Deva Kannan Ramanan is a Professor at the Robotics Institute of Carnegie Mellon University , focusing on computer vision , machine learning , and human-centered robotics . His work bridges neurorobotics and visual perception , with applications in autonomous driving and 4D reconstruction . Research Topics Computer Vision 3-D Vision and Recognition Visual Servoing Neurorobotics Human-Centered Robotics Graphics & Creative Tools His recent publications in CVPR , ICRA , and ICCV emphasize 4D human reconstruction , neural rendering , and vision-language models for autonomous systems. He serves as General Chair of CVPR 2027 and Program Chair of CVPR 2018 , with IARPA funding for aerial-ground rendering (2023-2027). Current students include PhD candidates Sally Chen, Kangle Deng, and Zhiqiu Lin, while past advisees like Arun Vasudevan and Olga Russakovsky now hold positions at Amazon and Meta respectively.
Wojciech Matusik is a Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). He leads the Computational Design and Fabrication Group and is a member of the Computer Graphics Group. His research spans computer graphics, robotics, and AI-driven manufacturing, with a focus on computational design, tactile sensing, and material science. Matusik holds a PhD in Computer Science from MIT (2003), an MS from MIT (2001), and a BS from UC Berkeley (1997). His work includes groundbreaking projects like differentiable cloth simulation (DiffCloth), AI-enhanced molecular design, and tactile sensing gloves. He has received prestigious awards such as the MIT TR35 (2004), DARPA Young Faculty Award (2012), and Ruth and Joel Spira Teaching Award (2014). Matusik teaches courses on computer graphics, machine learning, and computational fabrication at MIT. Key research themes include: Robotics: Robotic assembly, tactile interaction, and soft robotics Graphics: 3D holography, procedural material generation Manufacturing: Additive fabrication, topology optimization His recent articles explore AI-driven molecular synthesis, holographic displays, and tactile-enabled VR systems. Matusik collaborates on open-source tools like the WiReSens tactile platform and Simit language for sparse systems.
Prof. Olga Sorkine Hornung is a Full Professor of Computer Science at ETH Zürich, leading the Interactive Geometry Lab. She holds a BSc and PhD from Tel Aviv University (2000 and 2006) and conducted postdoctoral research at Technical University Berlin. Her research focuses on computer graphics, geometric modeling, and geometry processing, with applications in shape editing, digital fabrication, and animation. She has received numerous accolades, including the ACM Fellowship (2020), ERC Consolidator Grant (2020), and the Golden Owl Teaching Award (2021). Her work bridges theoretical foundations and practical algorithms, addressing challenges in parameterization, surface compression, and interactive design tools. Her research interests span: Computer Graphics & Visualization Geometric Modeling & Processing 3D Content Creation & Digital Fabrication Garment Design & Simulation Human Motion Analysis & Animation Awards and grants include: 2024: Best Paper Honorable Mention (EUROGRAPHICS) 2023: Member of Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences (SATW) 2020: ERC Consolidator Grant 2017: Rössler Prize (ETH Zurich) Her lab focuses on developing novel methods for interactive geometry processing, with recent advancements in garment modeling (e.g., AIpparel, Rags2Riches) and motion retargeting systems like WalkTheDog. She actively collaborates on interdisciplinary projects, including biomedical applications and sustainable fashion technology.
Shubham Tulsiani is an Assistant Professor at Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute, where he leads the Computer Vision group and the Physical Perception Lab. His research focuses on inferring physically and spatially grounded representations from perceptual inputs, with applications in 3D vision, robot manipulation, and neural scene reconstruction. He directs an active research group with multiple PhD and Master's students. Research interests center on 3D scene understanding , robot learning , and generative modeling , with specific emphasis on: self-supervised perception, neural rendering, multi-view geometry, manipulation from visual inputs, and physics-based reasoning. The lab develops methods that leverage physical world constraints as supervisory signals. Recent publications demonstrate strong focus on diffusion models for 3D tasks , sparse-view reconstruction , and robotic manipulation transfer . Key trends include neural inverse rendering, view synthesis from limited observations, and translating human interactions to robot actions. Awards include: Best Student Paper Award at CVPR 2015 Advising includes supervision of 5 PhD students, 4 MS students, and undergraduates. Lab alumni hold positions at Google, Stanford, Meta, and Princeton. The Physical Perception Lab collaborates with FAIR Pittsburgh and the CMU Computer Vision group.
