Visualization Using O-Buffers

Speaker:	Dr. Huamin Qu
		Assistant Professor
		Department of Computer Science
		Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Title:  	"Visualization Using O-Buffers"

Date:		Monday, 25 Oct 2004

Time:		4:00 -5:00pm

Venue:		Lecture Theatre F
		(Leung Yat Sing Lecture Theatre, near lift nos. 25/26)
		HKUST

Abstract:

Visualization is a very powerful tool for physicians, scientists, engineers,
and other people to gain insight into their data using computer graphics and
imaging techniques. Sample-based primitives, such as volumes from scientific
simulation and medical imaging, images taken from the real world, and points
from 3D range scanners, have been widely used in visualization and computer
graphics. With advances in scientific visualization and 3D scanning
technologies, irregular samples are becoming increasingly important. How to
organize and render these irregular samples is an important and challenging
research problem.

In the first part of my talk, I will introduce an innovative modeling and
rendering primitive, called the O-buffer (or offset buffer), as a framework
for sample-based graphics. The 2D or 3D O-buffer is in essence a
conventional image or a volume, respectively, except that samples are not
restricted to a regular grid. A sample position in the O-buffer is recorded
as an offset to the grid point of a regular base grid (hence the name O
buffer).  The offset is typically quantized for compact representation and
efficient rendering. I will describe the concept, data structure, and forms
of O-buffers and demonstrate how O-buffers can be used to solve a wide range
of problems in image-based rendering, point sample rendering, volume
rendering, and solid modeling. In the second part of my talk, I will
introduce some of my current research topics which include pervasive
visualization, feature-based visualization, and visualization using GPUs.



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Biography:

Huamin Qu is an assistant professor in the Computer Science Department at
the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. His main research
interests are in visualization and computer graphics. He has conducted a
wide range of research on sample-based rendering, scientific visualization,
real time graphics systems, virtual reality, and medical imaging. Prior to
his graduate studies, he had some years of extensive experience in
commercial software development. He received a BS in Mathematics from Xi'an
Jiaotong University, China, an MS and a PhD in Computer Science from the
Stony Brook University.