UCL Department of computer science

 

 

 

PhD Studentship at UCL – 3.5 years, fully funded (UK/European student only)

 

Topic: Synthesizing and Editing Photo-realistic Visual Objects

 

Project:

Current computer graphics techniques allow us to render almost any object at near photo-realistic quality. However, the standard approach necessitates that the user painstakingly specifies all aspects of the geometric and material properties of the object. This is time-consuming and needs skilled human operators. In this project we will investigate a radically different pipeline for computer graphics that will allow non-experts to rapidly create and edit photo-realistic two-dimensional images of objects. The core idea is to treat an image as a structured collection of fragments of other objects. Based on knowledge of such structured collections (e.g., a face has two eyes above a nose, which is above a mouth, and so forth), we want to create new images by piecing together fragments of library examples. This project is a unique opportunity to learn more about computer graphics and computer vision, and at the same time make a real impact.

 

We are looking for someone who has:

•    A first-class BSc/MSc degree in Computer Science

•    Programming experience (C++ and/or Matlab)

•    Exposure to computer graphics, computer vision, and machine learning

•    Previous working experience in a laboratory setting

•    Excellent communication skills (oral and reading/writing of papers)

•    Ability and willingness to acquire new skills

 

How to apply:

Applications received by 15th May will receive priority consideration, and are evaluated on a rolling basis. Please send an initial informal inquiry to the prospective supervisor (j.kautz at cs.ucl.ac.uk), citing ‘photo-real objects’ in the subject and outlining your interest and experience. Please include your CV and contact details of two academic referees. Actual applications should then be submitted through UCL (http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective- students/graduate-study/index/graduate-study/application-admission), specifying Computer Science as the department and "Jan Kautz" as the supervisor.

 

Start date: Late September 2011

 

Eligibility requirements:

The project is funded by EPSRC. Standard eligibility requirements hold, i.e., the candidate must be a UK or European citizen.