Industrial Seminars

Industrial Seminar Chairs: Thomas Ertl (D), Bernd Kehrer (D)

• IS1: Computer Graphics for Games and Entertainment Applications
• IS2: Chemistry and Life Sciences
• IS3: Virtual and Augmented Reality in the Automotive Industry
• IP: Beyond the Polygon Horizon: New Trends in Interactive Rendering

Day: Wednesday, Sep 4 Time: 10:30-12:00 Room: CS H1

IS1: Computer Graphics for Games and Entertainment Applications

Cross platform issues in the design of real time rendering architectures
Christoph Lürig, Massive Development

This talk will reflect the experience the author made, when porting a DirectX8 graphics engine of a shipping game to the PlayStation 2. The talk starts with an analysis how graphics engines have been built in the games community within the last years. It will elaborate how a graphics engine should be structured to cope with a variety of platforms being as different as a PC and a PlayStation 2. Structural aspects of the implementation will be elaborated. The talk concludes with some review of experiences made during the port and look into the future of platform independent aspects of computer graphics in gaming technology.
Curriculum vitae:
Christoph Lürig is a developer of computer games at Massive Development GmbH in Mannheim. Currently he is porting Aquanox from the PC platform to Sony's Playstation 2. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Erlangen, Germany.
 

Aspects and strategies for the use of VR, realtime 3D and interactive graphics for Location Based Entertainment Applications
Christoph Bode, emergent media AG

The use of real-time 3D and VR in the area of Location Based Entertainment (LBE) is already an important constituent, whose importance has grown steadily with the development of current content conceptions for many years.  However, the areas of application of realtime 3D, VR and interactive graphics changed dramatically over the last years due to the technological development, i.e. the enormous performance boost of the graphics hardware, but also the convergence of hard- and software technologies for the VR-area and the computer games market. In parallel user expectations have substantially risen due to hardware requirements and features of state-of-the-art computer games and constantly shorter product cycles.  The presentation discusses the consequences and challenges of these developments for LBE.  Fundamental considerations and recent case studies will reflect technical aspects of hard- and software platforms, modular design and standardisation, database-support, rendering technologies, use of programmable graphics-hardware, and future applications.  An integrated system design is discussed as well as challenges of content adaptation for LBE, personalisation, networking and collaborative environments.
The case studies rely on current projects of e/mergent media AG, in particular the Transparent Factory, the VW Autostadt and museums projects.
 

Working with the Games Industry
Peter Astheimer, IC CAVE, University of Abertay, Dundee, Scotland

The public perception of the computer games industry is sometimes still of an adolescent creating a game in a bedroom, which becomes a best seller and creates a millionaire overnight. Whilst this may have been true years ago it no longer reflects the reality of a leading edge software development business. Teams of developers and artists integrate the latest graphics, simulation and network research into products, a substantial and still growing games market is driving innovation in graphics hardware and development tools. Having had an insight into both academic research and industry through a number of hands-on projects, I will look at a number of industry issues like online multiplayer gaming and cheating, digital distribution, mobile games, applying game concepts for learning and training purposes and usability testing.
Curriculum vitae:
In the past Peter Astheimer has been with the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics in Darmstadt, Germany, working on scientific visualisation and virtual reality and with Siemens AG, Munich, Germany, working on innovation in information and communication. He holds a PhD from TU Darmstadt and is currently a Professor of Virtual Reality and Director of IC CAVE Research Lab at University of Abertay, Dundee, Scotland.

Day: Wednesday, Sep 4 Time: 14:00-15:30 Room: CS H1

IS2: Chemistry and Life Sciences

Applications of Image Analysis in Proteomics
Dr. Ute Bauer (Manager Bioinformatics, Xzillion GmbH & Co KG)

2D gel electrophoresis (2DGE) is the most popular technology to monitor protein expression in a massively parallel fashion. The technology itself has been optimized over the past decades and became the gold standard in protein profiling. The development of robotic platforms and improvements in protein identification by mass spectrometry  further accelerated throughput, now rendering 2DE technology suitable on an industrial scale. Nevertheless, spot detection, quantification and matching still remain as bottlenecks when conducting large scale studies. To cope with biological variation a large number of samples and gels are required to obtain reliable and statistically significant results.
To master this challenge large-scale software solutions are needed which provide detailed annotation, automatic processing, consistent storage and integration of results with other technologies. We have developed a Proteomics Software System (PSSTM) that fulfills the following essential criteria:
 i) automatic high-quality image analysis of 2D gels, based on state-of-the-art algorithms
ii) parallel hardware architecture to provide scalability up to dozens of gels per day
iii) quality control that permits manual correction, if necessary
iv) a data warehouse architecture as basis for mining of
v) sample annotations and  analysis tools to correlate sets of expression patterns.
 

The Transparent Polymerization Reactor
Dipl.-Ing. Otmar Lorenz (Leiter Produktionsgruppe Prozessregelung & - optimierung, Siemens Activa GmbH & Co. KG)

The “Transparent Polymerisation Reactor” is the presentation of a reactor for polyethylene production. The system is based on a dynamic process model, describing the polymerisation process inside the reactor and a graphical 3D model as user interface. The interactive 3D model is shown in three phases: closed reactor, opened reactor, and the microscopic view of the polymer particles. The 3D model is connected to the process model, from the interactively changeable parameters such as influx or temperature, the development of the process is calculated and the product parameters like melting point or density of the reaction mixture are provided for the visualization. In this way the user can work interactively with this system to see in order to determine in which ways the product data can be influenced and regulated. The system is running on a projection table ("virtual table") or a laptop. By using CASUS Presenter, a VRML viewer developed by the INI-GraphicsNet, it is possible to present the 3D model on a virtual table in stereo view.