Pieter Abbeel is a Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS) at the University of California, Berkeley. He leads the Berkeley Robot Learning Lab and co-directs the Berkeley Artificial Intelligence Research (BAIR) Lab. His work focuses on advancing AI and robotics through deep reinforcement learning, imitation learning, and unsupervised learning, with applications in automation, healthcare, and education. Abbeel's research also explores the societal implications of AI and its potential to revolutionize other scientific and engineering fields. Education: Ph.D. in Computer Science, Stanford University (2008) M.S. in Electrical Engineering, KU Leuven, Belgium (2000) Research Interests: Robotics, AI, Machine Learning, Reinforcement Learning, Autonomous Systems, and Applications in Surgery, Manufacturing, and Education. Recent Article Trends: Focus on multimodal learning, robot manipulation, protein structure prediction, and scalable AI systems. Key areas include sim-to-real transfer, embodied AI, and foundation models for decision-making. Awards & Honors: IEEE Kiyo Tomiyasu Award (2022) ACM Prize in Computing (2021) IEEE Fellow (2018) MIT Tech Review TR35 (2011) Advising & Grants: Advises startups and has received grants from NSF, DARPA, and industry partnerships. Notable students include those advancing robotics, reinforcement learning, and bioAI. Labs & Initiatives: Berkeley Robot Learning Lab, BAIR Lab, and collaborations with the Center for Human-Compatible AI (CHAI). Founded companies include Gradescope, Covariant, and Berkeley Open Arms.
Prof. Dr. Otmar Hilliges is a Full Professor at the Department of Computer Science at ETH Zurich. He leads the AIT lab and serves as the head of the Institute of Intelligent Interactive Systems. His research focuses on spatio-temporal understanding of human movement and interaction, leveraging algorithms and representations from videos, images, and sensor data for applications in Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Human-Robot Interaction. Education: Diplom (MSc) in Computer Science, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Germany PhD in Computer Science, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU), Germany (2009) Research Interests: Hilliges' work spans computer vision, robotics, and human-computer interaction. He develops methods for 3D human pose estimation, generative models for realistic avatar creation, and physically plausible simulation of human-object interactions. His research emphasizes practical applications in AR/VR and assistive robotics, aiming to bridge the gap between perception and action. Grants & Contributions: ERC Consolidator Grant (2022-2027): 'AI-Perceive: Robust Human-Centric Computer Vision for Advanced AI-Agents' Google Research Agreement (2020-2025): 'Generative Modelling of Humans' Microsoft Research Grants: Focus on human-centric robotics and interactive technologies Labs & Teams: Leads the AIT Lab at ETH Zurich, which pioneers research in intelligent interactive systems, emphasizing human-centric AI and robotics. The lab collaborates on projects ranging from drone cinematography to haptic feedback systems.
Ron Fedkiw is the Canon Professor of Computer Science at Stanford University's School of Engineering. He holds a PhD in Applied Mathematics from UCLA. His research focuses on computational algorithms for applications in computational fluid dynamics, computer graphics, biomechanics, and machine learning. Fedkiw has pioneered techniques for simulating natural phenomena in film and video games, earning two Academy Awards for his contributions to visual effects. He leads the PhysBAM lab and collaborates with industry through consulting roles at Epic Games and former work with Industrial Light & Magic. Education: PhD in Applied Mathematics, UCLA (1996). Notable awards include the National Academy of Science Award, Packard Fellowship, and multiple teaching honors. His lab has graduated 40 PhD students, many of whom have made significant impacts in academia and industry. Research interests span fluid dynamics, cloth simulation, facial animation, and integrating machine learning with physical models. Key contributions include algorithms for two-way fluid-solid coupling, muscle-based facial modeling, and neural network approaches for cloth and deformable bodies. Current projects explore physics-informed machine learning and real-time interactive simulations. Scientific Awards include two Oscars, PECASE, and Okawa Foundation grants. His work bridges computational physics and visual effects, with over 140 research papers and a textbook on level set methods. Advising and grants: Supervised 40 PhD students, securing funding through NSF, ONR, and industrial partnerships. Lab collaborations include SAIL (Stanford AI Lab) and Epic Games. Future work focuses on AI-driven physical simulations and biomedical applications.
