Prof. Wojciech Matusik

Professor Matusik's primary research is in the field of computer graphics and interactive methods. Focus is on four areas that push the boundaries of traditional computer graphics: (1) data-driven representations for materials, (2) computational design and fabrication, (3) virtual humans, and (4) computational photography and displays.

Data-driven representations for materials. Designing mathematical models that accurately represent and predict physical properties of real world materials is a central component in computer graphics as well as mechanical engineering and materials science. The problem is challenging because real world materials exhibit extraordinary variety and complexity. Matusik hasapproached this problem by constructing acquisition devices to measure properties of real world materials and then deriving accurate data-driven models from these measurements. In particular, Matusik has developed data-driven representations for texture, reflectance, spatially-varying reflectance, time-varying reflectance, subsurface scattering, and elastic material behavior.

Computational design and fabrication. Future manufacturing will be driven by flexible robotic assembly lines composed of many different automated machines. This will allow us to manufacture objects that are highly custom and complex. From the hardware perspective these flexible new factories are possible even today. For example, 3D printers allow manufacturing objects with highly complex geometries and using different classes of materials (e.g., metals, plastics, ceramics). Matusik's research focuses on computational design and fabrication that aims to set the foundations on how to develop the next manufacturing workflows and systems. Matusik brings a strong computational perspective on how these workflows should be shaped. Computational design and fabrication deals with all computational abstractions and processes that are necessary to specify an object, convert these specifications to a concrete design, and then translate the design into a set of instructions that need to be executed on fabrication machines to build a complete physical realization of the design. Matusik draws inspiration on how to define these workflows from decades of research and implementation in computer hardware, systems, and languages. In particular, my research has been centered on the following areas: (1) domain specific languages and compilers for fabrication, (2) efficient and accurate simulation for fabrication, (3) interactive design methods for fabrication, (4) inverse problems in computational design, 5) computational discovery of optimal designs, and 6) intelligent manufacturing machines.

Virtual humans. One of the most difficult computer graphics challenges is creating digital humans that are indistinguishable from real ones. This process has applications in movies, games, medicine, cosmetics, computer vision, biometrics, and virtual reality. The problem is challenging because we are incredibly sensitive to the subtleties of human appearance and motion. In order to solve the problem, Matusik has applied data-driven methods to capture and analyze human appearance, shape, motion, and contact with external forces. All these components are essential for creating realistic virtual humans. First, he has developed algorithms for computing image-based and polyhedral visual hulls to capture human shape and appearance in real-time. Matusik has improved these systems by using high-quality templates or multi-view normal maps. In order to capture motions outside of a special studio, he has designed wearable systems that combine miniature ultrasonic and inertial sensors. In parallel to investigating full-body capture methods, He has explored methods for face acquisition. Matusik has made key contributions in this area by developing representations for face appearance, face geometry, hair, and motion.

Computational photography and displays. The emerging field of computational photography and display adds general computation capabilities and generalized optics to digital cameras and displays in order to obtain a superior imaging, viewing, and interaction. The main challenge is how to combine the hardware, the associated algorithms, and representations for images and video. Matusik has developed several application-specific systems that demonstrate exceptional capabilities by blending custom hardware and novel algorithms. In particular, Matusik has worked on three-dimensional TV, which has a significant potential impact and is expected to be the next big step in digital communications. He has proposed the first complete 3D TV system that allows for scalable real-time acquisition, transmission, and 3D display of dynamic scenes. Matusik has worked on the fundamental algorithms for 3D TV Ð antialiasing, stereoscopic perception, and multi-view expansion. In the field of computational photography, Matusik has designed imaging systems and associated algorithms for completely automated scene segmentation (e.g., alpha matting) and systems for changing aperture and focus in post-production.


(summary updated 2019)