ACMD Seminar: Creating the Extended Reality of the Future with Artificial Intelligence and Computational Design

Lap-Fai (Craig) Yu
Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science, George Mason University

Wednesday, November 30, 2022, 1:00-2:00 ET (11:00-12:00 MT)

A video of this talk is available to NIST staff in the Math channel on NISTube, which is accessible from the NIST internal home page. It will be taken down from NISTube after 12 months at which point it can be requested by emailing the ACMD Seminar Chair.

Abstract: With the advancement in extended reality (XR), what will the future of work, entertainment, and everyday life be like 5-10 years from now? In this talk, I will discuss recent advances of our research group on using artificial intelligence and computational design approaches to devise novel user experiences, content-creation tools, and user interfaces for envisioning the XR of the future. More specifically, I will discuss how to use optimization techniques to automate the design of human-centric virtual environments and to personalize VR training for safety and fitness; how to devise AI-driven user interfaces to assist users with navigation and teleoperation in virtual environments; and how to integrate computer vision and scene understanding techniques into the creation of intelligent, human-friendly avatars such as virtual pets, virtual assistants, and storytellers in XR. I will end my talk by discussing many interesting research problems which are key to unlocking the full potential of extended reality.

Bio: Lap-Fai (Craig) Yu is an associate professor at the Computer Science Department at George Mason University, where he leads the Design Computing and Extended Reality (DCXR) group. He works on computer graphics, vision, human-computer interaction, and virtual reality, particularly in AI and data-driven techniques for computational design. He obtained his Ph.D. degree in Computer Science from the University of California, Los Angeles with an Outstanding Recognition in Research Award. His research has been featured by New Scientist, the UCLA Headlines, and the IEEE Xplore Innovation Spotlight; and has won Best Paper Honorable Mention Awards at 3DV and CHI conferences. He received an NSF CRII award and an NSF CAREER award for his research on computational design and virtual reality. He regularly serves on the technical program committees of ACM SIGGRAPH, ACM CHI, and IEEE Virtual Reality.

Host: Simon Su

Note: This talk will be recorded to provide access to NIST staff and associates who could not be present to the time of the seminar. The recording will be made available in the Math channel on NISTube, which is accessible only on the NIST internal network. This recording could be released to the public through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. Do not discuss or visually present any sensitive (CUI/PII/BII) material. Ensure that no inappropriate material or any minors are contained within the background of any recording. (To facilitate this, we request that cameras of attendees are muted except when asking questions.)

Note: Visitors from outside NIST must contact Lochi Orr (301) 975-3800; at least 24 hours in advance.