The advent of affordable display technology and seamless integration of real-world scenes with computer graphics fuels our continuing ability to create and display stunning realistic imagery. With the arrival of new technology, algorithms and display methods comes the realization that gains can be made by tailoring output to the intended audience - humans. Human beings have amazingly complex perceptual systems, which have the ability to quickly capture and process vast amounts of complex data. With all its capability however, the Human Visual System (HVS) has some surprising nuances and limitations that can be exploited to the benefit of numerous graphics applications. This short course will provide insight into those aspects of HVS and other perceptual systems that can serve as both a guide and yard-stick to further the development and evaluation of computer graphics imagery and presentations. The literature on perception provides a rich source of knowledge that can be applied to the realm of computer graphics for immediate and direct benefit, generating images that not only exhibit higher quality, but use less time and resources to process. In addition, knowledge of the HVS serves as a guide on how best to present the images to fulfill the application at hand.

Level
Intermediate

Intended Audience
This course is for people interested in learning about how perception is applied to computer graphics and VEs. The course draws heavily on recent work presented at the annual symposium on Applied Perception in Graphics and Visualization. It will also serve as an overview of the symposium.

Prerequisites
A basic knowledge of graphics techniques.

Course Schedule
9:00-9:05: Ann McNamara: Welcome and Introductions
9:05 - 9:35 Ann McNamara: Overview of the Human Visual System
9:35-10:05 Ann McNamara: Perceptually Motivated Rendering
10:05-10:45 Katerina Mania: Simulation and Virtual Environments

10:45-11:00 Break

11:00-11:30: Diego Gutierrez: HDR, Illumination and Image Processing
11:30 - 12:00 Diego Gutierrez: Realistic Characters, Faces, Animation
12:00-12:30 Katerina Mania: New Trends in Perception and Graphics Research
12:35-12:45 All: Conclusion, Questions & Answers

Presenter(s)
Ann McNamara received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Bristol, UK. Ann's research focuses on the advancement of computer
graphics and visualization through novel approaches for optimizing
an individuals experience when creating, viewing and interacting with virtual
spaces. She investigates new ways to exploit knowledge of human visual perception to produce high quality computer graphics and animations more efficiently.
She joined the faculty of the newly formed Department of Visualization
at Texas A&M University in 2008, where she is currently Assistant Professor.
Ann serves on several IPCs including the Symposium on Applied Perception in Graphics and Visualization (APGV).

Katerina Mania completed a BS in Mathematics at the University of Crete, Greece, and an MS and PhD in Computer Science, University of Bristol, UK, as funded by HP Labs. She worked at HP Labs as a researcher before serving on Faculty in the Department of Informatics, University of Sussex. Katerina spent her sabbatical at NASA Ames Research Centre (Advanced Displays and Spatial Perception Laboratory) in 2003. She is currently an Assistant Professor with tenure at the Technical University of Crete, Greece. Katerina was program co-chair for Symposium on Applied Perception in Graphics and Visualization (APGV) 2010 and Associate Editor of ACM Transactions on Applied Perception and Presence Teleoperators and Virtual Environments.

Diego Gutierrez received his PhD in Computer Science (Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain) on the topic of Curved photon mapping: global illumination in participating inhomogeneous media. He also received the PhD Extraordinary Award granted by his university. Diego is a tenured Associate Professor (Professor Titular) in the Departamento de Informtica e Ingeniera de Sistemas of the Universidad de Zaragoza, and Affiliated Staff of the Computer Graphics Group of the University of Bristol. His areas of interest include computational photography, photorealistic rendering (actually, rendering in general), perception and the human visual system and High Dynamic Range imaging.