KAUST Ph.D. student Anna Fruehstueck won a 2020 Facebook Fellowship award, a two-year fellowship from Facebook Research, focusing on computer graphics. She was selected as one of 36 recipients from over 1,800 applicants and is the University's first recipient of the scholarship. Her research explores the intersection of computer graphics, geometry processing, and visual arts using machine learning. Why it matters: This award highlights the growing prominence of KAUST in computer science research and its ability to attract and foster top talent in the field.
The KAUST Visual Computing (KAUST RC-VC) – Modeling and Reconstruction conference featured speakers from Simon Fraser University, Caltech, Cornell University, and Autodesk. Presentations covered topics like networking topology, shape matching and modeling, data-driven interpolation of optical properties, and computer graphics. Why it matters: The conference highlights KAUST's role in fostering international collaboration and advancing research in visual computing and related fields within Saudi Arabia.
The article discusses the importance of sample correlations in computer graphics, vision, and machine learning, highlighting how tailored randomness can improve the efficiency of existing models. It covers various correlations studied in computer graphics and tools to characterize them, including the use of neural networks for developing different correlations. Gurprit Singh from the Max Planck Institute for Informatics will be presenting on the topic. Why it matters: Optimizing sampling techniques via understanding and applying correlations can lead to significant advancements and efficiency gains across multiple AI fields.
Jorge Amador, a PhD student at KAUST's Visual Computing Center, presented a talk on physically-based simulation for generative AI models. The talk covered the use of synthetic data generation and physical priors to address the need for high-quality datasets. Applications discussed include photo editing, navigation, digital humans, and cosmological simulations. Why it matters: This research explores a promising technique to overcome data scarcity issues in AI, particularly relevant in resource-constrained environments or for sensitive applications.
MBZUAI's Dr. Hao Li is working on using AI and 3D telepresence to transform communication, work, and education by replacing physical transportation with virtual teleportation. His research focuses on the intersection of computer graphics, computer vision, and AI, specifically virtual avatar creation and facial performance capture. Li aims to improve communication using AI to achieve what cannot be done in real life. Why it matters: This research has the potential to reduce carbon footprints by enabling remote work and virtual collaboration, while also positioning MBZUAI and the UAE as leaders in AI-driven metaverse technologies.
MBZUAI welcomes Hao Li, CEO of Pinscreen, as a new faculty member specializing in virtual humans. Li envisions a future where virtual humans facilitate interactions and overcome limitations of physical presence, citing benefits like improved education and remote collaboration. His work focuses on the intersection of computer vision, computer graphics, and machine learning to enable immersive digital experiences. Why it matters: This signals MBZUAI's commitment to advancing research in virtual reality and the metaverse, potentially positioning the UAE as a leader in this emerging field.