Eurographics 2006 - Conference Webpage

T8Real-time Inhabited Virtual Worlds and Interaction

Date:	Tuesday, 5th September
Time:	9:00-12:30
Location:	Tutorial Room 7 (HS 7)

Organizer: Nadia Magnenat-Thalmann, MIRALab, University of Geneva
Speakers: Nadia Magnenat-Thalmann (University of Geneva)
George Papagiannakis (University of Geneva)
Antonio Frisoli (Percro)
Massimo Bergamasco (Percro)
Abstract: This tutorial aims to provide a detailed overview of an amalgam of key technologies that are introduced nowadays in real-time virtual worlds, populated with virtual characters and deformable objects, while interacting with both of them via multimodal interfaces, including Haptics.
Summary: In this first part of the tutorial we review the latest methods for realistic modeling of large virtual worlds with respect to data acquisition, modeling, texturing as well as a state-of- the-art in real-time platforms that can handle such particular illumination models, deformable objects, haptic devices, constrained polygon count size, texture resolution limits, and large animation data etc. In the second part of the tutorial we aim to cover more in depth key technologies of real-time animation and interaction with virtual humans. In the third part we present the basic control issues when interacting with virtual worlds with haptic devices and conclude this tutorial with case studies where interactive inhabited virtual worlds are shown across a number of different application domains.

Speakers' Background

George Papagiannakis: is a research assistant at MIRALab, University of Geneva. He obtained his B.Eng. (Hons) in Computer Systems Engineering, at the University Of Manchester Institute Of Science and Technology (UMIST) and his M.Sc (Hons) in Advanced Computing, at the University of Bristol. He has actively been involved in a number of virtual heritage and MR projects such as LIFEPLUS, STAR, CAHRISMA and ERATO. His research interests are mostly confined in the areas of virtual cultural heritage as well as and 3D realistic real-time rendering, illumination models and real-time platforms.
Nadia Magnenat-Thalmann: has pioneered research into virtual humans over the last 25 years. She obtained several Bachelor's and Master's degrees in various disciplines (Psychology, Biology and Chemistry) and a PhD in Quantum Physics from the University of Geneva. From 1977 to 1989, she was a Professor at the University of Montreal and led the research lab MIRALab in Canada. She moved to the University of Geneva in 1989, where she founded the Swiss MIRALab, an internationally interdisciplinary lab composed of about 30 researchers. She is author and coauthor of a very high number of research papers and books in the field of modeling virtual humans, interacting with them and in augmented life. She has received several scientific and artistic awards for her work, mainly on the Virtual Marylin and the film RENDEZVOUS A MONTREAL. She has directed and produced several films and real-time mixed reality shows, among the latest are the UTOPIANS (2001), DREAMS OF A MANNEQUIN (2003) and THE AUGMENTED LIFE IN POMPEII (2004). She is editor-in-chief of the Visual Computer Journal published by Springer Verlag and coeditor-in-chief of the Computer Animation & Virtual Worlds journal published by John Wiley.
Massimo Bergamasco: is Associate Professor at the Experimental Science Faculty of Scuola Superiore S.Anna, Pisa, Italy and the founder and directory of the PERCRO research laboratory. Bergamascos research activity deals with the study and development of haptic interfaces for the control of the interaction between humans and Virtual Environments. In this field he is interested in the kinematics aspects of the design of haptic mechanisms. Massimo Bergamasco has been the Scientific coordinator of several National projects and of 9 EU projects, among which former coordinator of the European project Pure Form (www.pureform.org). The scientific activity of Massimo Bergamasco includes more than two hundreds scientific papers published on journals and/or international conferences proceedings. He has been the former program co-chair of the World Haptics Conference 2005. Massimo Bergamasco is presently the Coordinator of the ENACTIVE network of excellence (www.enactivenetwork.org). ENACTIVE is a European Network that aims to integrate and develop an common knowledge among scientists in Virtual Reality and Haptic Interfaces and cognitive experts in perception-action.
Antonio Frisoli: is assistant professor at Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna (SSSA), faculty of engineering, and head of the research division Virtual Reality and Telerobotic Systems (VRTS) research division of the SSSA laboratory. In 2002 he received the PhD in robotics "summa cum laude" in the area of "Teleoperation in Virtual Environments"at Scuola Superiore S. Anna - Italy, in 1998 the Diploma of Sant' Anna School of University Studies and Doctoral Research (SSSUP), Faculty of Experimental Sciences, Engineering, with full marks and in 1998 the Laurea degree summa cum laude in Mechanical Engineering, specialization in Industrial Automation and Robotics from the University of Pisa. He is currently involved in several European and national research projects. In the framework of the Enactive NoE, he is leading the working group on " Enactive Human Computer Interfaces for teaching and learning manual tasks". He has been former programe chair for the 2nd International Conference on Enactive Interfaces ENACTIVE 2005, he is currently guest editor of a special issue of the Springer Virtual Reality journal on Multisensory Interaction in Virtual Environments and served as reviewer for several robotics and computer science journals . He is currently scientific responsible for SSSA of two europen projects in the area of robotics, virtual reality and neuroscience, DECISION IN MOTION and PRESENCCIA. His research interests range in the field of Virtual Reality, Haptic Interfaces and haptic rednering, Human Computer Interaction, Theoretical Kinematics, Robots Modeling and Control of Mechanical Systems.