Theoretical Analysis and User-oriented Controls of Image Synthesis and Animation

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Electromagnetic forces dictate the behavior of many important common-place technologies. It may come as a surprise then to discover that, since light is a special form of electromagnetism, much of the science and technology used in designing energy efficient heating systems or better insulating power lines can be used, in a modified form, to generate the stunning visual effects in feature-films and interactive media. Just as surprising is that similar mathematical models are used in medical imaging and stock prediction. Much of the overlapping foundation behind these seemingly unrelated areas has been influenced by light transport: the science behind how light reflects, bounces, and interacts with objects in the real world. We aim to better understand and model the way light behaves, for example, when it reflects and absorbs into different materials like human skin, wood, or cloth, to name a few. Many significant scientific, mathematical, and technological hurdles need to be overcome in this area. New-found knowledge can be used to simulate the behavior of light using a wide range of commodity computational devices, ranging from common smartphones, to desktop computers, and cloud computing over the internet. These simulations can be used in a wide range of applications, broadly influencing areas such as architectural design, entertainment, medicine, and finance. Apart from the scientific benefit that comes from a better understanding of how our physical world acts, the development of new accurate light transport simulations can be used to strengthen Canada's already strong reputation as a leader in computer graphics and related industries, as well as having potentially broad applicability outside of graphics, as outlined above. An example outcome is the ability to generate more realistic images and videos of virtual characters, with hair and skin that cast complex shadows and reflect light in a subtle but convincing manner.