Abstract:
Every year our computers enjoy increases in processing power, amounts of memory and backing store, and overall data throughput. Interestingly however, in the midst of these advances, the main output technology "the monitor" has remained relatively unchanged. Is the digital age destined to be confined to a 17inch viewing area?

This talk presents challenges faced by researchers interested in surpassing the "through-a-window" visual paradigm pervasive in modern computing. We discuss how large format displays, composed of multiple light projectors, have been successfully used in Scientific and Engineering institutions to improve computing visualization. From this, we present recent research into ways similar large-scale displays can be easily (and cost effectively) deployed in our homes and offices. While this work is still in its early stages, we hope its direction will help provide more expressive and compelling visual interfaces for use in everyday computing.

Biography:
Michael S. Brown is a new faculty member in the Department of Computer Science at HKUST. He received his BS and PhD from the University of Kentucky (in 1995 and 2001 respectively) and was a visiting PhD student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1998 to 2000. His research interests include Computer Graphics, Computer Vision, Image Processing, Multimedia, and Digital Libraries. He has a 19inch monitor on his desk.