Technology R&D Award 2003. He is a member of the ACM and IEEE. http://www.merl.com/people/raskar/raskar.html

Directions in Acquiring and Using Data from Physical Objects

Over the past ten years a lot of progress has been made in computer graphics in acquiring digital models of physical objects using various types of 3D scanners and digital cameras. I will review some of the innovations that have been made by computer graphics researchers in this area. I will also discuss some of the unique requirements that computer graphics, rather than computer vision or reverse engineering, applications have for digital models. I will present some outstanding problems that remain in meeting these requirements, and possible directions for solving them.

Bio

Holly Rushmeier is a professor of computer science at Yale University. She received the BS, MS and PhD degrees in mechanical engineering from Cornell in 1977, 1986 and 1988 respectively. Since receiving the PhD, she has held positions at the Georgia Institute of Technology, the National Institute of Standards and Technology and IBM TJ Watson Research Center. In 1990, she was selected as a US National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator. In 1996 she served as the papers chair for the ACM SIGGRAPH conference, in 2000 as co-chair of Eurographics Rendering Workshop and in 1998 2004 and 2005 as the papers co-chair for the IEEE Visualization conference. From 1996 to 1999 she was Editor-in-Chief of ACM Transactions on Graphics. Her research interests include data visualization, rendering algorithms, and 3D scanning. Her most recent work has focused on capturing both appearance and geometric properties of objects, and on applying computer graphics to issues in cultural heritage study and communication.

Design and Filling the Gap Between Ethnography and Usability in Human-Centred Design

It seems to me that somehow and someplace the “discipline” of user interface design has been hi-jacked by a number of different groups fighting for turf. For sure HCI is a multi-disciplinary activity, and each of the communities involved are essential. But in the effort to establish their relevance and importance, these same communities have too often forgotten that while important, they are not sufficient, and that in the turmoil that is being created, they are forgetting about what is most important. We are now seeing articles appearing that are warning about the danger of a schism in user-centred design (UCD) between the ethnography and usability camps. (See for example the spring issue of Interactions.) The apparent voice of reason points out that both have distinct roles: ethnography can feed design, while usability can evaluate it. All very nice as far as it goes. But what is missing is any detailed consideration of who actually does the design. There is something missing.

In this talk I want to speak to both the role and nature of design in the overall process. Along the way, I will argue a few points, including the claim that usability and ethnography are distinct from design. Relevant to design? Yes. Design? Decidedly not. I will also speak to the whole nature of iterative design, and argue why iterative and incremental software engineering practices such as extreme programming and agile software techniques are not the same as design. Again, relevant? Yes. Design? Absolutely not.

As I will show, the software industry has an abysmal record at creating new products. I will argue that the absence of anything vaguely resembling a design process is a key reason. My talk is directed at altering this situation.

Bio

Bill Buxton is an interaction designer and researcher, and Principal of the Toronto-based design and consulting firm, Buxton Design. During the spring of 2005, he is a Visiting Researcher at Microsoft Research, Cambridge, England.

Bill is one of the pioneers in computer music, and has played an important role in the development of computer-based tools for film, industrial design, graphics and animation. As a researcher, he has had a long history with Xerox’ Palo Alto Research Center and the University of Toronto (where he is still an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science, and Visiting Professor at the Knowledge Media Design Institute). As well, during the fall of 2004, he was a lecturer in the Department of Industrial Design at the Ontario College of Art and Design.

From 1994 until December 2002, he was Chief Scientist of Alias|Wavefront, and from 1995, its parent company SGI Inc. In 2001, the Hollywood Reporter named him one of the 10 most influential innovators in Hollywood. In 2002 Time Magazine named him one of the top 5 designers in Canada, and he was elected to the ACM's CHI Academy. Bill Buxton
Buxton Design