a non-political political technology thread

[nostatic]

Politics aside, a video with our Graphics Lab doing high-resolution scanning of the POTUS. While we scan a lot of Hollywood stars for feature films, this was a different gig...

[herr_oberst]

That's cool. The ear skin on the 3D model is almost transparent!

One question, how do you change the "directionality of light"?

[nostatic]

The LED array flashes in various combinations and patterns. Basically what the system does is replicate every possible lighting condition and shadowing. That allows capture of skin details that can then be rendered later (that's for the film CGI). More info here: http://gl.ict.usc.edu/LightStages/

[sc_rufctr]

Great stuff. Were you in the Video Nostatic?

[nostatic]

Nope - not my group, those are my colleagues. I got screen time when Gizmodo did a piece on one of our projects: and then with Discovery Channel Canada: https://review.bellmedia.ca/view/60854361

[imcarthur]

Very cool, Todd. Are tourists ever allowed in or is it a closed shop due to the military content?

Ian

[Baz]

Very cool - thanks for sharing, Todd.

[Don Plumley]

That's very cool. I wonder about the testing they did on other body parts -- you know, for research. "Yes, I'm a PhD at USC. Want to come to the laboratory tonight and we can scan you?"

[nostatic]

Originally Posted by imcarthur

Very cool, Todd. Are tourists ever allowed in or is it a closed shop due to the military content?

Ian

We do regular monthly tours of our facility that have some demos. But I'd be happy to show you around and let you mess with stuff when you're in town. We do after all have a big Focal speaker array for some 3D audio experiments we're running.

While we are funded primarily by the military, we don't do any secret squirrel stuff. We're part of USC, so we're academic geeks at heart...

[nostatic]

Originally Posted by Don Plumley

That's very cool. I wonder about the testing they did on other body parts -- you know, for research. "Yes, I'm a PhD at USC. Want to come to the laboratory tonight and we can scan you?"

Oh, I have a story related to that but unfortunately I can't discuss it, lest the University PR people come after me

[Teutonics]

Made Yahoo! news... came up on my feed:

President Obama printed in 3D