CAREER: On the Assessment of Volume Rendering Algorithms in Visual Computing

视觉计算领域涉及三维对象的采样定义的存储、分析和操作以及由此产生的图像合成。鉴于图像在建筑、工程设计和制造以及娱乐中无处不在的使用，对显示图像的真实感的需求日益增长。对于在工程和医学中严肃使用图像，还需要保证准确性并提供验证图像的方法。这个项目将增加对图像合成的基本方面的理解水平，图像合成是视觉计算的一个重要组成部分。体绘制和可视化算法越来越多地用于视觉计算系统中的图像合成。该项目计划具体解决以下问题：*体绘制算法的准确性-缺乏一致的努力来定义和测量图像质量，阻碍了可视化技术和视觉计算的广泛使用。*体积分析-考虑到数据集的嘈杂性质和大尺寸，需要寻求体积的最小相关表示，甚至渲染操作符。*感知度量-显示的图像应该预设有意义的信息给最终用户。如果需要的话，使用客观的数值工具来指导新图像的生成将是有用的。实现这一目标的一种方法是使用包括小波变换在内的多分辨率方法。这项工作最初的目标是满足计算流体动力学工程师、海洋地质学家和医学成像专家的需求，主要研究者（PI）可以分别访问ERC、NASA Stennis和密西西比大学医学中心（UMMC）。

The field of visual computing is concerned with the storage, analysis, manipulation of sampled definitions of 3D objects and the resulting image synthesis. Given the ubiquitous use of imagery for graphics in architecture, engineering design and manufacturing, and entertainment, there is an ever-growing need for realism in displayed images. For serious uses of imagery in engineering and medicine, there is an additional need for assurances for accuracy and for providing ways to validate the image. This project will increase the level of understanding about the foundational aspects of image synthesis, an essential component of visual computing. Volume rendering and visualization algorithms are being increasingly used for image synthesis in visual computing systems. The project plans to specifically address the following issues: * Accuracy in volume rendering algorithms-Lack of concerted efforts to define and measure image quality has stymied the widespread use of visualization techniques and visual computing. * Volume Analysis- Given the noisy nature of the datasets and large sizes, there is a need to seek minimal correlated representations of the volumes and even rendering operators. * Perceptual metrics - The displayed image should preset meaningful information to the end-user. It would be useful to employ objective numerical tools to guide the generation of new images if desired. One approach to achieving this goals will be to use multiresolution methods including the wavelet transform. The work will be initially targeted towards the requirements of computational fluid dynamics engineers, marine geologists and medical imaging experts, given the access of Principal Investigator (PI) to the ERC, NASA Stennis and the University of Mississippi Medical center (UMMC) respectively.