Computational Fabrication Group (CFG)

The research centers on digital manufacturing, 3D printing and computer graphics, as well as computational photography and displays, and virtual humans and robotics.

To design mathematical models that accurately represent and predict physical properties of real world materials, we construct acquisition devices to measure properties of real world materials and then derive accurate data-driven models from these measurements. The main challenge in computational photography is how to combine the hardware, algorithms, and representations for images and video. We have been developing application-specific systems that demonstrate exceptional capabilities by blending custom hardware and novel algorithms. In particular, we have been working on three-dimensional TV, which we expect to be a significant next step in digital communications. In creating realistic virtual humans we have developed algorithms for computing image-based and polyhedral visual hulls to capture human shape and appearance in real-time. We have improved these systems by using high-quality templates or multi-view normal maps. In order to capture motions outside of a special studio, we have designed wearable systems that combine miniature ultrasonic and inertial sensors.