http://www.intel-vci.uni-saarland.de/ Latest news from the Intel Visual Computing Institute (Intel VCI) which focuses on Visual Computing research, meaning the acquisition, modeling, processing, transmission and rendering and display of visual andassociated data. en http://www.intel-vci.uni-saarland.de/typo3conf/ext/tt_news/ext_icon.gif http://www.intel-vci.uni-saarland.de/ 18 16 Latest news from the Intel Visual Computing Institute (Intel VCI) which focuses on Visual Computing research, meaning the acquisition, modeling, processing, transmission and rendering and display of visual andassociated data. TYPO3 - get.content.right http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Tue, 05 Mar 2013 09:55:00 +0100 http://www.intel-vci.uni-saarland.de/en/news/pressroom/detail/hash/76b853e367339bb92fcffe4537916080/article/cebit-2013-cebit-innovation-award.html Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel und der polnische Ministerpräsident Donald Tusk haben am gestrigen Montagabend im Kongresszentrum Hannover die CeBIT 2013 eröffnet. Dieses Jahr dreht sich alles um das Thema "Shareconomy", also das Teilen von Wissen, Ressourchen, Erfahrungen und Gegenständen. hier ab Minute 21 anschauen.]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 09:55:00 +0100 http://www.intel-vci.uni-saarland.de/en/news/pressroom/detail/hash/1be53281883d62de2224d9133c30b998/article/kinohelden-werden-bald-einfacher-und-noch-realistischer-in-virtuelle-welten-versetzt.html In Hollywood wird viel Aufwand betrieben, um Monster durch echt erscheinende Umgebungen zu jagen. Forscher am Max-Planck-Institut für Informatik in Saarbrücken haben jetzt ein Verfahren entwickelt, das solche Szenen wesentlich vereinfacht. Dabei werden die Bewegungen von Schauspielern in einer echten Spielszene mit wenigen Kameras erfasst und äußerst realistisch auf virtuelle Charaktere übertragen. Dies wird nicht nur Trickfilmspezialisten die Arbeit erleichtern, sondern auch Ärzten und Sportlern bei der Bewegungsanalyse helfen. Die Technologie wird in Kürze über eine eigene Firma vermarktet und vom 5. bis 9. März auf der Computermesse Cebit in Hannover (Halle 9, Stand F 34) vorgestellt. Technischer Hintergrund Die Technik, die für das neue Verfahren eingesetzt wird, ist recht preiswert. Etwa fünf bis zwölf normale Videokameras sind notwendig. Mit Hilfe ihrer Software erstellen die Informatiker dann ein 3-D-Modell des zu erfassenden Darstellers aus einem Bewegungsskelett mit 58 Gelenken. Um die Bewegungen zu erfassen, arbeitet das Rechenverfahren kontinuierlich daraufhin, dass sich das zweidimensionale Bild aus der Videokamera und das 3-D-Modell möglichst passgenau überlagern. Die dazu notwendigen Vergleiche können die Saarbrücker auf mathematischem Wege sehr effizient und schnell lösen. Auf diese Weise erfassen sie die gefilmte Bewegung und visualisieren sie innerhalb weniger Millisekunden in den virtuellen Figuren. Informatik-Forschung auf dem Campus der Universität des Saarlandes
Das Max-Planck-Institut für Informatik ist nicht die einzige Einrichtung, die auf dem Campus der Universität des Saarlandes neue Aspekte der Informatik erforscht. Nur wenige Meter entfernt haben ebenfalls ihren Sitz: der Fachbereich Informatik der Universität des Saarlandes, das Max-Planck-Institut für Software Systeme, das Zentrum für Bioinformatik, das Center for IT-Security, Privacy and Accountability, der erneut bewilligte Exzellenzcluster „Multimodal Computing and Interaction“, das Deutsche Forschungszentrum für Künstliche Intelligenz (DFKI) und das Intel Visual Computing Institute.
Weitere Informationen: A. Elhayek, C. Stoll, N. Hasler, K. I. Kim, H.-P. Seidel, C. Theobalt
Spatio-temporal Motion Tracking with Unsynchronized Cameras
to appear in IEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition
(CVPR), Providence, USA, 2012 http://gvv.mpi-inf.mpg.de/files/old_site_files/ElhStoHasKimSeiThe12Spacetime.pdf
Online-Video unter: www.mpi-inf.mpg.de/~theobalt/sog.mp4
