Invited Talks

The Continuing Evolution of Reflection and Scattering in Graphics
Steve Marschner
Cornell University, USA

Abstract: Graphics has used models of surface reflection since the first shaded images. Over the years, reflection models have gained sophistication, steadily increasing the range of materials we can model well. But whenever it begins to seem like reflectance is solved, we uncover some formerly disregarded aspect of reflection that turns out to be more relevant than anyone thought. Some examples include the shift to physically plausible models, the reexamination of Lambertian reflection, and the surprising importance of translucency. In this talk I will discuss the models that have changed how we think about reflection, and what materials each can be expected to describe. I will end with some speculations about what our next realization about materials will be.

Speaker: Steve Marschner is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Cornell University. He received his Sc.B. in Mathematics and Computer Science from Brown University in 1993 and his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Cornell in 1998, then held research positions at Hewlett- Packard Laboratories, Microsoft Research, and Stanford University before joining the Cornell faculty in 2002. He is the recipient of a 2003 Technical Achievement Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, an NSF CAREER award in 2004, and an Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship in 2006.
 

Space for Visualization
Kwan-Liu Ma
University of California-Davis, USA

Abstract: In the process of data visualization, one key step is to choose a convenient space to manipulate and see the data. A change into the right space often makes relationships clearer, leading to correct interpretations and possibly new discoveries. I will present several case studies demonstrating that being in the right space leads to more effective visualization for computer security, scientific simulations, volume data classification, understanding large-scale software development, etc.

Speaker: Kwan-Liu Ma is a professor of computer science at the University of California-Davis. He leads the VIDI (Visualization and Interface Design Innovation) research group, and directs the U.S. Department of Energy's SciDAC Institute for Ultra-Scale Visualization. His research spans the fields of visualization, high-performance computing, and user interface design. Professor Ma received his PhD in computer science from the University of Utah in 1993. During 1993-1999, he was with ICASE/NASA LaRC as a research scientist. In 1999, he joined UC Davis. In the following year, Professor Ma received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) for his work in large data visualization. He also received research awards from the Schlumberger Foundation, HP Labs, and College of Engineering at UC Davis. Professor Ma actively serves the research community by playing leading roles in the organization of technical meetings on visualization for cyber security, large-scale data visualization, and parallel visualization. He was the founder of the IEEE Pacific Visualization Symposium. He is a paper chair of the IEEE Visualization Conference in 2008 and 2009. Professor Ma also serves on the editorial boards of the IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications and the IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Graphics.
 

Title: Unlocking Mobile Visual Computing - The Khronos API Ecosystem
Neil Trevett
The Khronos Group / NVIDIA

Abstract: The Khronos Group is an international standards organization evolving a royalty-free ecosystem of open-standard, visual acceleration APIs - including OpenGL ES, OpenMAX IL, OpenKODE and OpenCL - enabling sophisticated user interfaces, visual computing, rich Internet and gaming applications on mobile and embedded devices with portability across multiple platforms. This presentation will provide a strategic overview of the role of the Khronos Group, the standards being developed, and how they enable innovation in mobile visual applications. It will include cutting edge mobile graphics demonstrations and will provide one of the first opportunities for the mobile development community to gain an insight into the new OpenCL standard for heterogeneous parallel computing

Speaker: Neil Trevett has spent over twenty five years in the 3D graphics industry and is responsible at NVIDIA for enabling and encouraging compelling applications on mobile devices and Smartbooks. Previously, as Vice President of 3Dlabs, Neil was at the forefront of the silicon revolution bringing interactive 3D to the PC. Mr. Trevett is currently the elected President of the Khronos Group where he initiated the OpenGL ES and OpenKODE working groups and chairs the OpenCL and EGL working groups that are defining industry standards for advanced compute, graphics and media processing on a wide range of mobile, embedded and desktop systems.