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

最先进的高质量体积捕获系统将支持位于华盛顿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，它能够记录物体和人的拓扑结构，而不是像传统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头戴式耳机或CAVE系统，可以从用户在观看时选择的任何视角观看体积捕获并与之交互。因此，体积捕获允许将虚拟和增强现实的沉浸感与传统视频记录的真实感相结合的“全息”体验。 体积捕获在医疗、教育、娱乐、可视化和通信等许多领域都具有有趣但尚未开发的研究潜力。然而，由于系统采购成本高，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、加州圣地亚哥大学和格鲁吉亚州立大学）。美国大学IDEAS研究所的成立是为了追求沉浸式技术的研究项目，包括体积捕获和愿望，以更好地了解体积捕获技术所订购的功能和应用程序，并使公众从中受益，以及尝试使更多的访问和负担得起的。 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大学和该地区的教师和学生能够从事涉及体积捕获的多个多年研究和创造性项目，包括一些已经由NSF，NEH，私人基金会，该奖项反映了NSF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.