Weitere Fragen beantworten: Dr. Nils Hasler
Max-Planck-Institut für Informatik
Tel.: +49 681 9325 4055
E-Mail: hasler(at)mpi-inf.mpg.de Prof. Dr. Christian Theobalt
Max-Planck-Institut für Informatik
E-Mail: theobalt(at)mpii.de
Tel.: +49 681 9325-428 Gordon Bolduan
Forschungskommunikation
Cluster of Excellence „Multimodal Computing and Interaction“
E-Mail: bolduan(at)mmci.uni-saarland.de
Tel.: +49 681 302-70741
Tel. +49 511 8949-7024 (Cebit-Messestand)]]> Wed, 27 Feb 2013 16:10:00 +0100 http://www.intel-vci.uni-saarland.de/en/news/pressroom/detail/hash/dd10fead6825fdcc1f76fb441f7c5af6/article/dreidimensionale-szenen-und-charaktere-leichter-fuer-die-eigene-website-erstellen.html Um dreidimensionale Animationen auf Webseiten zu zeigen, hatten Entwickler bisher nur zwei Möglichkeiten, die beide ihre Tücken hatten. Sie konnten spezielle Software verwenden oder alles per Hand selber programmieren. Informatiker der Universität des Saarlandes haben nun eine Beschreibungssprache entwickelt, mit der man individuelle 3D-Animationen leichter erstellen und im Webbrowser dann flüssig abspielen kann. Ihre Ergebnisse zeigen die Wissenschaftler vom 5. bis 9. März am saarländischen Forschungsstand auf der Computermesse Cebit in Hannover (Halle 9, Stand F34). Informatik-Forschung auf dem Campus der Universität des Saarlandes Das DFKI und das IVCI sind nicht die einzigen Einrichtungen, die neben der Fachrichtung Informatik auf dem Campus der Universität des Saarlandes neue Aspekte der Informatik erforschen. Nur wenige Meter entfernt haben ebenfalls ihren Sitz: das Max-Planck-Institut für Informatik, das Max-Planck-Institut für Softwaresysteme, das Zentrum für Bioinformatik, das Center for IT-Security, Privacy and Accountability (CISPA) und der erneut bewilligte Exzellenzcluster „Multimodal Computing and Interaction“.
Animation „Wellen“:
http://xml3d.github.com/xml3d-examples/examples/xflowWave/xflow-wave.xhtml
Fragen beantworten:
Prof. Dr. Philipp Slusallek
Tel. +49 681 85775-5377 oder 302-3830
E-Mail: slusallek(at)cs.uni-sb.de
Redaktion:
Gordon Bolduan
Wissenschaftskommunikation
Exzellenzcluster „Multimodal Computing and Interaction”
Tel: +49 681 302-70741
Cebit-Stand: +49 511 89497024
E-Mail: bolduan(at)mmci.uni-saarland.de Der saarländische Forschungsstand (Halle 9, Stand F34) wird von der Kontaktstelle für Wissens- und Technologietransfer der Universität des Saarlandes (KWT) betreut. Sie ist zentraler Ansprechpartner für Unternehmen und initiiert unter anderem Kooperationen mit Saarbrücker Forschern. Seit kurzem ist die Universität des Saarlandes auch „Gründerhochschule“ und wird dabei vom Bundeswirtschaftsministerium gefördert.]]> Wed, 27 Feb 2013 15:22:00 +0100 http://www.intel-vci.uni-saarland.de/en/news/pressroom/detail/hash/db9592381a223f63c8374ddbbdef2236/article/display-as-a-service-ein-bild-sagt-mehr-auf-1000-displays.html Pixeltransport ohne Videokabel, ohne Grenzen und ohne Verzerrung. DaaS – Display as a Service - verwandelt eine unbegrenzte Anzahl von Einzelmonitoren in eine gigantische Bildschirmwand, in ein virtuelles Display. Kontakt
Alexander Löffler
Principal Investigator DaaS
E-Mail: loeffler(at)intel-vci.uni-saarland.de
Tel.: +49 681 85775 7743
Stand-Koordinaten
CeBIT 2013, Halle 9, Stand E50
Pressekontakt auf der CeBIT 2013
Heike Leonhard, DFKI
Tel. +49 174 3076888
Email: Heike.Leonhard@dfki.de (www.dfki.de)]]> Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:55:00 +0100 http://www.intel-vci.uni-saarland.de/en/news/pressroom/detail/hash/51fcb36a8c5ec85f18475111bdf29b14/article/xflow-deklarative-datenverarbeitung-fuer-das-3d-internet.html Neueste Web-Technologien ermöglichen interaktive 3D-Anwendungen direkt im Browser. Kontakt
Prof. Dr. Philipp Slusallek
Director of Research
E-Mail: slusallek(at)intel-vci.uni-saarland.de
Tel.: +49 681 85775 5377
Stand-Koordinaten
CeBIT 2013, Halle 9, Stand F34
Pressekontakt auf der CeBIT 2013
Heike Leonhard, DFKI
