CS 348C - Topics in Computer Graphics

Sensing for graphics

Create and render unusual volume datasets from digitized photographs (or video) and a buzz saw. How about slicing and photographing a tree trunk? For inspiration, look at the Visible Human project and renderings made from this data.
Morph between two light fields. First, acquire two light fields A and B, each of different objects and each consisting of many views. Then specify tie points, lines, and planes in selected views (the same views in A and B). Finally, interpolate those tie elements for the other views in each of A and B, as well for frames in a morph sequence between A and B. This would allow you to change your point of view during a morph, just as in 3D morphing (see our paper in Siggraph '95), but without the necessity for a 3D model!

Extension: Morph between two time sequences of light fields, i.e. between two light field movies.
Some researchers have reported that as few as 4 or 5 spectral basis functions will capture spectral content of most natural objects. Experimentally verify (or disprove) this claim. Tell us soon if you are interested in this project, because we'll have to buy a spectrophotometer. There are good inexpensive ones on the market.

Synthesize tilable displacement map textures (reptile scales, rock, fabric) from range data using a texture analysis / synthesis technique like Heeger (Siggraph '95).
Enhance the Haeberli "paint by numbers" method (Siggraph '90) to include 3D brush strokes, as in Fractal Design's Detailer program. Derive the brush strokes from range data, either directly or via texture analysis / synthesis.
Develop a way to tile synthesized textures across a surface of arbitrary topology such as a dense triangle mesh. We have some ideas on how to do this.

Extension: Incorporate this synthesis technique into a mesh simplification / progressive mesh refinement system, perhaps building on Hoppe (Siggraph '96).
Synthesize tilable volumetric representations of complex 3D objects from range data or volumetric data (CT, MR, photographic) using a 3D extension of a texture analysis / synthesis technique. Try synthesizing foliage from range data, or wood grain from volumetric data, as in the first project. How about clouds?
Synthesize tilable 4D light fields of 3D objects from range or volumetric data using a 4D texture analysis / synthesis technique! We have no idea if this will work.

Extension: Build a 3D / 4D modeling system. Use it to put 4D ivy on a 3D wall. Or a 4D crowd scene in a 3D plaza. The 4D objects thus become "hypersprites". This assumes that your light fields carry alpha and/or Z-depth, to support compositing.

Use our camera gantry to record an image sequence or light field of an object against two backdrops. The motion control would allow precise repetition of camera moves. The resulting registered images would allow two-color blue-screening, yielding an alpha channel for each image.
Use the responsive workbench and a video camera to do two-color blue-screening of a live subject by toggling the workbench at video rates between two backdrop colors and digitizing the resulting video sequence. Would require some frame-to-frame interpolation.
Composite live video over a light field background, or a light field over a live video background. The former requires extracting an alpha channel (matte) from the video; the latter requires computing an alpha channel for the light field. May require buying a real-time matte extraction box.

Invent a shape reconstruction algorithm that doesn't fail on corners or thin surfaces, perhaps by retaining information about surface orientation. Start with Curless's algorithm from Siggraph '96?
Implement a method for determining shape from image sequences taken under structured light. Use a slide or overhead projector to generate structured light patterns and Tomasi's factorization method to determine shape.
Push some aspect of Debevec's work human-in-the-loop, domain-specific approach to image-based modeling of architectural environments (Siggraph '96).
Extract texture and bump maps when doing mesh decimation.
Animate an object by interpolating between scanned "3D key frames", essentially claymation with automatic inbetweening. Requires some facility at sculpting.

Determine the diffuse color, specular reflectance, and roughness of a known 3D shape from digitized images under controlled illumination. Requires compensating for surface orientation, shadows, interreflections. Start with the work of Ikeuchi or from the approaches we've tried here at Stanford.
Compute a BRDF, i.e. reflectance map, from a light field by performing an inverse radiosity calculation (for diffuse surfaces) or an inverse radiance calculation (for general surfaces).
Do you have any expertise in optics? Help us design a hand-held BRDF meter by mastering our ray-tracing-based lens simulation program and experimenting with different designs.

Implement motion capture using a video camera and fiduciary marks placed on a person or object. Use LEDs or colored fluorescent dots shot under black light.

Extension: Use to track the movement of a hand-held physical tool for the responsive workbench or a hand-under-mirror VR system.