Day: Thursday, Sep 5 Time: 14:00-15:30 Room: CS H2

IS3: Virtual and Augmented Reality in the Automotive Industry

VR and AR - competitors to established CA technologies?
Peter Zimmermann (Konzern-Forschung, VRLab Volkswagen AG)

To achieve the global goals of cost reduction, time-to-market and increased quality, modern design methods, computational algorithms and newly product data systems play an important role. CA technology is therefore indispensible in all areas of the product development process.  To further optimize the process chain we need additional innovative methods and technologies to come closer to the ultimate vision - the first manufactured vehicle will be the first sold. Virtual and Augmented Reality - although far away from completeness and perfection - can help us to provide better solutions in many areas regarding the global goals.  The presentation will give some typical examples of the state of the art in automotive industry applications but also points to open requirements in hardware, software and interfaces, hoping to encourage the audience and the professional suppliers of those products to close the gaps.
Curriculum vitae:
Peter Zimmermann is a project manager in the corporate research of Volkswagen in Wolfsburg, Germany.  He is responsible for the Virtual Reality Lab und thus for VR and AR activities for all brands regarding consulting, development, support and research including government funded projects.  Peter Zimmermann started in the early 70th with research work for first CAD systems and further on with simulation activities in the fields of passive safety, active safety and driving simulation.
 

Old Economy – New Tools: Interactive Graphics and Virtual Reality in Automotive Engineering
Thomas Reuding (Entwicklung Karosserie, Graphisch-interaktive Methoden und Systeme, BMW AG)

Automotive engineering represents what is called Old Economy. Here, the digital representation of an object is only a temporary enhancement to the primary value chain, unlike in the media industry for instance, where a digital object or a digital image can often be the final product.  This presentation starts with a brief introduction into the concept phase of automotive engineering and outlines the need and the role of computer graphics and interactive techniques. Issues that influence a profitable implementation of CG and VR methods are identified. Demands for future research are discussed and some examples are given.
Curriculum vitae:
Thomas Reuding is a project manager in the car body development section of BMW's Research and Development Center (FIZ) in Munich. His responsibilities included strategy development with regard to information technology for simulation based design. For the last five years he directed research and development activities on visualization and virtual environment applications in car body engineering. Thomas Reuding also served as a technical expert and project evaluator for the European Commission.
 

Virtual Reality Process Changes at Ford
Clive Johnson (Product Development Europe, Supervisor  Design Systems, Ford Motor Company) and  Ulrike Kolb (VR Engineering, Craftsmanship, Ford Motor Company)

The presentation will out-line the recent development of Powerwall technology at Ford Motor Company. Mr Johnson will explain the corporate rollout strategy and give you a top-level view of the Design Execution process, how it was and the process changes and business benefits made as a result of the introduction of Virtual Reality.  Ms Kolb will demonstrate through the current Fiesta model B256 how this Design Execution process is supported in conjunction with our software applications from Opticore. This will include a live demonstration of the complete vehicle, exterior and interior, including some of the advance features, which Ford is deploying - such as series differential studies and kinematics.  At the end of the presentation Mr Johnson will give a view on the challenges and opportunities, which Ford will face during the next 12 months. The final goal being to achieve Powerwall collaboration between the different Corporate Design Centres.
Curriculum vitae:
Ulrike Kolb is an automotive designer and a virtual reality specialist in the design and craftsmanship departments of the Ford Werke AG in Cologne. She supports the VR processes in interior and exterior design and the color and materials group. Ms Kolb holds a B.F.A. degree of the College for Creative Studies, Detroit/USA.
Clive Johnson has worked since 1977 for Ford Motor Company. During the period 1977 to 1990 as an analyst working on the development of CADCAM applications such as 3D Die Design, Fixture Design, Numerical Control milling, linear and 3 & % axis milling. During the period 1984 to 1988 he was assigned to Ford Australia where he launched a number of CADCAM applications in support of the EA26 Australian all designed Falcon programme.  In 1990 he was promoted to management and was made responsible in the European Group Staff planning team for the support of CADCAM the Master in Vehicle Operations. Since October 1999 he took on the challenge of the IT team in Design. Design IT is responsible for the introduction of new technologies to enhance the European Ford Design and Craftsmanship activities. This includes among other activities the use of VR technology within Design at Ford.

Day: Thursday, Sep 5 Time: 10:30-12:00 Room: CS H2

IP: Beyond the Polygon Horizon: New Trends in Interactive Rendering

Panelists:

• Prof. Wolfgang Heidrich (University of British Columbia)
• Dr. Marc Stamminger, (Bauhaus Universität Weimar)
• Prof. Philipp Slusallek (Universität des Saarlandes)
• Prof. Reinhard Klein (Universität Bonn)
• Dirk Reiners (OpenSG Forum)

This panel brings together experts from the different fields to discuss the state of the art and future trends to see where interactive rendering is heading. A special focus is being put on the practical applicability in different industrial application areas by the moderator, who has a background in the production industry.

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Page last edited on Friday, 23-Aug-2002 09:32:31 CEST.