MRI: Acquisition of Volumetric Capture System for the Institute for IDEAS

一个最先进的、高质量的体积捕获系统将支持位于华盛顿特区的美国大学沉浸式设计、体验、应用和故事研究所（IDEAS研究所）的多学科研究项目。体积捕捉是一种计算机视觉技术，它可以记录物体和人的拓扑结构，而不是像传统的视频记录那样，将三维物体投影到二维表面上。通过使用虚拟或增强现实耳机或CAVE系统，可以从用户在观看时选择的任何角度查看和交互体积捕获。因此，体积捕捉允许“全息”体验，将虚拟和增强现实的沉浸感与传统视频录制的现实性相结合。体积捕获在许多领域（如医疗保健、教育、娱乐、可视化和通信等）呈现出有趣但尚未开发的研究潜力。然而，由于系统获取的高成本，体积捕获及其应用目前仅在少数研究中心进行研究（例如斯坦福大学的虚拟人类交互实验室，加州大学圣地亚哥分校和乔治亚州立大学）。美国大学创意研究所是专门为追求沉浸式技术的研究项目而创建的，包括体积捕获，并希望更好地了解体积捕获技术的功能和应用，并从中获得公众利益，并试图使其更容易获得和负担得起。体积捕获系统的收购将使该研究所的24名全职教师研究员，以及整个大学和该地区的教师和学生，从事涉及体积捕获的多年研究和创造性项目，包括一些已经由NSF， NEH，私人基金会或其他联邦机构资助的项目。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

A state-of-the-art, high-quality volumetric capture system will support multidisciplinary research projects at the Institute for Immersive Designs, Experiences, Applications, and Stories (the Institute for IDEAS) at American University in Washington, DC. Volumetric capture is a computer vision technology that enables recording the topology of objects and people rather than, as in traditional video recording, the projection of three-dimensional objects onto a two-dimensional surface. By using virtual or augmented reality headsets or CAVE systems, volumetric captures can be viewed and interacted with from any perspective chosen by the user at the time of viewing. Thus, volumetric captures allow for a “holographic” experience that combines the immersiveness of virtual and augmented reality with the realism of traditional video recording. Volumetric capture presents an interesting, yet unexplored, research potential across many domains, such as healthcare, education, entertainment, visualization, and communication, etc. Yet, due to high costs of system acquisition, volumetric capture and its application is currently being research only at a handful of research centers (e.g. Stanford’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab, the University of California San Diego, and Georgia State University). American University Institute for IDEAS was created specifically to pursue research projects in immersive technologies, including volumetric capture and desires to better understand the affordances and applications ordered by volumetric capture technology and have the public benefit from it, as well as try to make more accessible and affordable. The acquisition of volumetric capture system will allow the 24 full-time faculty fellows of the Institute, as well as faculty and students across the university and the region, to pursue multiple, multiyear research and creative projects involving volumetric capture, including some that are already funded by NSF, NEH, private foundations, or other federal agencies.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.