Robert Bridson

Robert Bridson is an Adjunct Professor in the Computer Science Department at the University of British Columbia (UBC), affiliated with the Imager and SCL labs. He holds a Ph.D. from Stanford University (2003) and degrees from the University of Waterloo (MMATH 1999, BMATH 1998). Since 2013, he has been a Senior Principal Research Scientist for Visual Effects at Autodesk, focusing on fluid simulation and computational physics. His research revolutionized physical simulation in films, notably through Naiad software used in blockbusters like Avatar and Harry Potter.

Bridson’s work spans fluid dynamics, computer animation, and geometric algorithms. He authored Fluid Simulation for Computer Graphics (2015), a leading textbook. His research emphasizes robust numerical methods, including particle-based fluid solvers, explicit surface meshes, and collision detection. He has advised over 20 graduate students and taught courses in computer graphics and animation at UBC.

Scientific accolades include the Best Technical Paper award (2014) and a best paper award (2012). His industry contributions include co-founding Exotic Matter AB and pioneering tools like Ghost SPH and vortex sheet meshes. Current projects at Autodesk involve advanced fluid simulation techniques and Bifrost framework development.