What important activities took place on the fourth and final day of SIGGRAPH Asia 2023? At the end of the day, this annual event came to a successful conclusion. Fox Renderfarm, one of the sponsors of SIGGRAPH Asia 2023 and a leading cloud rendering service provider and render farm in the CG industry, was honored to witness the whole event!
Let's take a look at the highlights of the fourth day of SIGGRAPH Asia 2023!
KEYNOTE SESSION: INTERNET CIVILIZATION: A NEW FRONTIER FOR HUMANKIND
Jun Murai's ACM SIGGRAPH explored the Internet's evolution into a civilization shaped by mathematics, physics, and human ingenuity. Emphasizing global connectivity and unprecedented speed, he discussed real-time communication and collaborations worldwide. Murai touched on distributed computing capabilities, driving applications like artificial intelligence. Among other points he made, Jun emphasized the critical role of GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) in our everyday lives and various applications, including synchronization for communication, drone navigation, and indoor navigation. He spoke of the need for reliable and low-latency connectivity and highlighted remote surgery and lunar communication as examples. He also touched upon the emerging field of quantum internet and its potential impact on secure and efficient data transmission.
FEATURED SESSION: FROM VIRTUAL CINEMATOGRAPHY TO VIRTUAL PRODUCTION
Paul Debevec, the recipient of the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award, took center stage to put virtual cinematography in the spotlight. Paul's presentation delved into the roots of virtual cinematography techniques developed at UC Berkeley which were instrumental in crafting iconic visual effects sequences in blockbuster films such as The Matrix, X-Men, Spider-Man 2, Benjamin Button, and Avatar. The talk revealed the real-world applications of image-based lighting, leveraging computer-controlled LEDs to revolutionize virtual production techniques in The Social Network, Gravity, Rogue One, Asura, and The Mandalorian. As the session wrapped up, Paul hinted at ongoing research aimed at enhancing the capabilities of these cutting-edge virtual production stages, promising thrilling advancements in the field.
PANEL DISCUSSION: HOW WE VIEW DIGITAL HUMANS PANEL
In a riveting panel discussion on digital humans, academy award-winning speakers Christophe Hery, Mark Sagar, and Paul Debevec, with Mike Seymour as the moderator, explored opportunities and challenges such as interactivity, personalization, scalability, and realism. The session, which also addressed ethical considerations, gave illustrative example such as Baby X from Mark Sagar’s Soul Machines – showcasing seven years of groundbreaking research exploring human behavior and advancing the realm of autonomously animated AI avatars through a unique blend of physiology, cognition, and emotion with cutting-edge CGI.
EDUCATOR'S FORUM: AI, VTUBERS AND VIRTUAL PRODUCTION: CURRICULUM DESIGN STRATEGIES FOR EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
The Educator's Forum at SIGGRAPH Asia 2023 featured an array of presentations on its final day, providing a platform for thought-provoking discussions. Topics ranged from "Practical Course for Creating Stereoscopic VTuber" to "University Curriculum for Undergraduates: Artificial Intelligence and Art," and "Pedagogical Strategies for Teaching Virtual Production Pipelines" among others. These sessions collectively illuminated innovative teaching methods and research approaches in fields like computer graphics and interactive techniques. Moreover, they highlighted the incorporation of emerging technologies in educational contexts. The overarching goal of these courses is to foster vital learning outcomes such as critical thinking, creativity, and hands-on experience with AI technology, thereby equipping students for the demands of 21st-century careers.
DOCTORAL CONSORTIUM
The SIGGRAPH Asia Doctoral Consortium offered an invaluable platform for Ph.D. students to engage in interactive discussions about their research. The program featured concise 15-minute presentations, followed by engaging discussions involving experienced researchers and peers, fostering a stimulating intellectual exchange within the academic community. In one instance, Silvia Sellán, a fourth-year Computer Science Ph.D. student at the University of Toronto, delivered a presentation on "Uncertainty Quantification in 3D Reconstruction," drawing inspiration from robotics-assisted surgeries. Her vision includes collaborative efforts with journalists to effectively communicate the uncertainty inherent in 3D modeling, especially in the context of health scan visualizations, aiming to enhance public understanding of these complex concepts.
SUPER SPEED CONNECTIVITY
In this session, two compelling examples were presented to illustrate the current state of super-speed connectivity. The first involved UC San Diego's Immersive Visualization Center and the National Research Platform, showcasing their ability to facilitate collaborative research across continents through a robust 100G internet backbone. This demonstration seamlessly streamed massive 500GB 3D assets and gigapixel stereo panoramas using Google pixel cards within the CyberArchWarehouse. The second presentation featured a pilot project that employed digital twins of membrane capacitive deionization for water treatment in remote communities. These instances vividly demonstrated the immense potential of immersive technologies in advancing collaborative research efforts.
AWARDS
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SIGGRAPH Asia concluded with a triumphant celebration of excellence in computer graphics and interactive techniques. Distinguished awards were bestowed upon visionary minds across categories such as Tech Communications, Posters, Emerging Technologies, Demoscene, and XR recognizing their innovative and thought-provoking contributions.
CLOSING OF SIGGRAPH ASIA 2023 & OPENING OF SIGGRAPH ASIA 2024
In the same charming, familiar manner that she used to open SIGGRAPH Asia 2023, June Kim brought this year’s edition to a conclusion, passing the baton to SIGGRAPH Asia 2024’s Chair, Takeo Igarashi from The University of Tokyo, Japan. At the closing ceremony the contributions of two outgoing SGAG members were acknowledged, and the winning animation from this year’s Demoscene competition rolled.
Takeo Igarashi, Conference Chair 2024, shared: "A big thank you for making SIGGRAPH Asia 2023 a success! SIGGRAPH Asia offers a platform for growth, collaboration, and lifelong friendships. Tokyo, a hub for computer graphics, sets the stage for a highly anticipated and successful SIGGRAPH Asia 2024! We look forward to seeing you there!"
Learn more about SIGGRAPH Asia 2023.
Source: SIGGRAPH Asia 2023
