CISE Postdoctoral: Modeling and Measuring the Appearance of Materials for Computer Graphics (ECS Associate)

Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Abstract

Photorealistic image synthesis is one of the most fundamental problems in computer graphics, with a wide variety of applications. In recent years, tremendous progress has been made in the simulation of light transport and the resulting lighting effects. Unfortunately, the underlying material models are, by comparison, primitive and assume that the materials are both pristine and immutable, even though real materials are neither. This severely limits the range of appearances that can be produced. This research program will focus on the development of computer graphics models for materials, which will be suitable for the requirements of image synthesis. During the award period, the research will address two key aspects of this problem: (1) Taxonomy of materials: a study of a wide variety of materials will be conducted in order to devise a classification of materials that is appropriate for computer graphics. (2) A measurement device: a portable device for measuring surface appearance properties in the field will be designed, simulated, and eventually constructed. The research program will be integrated with a training plan that will afford the postdoctoral associate a variety of opportunities for professional development.