Tel. +49 174 3076888
Email: Heike.Leonhard@dfki.de (www.dfki.de) ]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 09:28:00 +0100 http://www.intel-vci.uni-saarland.de/en/news/pressroom/detail/hash/4b8747bacaba04921d18d80f6f7e29ff/article/professor-wolfgang-wahlster-erhaelt-internationale-auszeichnung.html Professor Wolfgang Wahlster, Governance Board member of the Intel Visual Computing Institute, CEO and Scientific Director of the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) and Professor at the Saarland University, received the "Donald E. Walker Distinguished Service Award". Wed, 20 Feb 2013 11:32:00 +0100 http://www.intel-vci.uni-saarland.de/en/news/pressroom/detail/hash/788758b5c314a66e111d3b2dc0980931/article/manuel-gorius-received-the-intel-doctoral-student-honor-award.html Intel Doctoral Student Honor Awards go to Sven Gehring and Manuel Gorius. Manuel Gorius is working on the ITC3D-project and Sven Gehring is a student at Saarland University. About Intel Doctoral Student Honor Award The Intel Doctoral Student Honor Programme is administered through the University Programs Office. The goal of the program is to advance innovation in key areas of technology, as well as develop a pipeline of world-class technical talent for Intel's future workforce and the global knowledge-based economy. To achieve this goal, Intel collaborates with strategic research universities worldwide to expand university curricula, engage in focused research, sponsor innovation competitions, and encourage student participation in research through their education. The Intel Doctoral Student Honor Programme awards fellowships to exceptional PhD candidates pursuing leading-edge innovation in fields related to Intel's business and research interests in the European Union, Switzerland and Russia. This is a prestigious and highly competitive program with a limited number of fellowships awarded annually. Selected students receiving this award are recognized as being amongst the best in their specific areas of research. ]]> Tue, 09 Oct 2012 10:57:00 +0200 http://www.intel-vci.uni-saarland.de/en/news/pressroom/detail/hash/a43ef0cc3f875a86d3a276326db2bfe9/article/deutscher-mustererkennungspreis-an-saarbruecker-forscher.html The German Association for Pattern Recognition (DAGM) awarded Christian Theobalt from the Max Planck Institute for Informatics the “Deutsche Mustererkennungspreis 2012”. About the award The Deutsche Mustererkennungspreis 2012 for outstanding contributions in the field of computer vision and pattern recognition by a young scientist will be awarded at DAGM-OAGM 2012. The Deutsche Mustererkennungspreis is sponsored by Daimler AG and carries a cash award of 5.000 Euros. read more...]]> Fri, 31 Aug 2012 11:43:00 +0200 http://www.intel-vci.uni-saarland.de/en/news/pressroom/detail/hash/39e38ecf18424a8ff74e5f3652c72b57/article/mit-regulaeren-videokameras-die-bewegungen-von-schauspielern-und-sportlern-in-echtzeit-erfassen.html Within milliseconds, and just with the help of mathematics, computing power and conventional video cameras, computer scientists at the Max-Planck-Institute for Informatics in Saarbrücken can automatically capture the movements of several people. The new approach helps not only animation specialists in Hollywood movies but also medical scientists and athletes.
While movies like “Pirates of the Caribbean” or “Ted” still combined real actors with digital counterparts, the well-known director Steven Spielberg focused entirely on virtual actors in “The Adventures of Tintin.” He used the so-called motion capture approach, which also animated Ted. Motion capture means that an actor wears a suit with special markers attached. These reflect infrared light sent and received by a camera system installed in a studio. In this way, the system captures the movements of the actor. Specialists use this as input to transfer exactly the same movements to the virtual character.

