Physics, Simulation, and Computer Animation

Professor Adam W. Bargteil
University of Utah

12:00-1:00 Monday, 9 March 2015, ITE325b

Physics-based Computer Animation has revolutionized the world of special effects. I will talk about several success stories including my academy award winning work on fracture, particle skinning, and large-scale splashing liquids. I will also talk about moving beyond cinematic special effects to create tools for artistic authoring of interactive animations and enabling visually predictive simulations that promise to revolutionize industrial design.

Adam W. Bargteil is an assistant professor at the University of Utah. His primary research interests lie in the area of physics-based animation. He earned his Ph.D. in computer science from the University of California, Berkeley and spent two years as a post-doctoral fellow in the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University. From 2005 to 2007, he was a consultant at PDI/DreamWorks, developing fluid simulation tools that were used in “Shrek the Third” and “Bee Movie.”

CSEE Ph.D. student Kavita Krishnaswamy was featured in a recent CNN story, Will robots help the bedridden see the world?. She has been getting a lot of visibility in the last few months via a collaboration with Suitable Technologies, a Palo Alto based company that makes ‘telepresence robots’. They loaned the department one of their high-end Beam systems last Fall to use in our robotics related research, lead by professors Tim Oates and Cynthia Matuszek, and have been inviting Kavita to use their systems in various ways.

For example she presented her dissertation proposal in December via Beam, participated in a panel at the Consumer Electronics Show show in January, has been visiting museums via Beam this month, helped lead a debate on the ethics of brain-computer interfaces this past Monday, and will take part in in a SWSX panel in March.

Here is an excerpt from the CNN story:

“A PhD candidate at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Krishnaswamy has spinal muscular atrophy and requires assistance 24 hours a day. She was able to make the museum trips using a Beam telepresence robot — a remotely controlled 16-inch screen mounted five feet above motorized wheels.
…
“I really enjoy the autonomy. It allows me to focus in on the things I want to see,” said Krishnaswamy. “And it’s not controlled by somebody else. I really like being independent.”

Since her first experience using a Beam to attend a computing conference in Seattle, Krishnaswamy says her life has changed drastically. She has more confidence and her calendar is suddenly filled. In a single day this week, she will take part in a debate on her campus, drop in on the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, and be in Washington D.C. for the Human Robot Interaction conference.

Krishnaswamy has never had the ability to stand. The Beam puts her at eye-level and gives her a new perspective on the world, she says.”

The MITRE Human Language Technology department is looking to add a talented intern to work on a research project aimed at developing automated methods for detecting dropped pronouns in informal Chinese text. The intern will contribute to the development and evaluation of algorithms and documentation of results in a technical report. Depending upon results, the report will be submitted to a peer-reviewed scientific publication.

Start: April – mid-June (flexible)

Duration: 8-10 weeks

Location: Annapolis Junction MD preferred, McLean VA/Bedford MA possible

For more information, see here.

The MITRE Human Language Technology department is looking to add a talented intern to work on a research project aimed at developing automated methods for detecting dropped pronouns in informal Chinese text. The intern will contribute to the development and evaluation of algorithms and documentation of results in a technical report. Depending upon results, the report will be submitted to a peer-reviewed scientific publication.

Start: April – mid-June (flexible)

Duration: 8-10 weeks

Location: Annapolis Junction MD preferred, McLean VA/Bedford MA possible

For more information, see here.

The College Qualified Leaders (CQL) program offers interested students (undergraduates and graduates) the opportunity to spend the summer working on research in a Department of Defense laboratory. These are paid internships.

The Multilingual Computing Branch (MLCB) at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL), based in Adelphi, Maryland is looking for talented computer science and engineering interns this summer. Interns will work closely with ARL researchers on current projects to develop cutting-edge natural language processing and machine learning software. The MLCB has several ongoing projects in computational linguistics/natural language processing, including active projects in machine translation, human-robot communication, and social media analysis.

Interested applicants should have a strong academic record and be willing to take the initiative on projects.

Proficiency in Java, C++, Python, Scala, or similar languages is desired. Proficiency in natural language processing, speech processing, machine learning, or pattern recognition is a plus. Proficiency in multiple natural languages is a plus. Two references are required. Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.

The CQL program is not restricted to the summer months and, thus, it may be possible for the intern to continue working with ARL during the school year.

Interested students should apply via the following URL: http://www.usaeop.com/programs/apprenticeships/cql/

It is strongly recommended that interested students apply soon, as the window of opportunity for researchers to select summer interns is rapidly closing.

For more information about ARL, please visit http://www.arl.army.mil

Note that additional CQL positions may also be available for students in other disciplines and/or at other locations (e.g., Aberdeen Proving Ground).

The College Qualified Leaders (CQL) program offers interested students (undergraduates and graduates) the opportunity to spend the summer working on research in a Department of Defense laboratory. These are paid internships.

The Multilingual Computing Branch (MLCB) at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL), based in Adelphi, Maryland is looking for talented computer science and engineering interns this summer. Interns will work closely with ARL researchers on current projects to develop cutting-edge natural language processing and machine learning software. The MLCB has several ongoing projects in computational linguistics/natural language processing, including active projects in machine translation, human-robot communication, and social media analysis.

Interested applicants should have a strong academic record and be willing to take the initiative on projects.

Proficiency in Java, C++, Python, Scala, or similar languages is desired. Proficiency in natural language processing, speech processing, machine learning, or pattern recognition is a plus. Proficiency in multiple natural languages is a plus. Two references are required. Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.

The CQL program is not restricted to the summer months and, thus, it may be possible for the intern to continue working with ARL during the school year.

Interested students should apply via the following URL: http://www.usaeop.com/programs/apprenticeships/cql/

It is strongly recommended that interested students apply soon, as the window of opportunity for researchers to select summer interns is rapidly closing.

For more information about ARL, please visit http://www.arl.army.mil

Note that additional CQL positions may also be available for students in other disciplines and/or at other locations (e.g., Aberdeen Proving Ground).