Mathematics meets Computer Vision -- and Visual Arts

In the Oct 1-4 workshop at the Pacific Institute of Mathematics (PIMS) centre BIRS in Banff, some 40 computer scientists and mathematicians will converge from around the world to discuss mathematical methods in computer vision. However, the workshop will not be limited to discussions and mathematical reports. In a new attempt to link PIMS/BIRS math centre with with the creative visual arts at the Banff centre's New Media Institute (BNMI), workshop participants will pair up with artists, modelers and animators to explore and create artistic use for the mathematical methods.

The following has emerged as a plan to enable interaction on several levels.

We have identified talks of a more general interest to people making creative use of visual arts and technology. These have been grouped together, and a larger lecture room (Max Bell 251) has been arranged for these talks so that we can fit additional participants. Mostly this will be for BNMI people, but we have also had some questions from other Banff Centre artists who would like to be observers.

Additionally, several workshop participants will bring along hands-on demos, giving practical examples of how computer vision can be used in a variety of 3D modeling, animation and new media related applications.

Finally, as an experimental deeper level interaction we will have a handful Banffcentre 3D modelers, animators and video artists try to make creative use of new computer vision methods and software during the week. After the initial talks on the topics we will give them hands on training with the various softwares. We hope that early results from this interaction will be ready to be shown in our Wed and Thu poster sessions.

Schedule for the interaction sessions

A nicely formatted PDF announcement with pictures.

Plenary talks

Sun 7-8:30PM Max Bell 251 Applications/Banff Arts centre interaction 
Talks of interest to a wide Banff Centre audience

   Gabriel Taubin, Brown U. "The digital capture and virtual exhibit of Michelangelo's Pieta"

   Rick Szeliski, Microsoft: "Photo-tourism Exploring photo collections in 3D"
   

Mon 4 - 6PM Max Bell 251 Applications/Banff Arts centre interaction
Mainly of interest to New Media people and video producers

   Neil Birkbeck, UofA "Capture of 3D models from 2D photos using variational shape and reflectance estimation"

   Jim Rehg: Georgia Tech, "Projector-Guided Painting"

   Adrian Broadhurst, Vicon, Motion capture, the state of the art and new developments

Demos, Posters, Lab tour

Two poster and demos sessions are scheduled, but posters will be left up during the week in the rooms and hallways next to our lecture room so participants and authors can continue interacting during breaks etc. Demos will be in lockable rooms with the idea that authors can make them available on demand inbetween sessions.

Mon 7 - 9PM Max Bell 1st floor  Demos related to interaction talks

Demos:

  Noah Snaverly, U of Washington, Photo-tourism

  Adam Rachmielowski/Neil Birkbeck, U of Alberta: 3D capture from 2D photos

  Matt Flagg/Jim Rehg Georgia Tech, Projector guided painting

  Adrian Broadhurst, Vicon, Motion capture

  Geert Caenen, KU Leuven An Internet application for 3D modeling from 2D photos

  Bill Triggs, Possibly demoing Tracking human motion?

Posters: (abstracts)

  Fredrik Nyberg/Anders Heyden, Malmo 

  Sudipta Sinha/Marc Pollefeys, UNC

  Gabriel Taubin, Brown Univ

  Sudipta Sinha/Marc Pollefeys UNC, David Nister, U Kentucky

  Geert Caenen, KU Leuven

Tue 7PM - 8:30PM 

  Tour of Banff New Media institute, including their arts studios, multimedia room, 
  immersive visualization "cave" etc.

Thu 9 - 12 AM Posters

  Results of interaction: Artists/modelers will present what they produced
  by combining computer vision captured models, tracked video etc in 
  their arts projects.

  Second chance to see other posters as well.