Michael J. Black is a Professor and Honorarprofessor at the University of Tübingen's Faculty of Science, Department of Computer Science, and a founding Director of the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, leading the Perceiving Systems department. He holds a B.Sc. from the University of British Columbia (1985), M.S. from Stanford (1989), and Ph.D. in Computer Science from Yale (1992). His research focuses on computer vision, 3D human modeling, motion capture, and AI-driven digital humans. Key contributions include the SMPL body model, optical flow algorithms, and datasets like Middlebury Flow and Sintel. He has received major awards such as the PAMI Distinguished Researcher Award, multiple Koenderink and Longuet-Higgins Prizes, and is a member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. His commercial ventures include co-founding Body Labs (acquired by Amazon) and Meshcapade, advancing 3D human generation and interaction technologies. Recent work includes markerless motion capture systems (e.g., MAMMA, PICO), 3D hair and garment synthesis, and AI tools like ChatHuman for 3D human interaction analysis. His research bridges vision, graphics, and robotics, with applications in animation, healthcare, and robotics.
Ilker Yildirim is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Yale University, where he leads the Cognitive and Neural Computation Lab (CNCL). He received his Ph.D. from the University of Rochester in 2014. His research focuses on understanding how perception transforms raw sensory signals into meaningful representations of objects and scenes through computational modeling approaches. His research interests include: Computational modeling of visual perception and cognition Intuitive physics and physical reasoning Bayesian inference and probabilistic models in cognition Integration of graphics and physics engines in cognitive modeling Neural mechanisms of object representation Attention and resource allocation in dynamic scenes Yildirim's lab develops computational frameworks that bridge cognitive processes with neural mechanisms, using tools including probabilistic models, simulation engines, and deep learning. His work often involves testing these models through behavioral and neural experiments to create unified accounts of perception and cognition. His recent publications reveal a strong focus on how humans perceive physical properties of objects, particularly soft materials and liquids, and how attention dynamically allocates resources during scene perception. Among his notable achievements is receiving an NSF CAREER award for his project "CAREER: CompCog: Reverse-engineering neural mechanisms of object cognition with multilevel computational modeling," which will run from 2025 to 2030. His Nature Human Behaviour paper by Qi Lin was featured on CBS News, Germany's NZZ, and Wired Italy. Yildirim mentors a diverse group of graduate students and postdocs working on various aspects of perception, cognition, and computational modeling. His students have received prestigious awards including the Jane Olejarczyk Award and the Leonard J. Savage Prize.
Ira Kemelmacher-Shlizerman is a Full Professor of Computer Science at the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington and Director of the UW Reality Lab. She also serves as a Principal Scientist at Google, where she leads the Shopping Gen AI visuals teams focusing on Virtual Try-On, 3D, and product videos. Her research spans computer vision, computer graphics, and Generative AI, with particular contributions to virtual try-on technology, 3D modeling, and augmented reality applications. Professor Kemelmacher-Shlizerman's research interests focus on Generative AI applications in visual computing. Her work bridges the gap between theoretical computer vision and practical applications, particularly in e-commerce and virtual reality. She has made significant contributions to virtual try-on technology, 3D editing with generative models, and AI applications for shopping experiences. Her research combines deep learning with traditional computer vision techniques to solve challenging problems in image and video synthesis. Her recent publications demonstrate a strong trend toward Generative AI applications for visual shopping experiences, virtual try-on technology, and 3D content creation. The work spans multiple top conferences including CVPR, SIGGRAPH, and ICCV, with a focus on practical applications of computer vision and graphics. Her research has evolved from foundational work in face reconstruction and aging to current applications in virtual shopping and 3D content generation. Google faculty award Madrona prize GeekWire Innovation of the Year Award Covers of CACM and SIGGRAPH Best student paper honorable mention at CVPR'21 Best demo runner up MobiSys'22 Senior member of IEEE Distinguished Member of ACM Professor Kemelmacher-Shlizerman has successfully tech-transferred multiple research projects to industry. She founded Dreambit, a startup acquired by Meta, and previously built and launched the Face Movies feature at Google. She currently leads Google's Shopping Gen AI visuals teams, focusing on 10x improvements to shopping journeys. Her UW Reality Lab serves as a hub for AR/VR research with industry partnerships. She has mentored numerous PhD students who have become researchers in both academia and industry, with several publications featuring student co-authors receiving recognition at top conferences. Professor Kemelmacher-Shlizerman leads the Graphics and Imaging Laboratory (GRAIL) and the UW Reality Lab, which focuses on augmented and virtual reality research with industry partnerships including Google. The labs work on cutting-edge projects in virtual try-on, 3D modeling, and immersive experiences, bridging academic research with real-world applications.
