Digital 3D Expression for 8 Billion People

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Tools for designing digital 3D shapes boast sophisticated functionality and produce marvelous artifacts. Unfortunately, these tools are only enjoyed by the small fraction of the population who possess not just creative inspiration but also esoteric technical skills. This proposal will pursue a novel approach to 3D digital expression for the billions of people on earth. The proposed research will proceed along three complementary tracks:Live direction of 3D physical simulations, Geometric modeling decoupled from underlying data structures, and Finding intrinsic value in 3D expression workflows. Nature effortlessly creates rich three-dimensional motion and complex geometric forms. Existing computational methods either focus on accurate reproduction of observed behaviors or rely on carefully setting a large number of unintuitive parameters. Instead, the proposed research will investigate how to artistically and expressively control physical simulations with a small number of user-friendly parameters. The impact of this improved computational reality span immersive tele-experiences (e.g., education) and computational fabrication (e.g., consumer customization via advanced manufacturing techniques). Existing digital 3D modeling tools struggle to break away from low-level, technical user interfaces. These tools have been hamstrung by their insistence on particular, classic surface representations. The proposed research will go "off road" by reimagining 3D geometric modeling by directly targeting high-level user interactions on deliberately non-standard shape representations. The representation itself will adapt during the interaction depending on context or available resources. This work both depends on and contributes to our state of understanding of deep learning techniques from artificial intelligence in the context of 3D geometry. Computer-aided design has successfully transformed the objects around us, the buildings we inhabit, and the digital images we enjoy. However, this extremely practical motivation has led to narrow digital design workflows painfully experienced by a minority of the population. Most 3D modeling tools are notoriously difficult and seen as a means to an end. In this proposal, we consider the intrinsic value in digital 3D design workflow as opposed to created artifacts. Our hypothesis is that by studying and increasing the value of the act of 3D creation, we will transform digital 3D design into widespread 3D expression to be enjoyed by everyone.