US-India Cooperative Research: Interrogative Synthetic Environments

University Of Texas At Austin, Austin TX

Investigators

Abstract

9987409 Bajaj Description: This award supports the US-India Cooperative Research: Interrogative Synthetic Environments. US PI Chandrajit Bajaj, University of Texas at Austin and Indian collaborator, Sanjiv Kapoor, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi will conduct research to develop new algorithms, data structures, and interaction protocols to support the creation, visualization, querying and shared interaction with large synthetic environments. Research challenges include: accurate creation of a geometric description of the elements that form the 3D scene; visualization of the large amount of constantly changing geometric and physical information; support of fast queries for quantitative interrogation of the environment, and simulation of realistic physical behavior; and allowance of distributed access to multiple users. The investigators will begin experiments with collaborative interrogation scenarios that allow users to walk through the human body, examine the details of the anatomy, and query quantitative information. The final product of the research will be a working prototype, not simply a concept or design. Scope: Synthetic environments are useful for a range of applications, such as training, education, mission planning, visual exploration of complex data, computer-assisted surgery, drug design, drug screening, and virtual prototyping for manufacturing. In most applications, the ability to interrogate in real time a large simulated three-dimensional environment is crucial to the achievement of a sufficient level of realism. The IIT research team brings expertise in Image Processing, Computer Graphics and Computational Geometry, which are essential for the success of this joint project. The principal researchers will lecture to graduates/undergraduates in their areas of expertise when visiting each other's institutions.