“The real actors dislike wearing these suits, as they constrain their movements,” explains Christian Theobalt, professor of computer science at Saarland University and head of the research group “Graphics, Vision & Video” at the Max-Planck-Institute for Informatics (MPI). Theobalt points out that this has not changed since animating “Gollum” in the trilogy “Lord of the Rings.” Hence, together with his MPI-colleagues Nils Hasler, Carsten Stoll and Jürgen Gall of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Theobalt developed a new approach that both works without markers and captures motions in realtime. “The part which is scientifically new is the way in which we represent and compute the filmed scene. It enables new speed in capturing and visualizing the movements with normal video cameras,” Theobalt explains.

Implemented, it looks like this: The video cameras record a researcher turning cartwheels. The computer gets the camera footage as input and computes the skeleton motion of the actor so quickly that you cannot perceive any delay between the movement and its overlay, a red skeleton. According to Theobalt, the new computing approach also works if the movements of several persons have to be captured, or if they are obscured by objects in the studio and against a noisy background.

“Therefore we are convinced that our approach even enables motion capture outdoors, for example in the Olympic stadium,” Theobalt points out. Athletes could use it to run faster, to jump higher or to throw the spear farther. Spectators in the stadium or in front of the TV could use the technology to tell the difference between first and second place. Besides entertainment, medical science could also benefit from the new approach, for example by helping doctors to check healing after operations on joints.

In the next months his MPI colleagues Nils Hasler and Carsten Stoll will found a company to transform the software prototype into a real product. “They’ve already had some meetings with representatives sent by companies in Hollywood,” Theobalt says.

Technical background
The new approach requires technology which is quite cheap. You need no special cameras, but their recording has to be synchronized. According to the MPI researcher, five cameras are enough that the approach works. But they used twelve cameras for the published results. The way they present the scene to the computer and let it compute makes the difference. Hence, they built a three-dimensional model of the actor whose motions should be captured. The result is a motion skeleton with 58 joints. They model the proportions of the body as so-called sums of three dimensional Gaussians, whose visualisation looks like a ball. The radius of the ball varies according to the dimensions of the real person. The resulting three-dimensional model resembles the mascot of a famous tire manufacturer.

The images of the video cameras are presented as two-dimensional Gaussians that cover image blobs that are consistent in color.
To capture the person’s movement, the software continuously computes the best way that the 2D and 3D Gaussians can overlay each other while fitting accurately. The Saarbrücken computer scientists are able to compute these model-to-image similarities in a very efficient way. Therefore, they can capture the filmed motion and visualize it in real-time. All they need is just a few cameras, some computing power and mathematics.

Computer Science on the Saarland University Campus
Apart from the Saarland University chair in computer science and Max Planck Institute for Informatics, there are several other research institutes exploring new information technologies and their impact on society. The German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), the Max Planck Institute for Software Systems, the Center for Bioinformatics, the Intel Visual Computing Institute, Center for IT-Security, Privacy and Accountability, and the Cluster of Excellence on “Multimodal Computing and Interaction” can also be found there.

More Information:
Carsten Stoll, Nils Hasler, Juergen Gall, Hans-Peter Seidel, Christian Theobalt,
Fast Articulated Motion Tracking using a Sums of Gaussians Body Model
http://www.mpi-inf.mpg.de/~theobalt/sog.pdf

Video online
www.mpi-inf.mpg.de/~theobalt/sog.mp4]]> Fri, 31 Aug 2012 10:57:00 +0200 http://www.intel-vci.uni-saarland.de/en/news/pressroom/detail/hash/cca7c77c8ebebd2492adec7631127407/article/german-computer-scientists-join-forces-to-make-interactive-3d-graphics-part-of-the-world-wide-web.html Interactive 3D graphics are not available on the World Wide Web even though almost all PCs as well as mobile and embedded devices already contain high-performance 3D graphics hardware to process it. Now, computer scientists from the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence and Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research are joining forces to change that. Together, they are working to describe computer scenes in spatial detail directly within the websites’ code.
"By identifying a small core of essential building blocks from the existing prototypes and scene-graph standards for a interactive three-dimensional experience on the Web, we have made it as simple as possible for browser vendors to include the new technology but still offer Web developers the full flexibility for designing fully dynamic and interactive 3D Web experiences," says Johannes Behr, head of the Competence Center for Visual Computing System Technologies at Fraunhofer IGD and leader of the X3DOM development team. The proposed declarative extension to HTML offers a high-level approach for Web developers, extending the low-level procedural approach to talk to graphics hardware now offered by WebGL. "Instead of requiring Web developers to become WebGL experts or learn new APIs, we are adding advanced graphics capabilities to HTML, allowing Web developers to reuse their existing skills and directly apply the Web technology they use on a daily basis," explains Kristian Sons, head of the XML3D research group at DFKI/VCI.

At least two implementations will be made available: For the short term a JavaScript implementation using WebGL for rendering will allow developers to get started immediately, while a native implementation integrated within the browser will offer optimal performance and full functionality.

The two institutes originally each had their own proposals, namely X3DOM and XML3D, but recently joined forces to define a common standard. The two groups distilled their technologies into the essential components needed for bringing interactive and highly dynamic 3D graphics to the declarative world of HTML. "Our two proposals were essential in order to gain experience and evaluate a number of different approaches," says Yvonne Jung, senior researcher and core developer for X3DOM at Fraunhofer IGD. This joint research was supported by the German Software-Cluster initiative and the Intel Visual Computing Institute at Saarland University.

The joint proposal will be officially presented at the SIGGRAPH 2012 and Web3D conferences this week in Los Angeles. A more detailed specification is scheduled to be presented to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) at its yearly Technical Plenary / Advisory Committee meeting (TPAC) in early November and will be offered to the W3C Community Group on "Declarative 3D for the Web" for further discussions and potential standardization. Informationsdienst Wissenschaft ]]> Mon, 06 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0200