[talks] Kavita Bala talk

[Tom Funkhouser]

*Speaker:
Kavita Bala, Cornell University

Title:
Perceptually-based scalable graphics

Abstract:
Simulating the appearance of complex scenes faithfully and efficiently 
is a challenge in graphics. My research develops algorithms that scale 
to complex illumination and scenes, by exploiting limitations in human 
perception. In this talk I will describe two complementary research 
goals. First, we need to understand image fidelity: when is a rendered 
image good enough? We introduce a new appearance-based measure of image 
fidelity called visual equivalence[SIG07,SIG08] that goes beyond pixel 
accuracy to better capture what graphics practitioners care about: 
preserving appearance in complex scenes.

Second, we design perceptually-based algorithms that scale to complex 
scenes and complex illumination effects, like motion blur, 
depth-of-field, participating media, and subsurface scattering. I will 
describe our work on lightcuts for scalable final rendering 
[SIG05,SIG06,EG08] and matrix row-column sampling for lighting preview 
[SIG07,EGSR08]. These approaches are complementary in performance and 
can be applied across a range of applications such as cinematic 
relighting, production rendering, games, cultural heritage, and 
ecommerce, among others.

Bio:
Kavita Bala is an Assistant Professor in the Computer Science Department 
and Program of Computer Graphics at Cornell University. She received her 
S.M. and Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and 
her B.Tech. from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT, Bombay). Bala 
specializes in computer graphics, leading research projects in scalable 
rendering, perceptually-based rendering, interactive global 
illumination, and image-based modeling and texturing. She has 
co-authored the graduate-level textbook "Advanced Global Illumination" 
(A K Peters publisher, second edition). In 2005 she co-chaired the 
Eurographics Symposium on Rendering (EGSR). Bala has received the NSF 
CAREER award, Cornell's College of Engineering James and Mary Tien 
Excellence in Teaching Award, and Cornell's Affinito-Stewart award.

**Time/Place:
Monday, September 22, 2008
12:00 - 1:30PM, CS 402 (PIXL Lunch)

*

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