Michael J. Black is a Professor and Director at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Tübingen, Germany, where he leads the Perceiving Systems department and serves as Managing Director . He is also an Honorarprofessor at the University of Tübingen 's Faculty of Science . His career spans roles at Brown University (2000-2010), Xerox PARC, and academic-industry collaborations with Amazon and Meshcapade.
Manuel Kaufmann is a Lecturer in the Department of Computer Science at ETH Zürich. His work focuses on advanced 3D human motion capture, sensor-based systems, and computer vision applications. He is affiliated with the Institute of Informatics (inf.ethz.ch) and contributes to research in real-time motion tracking, dataset development, and machine learning integration for human-robot interaction. Research interests include holistic human-scene reconstruction from monocular videos, gaze estimation using EEG signals, and expressive avatar creation. His projects emphasize practical applications in robotics, sports analytics, and biomedical engineering, often leveraging electromagnetic and inertial sensors for high-precision data acquisition. His publications reflect a trend toward multi-modal data fusion, real-world dataset creation (e.g., WorldPose, ARCTIC), and addressing challenges in loose garment modeling (Reloo). These efforts aim to improve markerless motion capture, crowd analysis, and human-robot collaboration. No scientific awards or grants are explicitly listed. He has no documented advisees, though his research may involve collaborations with students or teams. His office is located at OAT X 23, Andreasstrasse 5, Zürich, Switzerland, and contact details include a phone number and professional email.
Nancy Pollard is a Professor at Carnegie Mellon University, affiliated with both the Robotics Institute and the Computer Science Department. Her research focuses on understanding physical interaction with the environment through robotics and computer graphics, particularly in areas like dexterous manipulation, human motion analysis, and soft robotics. She explores how human examples can inform robot control policies and create natural-looking animations. Her work bridges robotics and graphics to solve challenges such as optimizing motion for humanoid robots and improving the realism of animated hands. Key projects include developing fast physically plausible motion techniques, studying hand motion complexity, and creating intuitive tools for modeling hand-object interactions. She also investigates the physical correctness thresholds in graphics and the design of affordable soft robotic hands for real-world applications like agriculture. Recent publications highlight advancements in motion retargeting for anthropomorphic manipulations, co-optimization of soft robotic hand design and control, and frameworks for sensor placement in soft hands. Her research emphasizes human-inspired approaches to robotics and the application of biomechanical insights to improve robotic dexterity. Pollard advises students such as Arjun Lakshmipathy and collaborates on projects involving both academic and industrial applications. Her work has been supported by grants focused on robotics design and simulation-based manipulation capture.
Carme Torras Genís is a Research Professor at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), affiliated with the Institute of Robotics and Industrial Informatics (IRI) in Barcelona and the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC). Her career spans over three decades, focusing on robotics, neurocomputing, and artificial intelligence with applications in healthcare and deformable object manipulation. M.Sc. in Mathematics (University of Barcelona, 1978) M.Sc. in Computer Science (University of Massachusetts, 11981) Ph.D. in Computer Science (UPC, 1984) Research Interests : Robotic manipulation of deformable objects (especially textiles) Neurocomputing and machine learning for robotic control Human-robot interaction and assistive robotics Computational topology for cloth state representation Ethics in social robotics and AI Medical applications of robotics for neuromuscular disease assessment Scientific Leadership : ERC Advanced Grant recipient (2016) IEEE and EurAI Fellow Coordinator of Horizon Europe project SoftEnable and former ERC project CLOTHILDE Editorial leadership in IEEE Transactions on Robotics and multiple journals Active in ethics committees and AI policy advisory boards Advisory Committee of Ethics in AI (Catalan Government) Vice-President of CSIC Ethics Committee Member of Royal Academy of Engineering (Spain)
Hanbyul Joo is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Seoul National University (SNU). Prior to joining SNU, he was a Research Scientist at Facebook AI Research (FAIR) in Menlo Park. He completed his Ph.D. in the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, working with Yaser Sheikh, and received his M.S. in Electrical Engineering and B.S. in Computer Science from KAIST, Korea. Dr. Joo's educational journey began at KAIST, where he earned both his Bachelor's and Master's degrees. He then pursued his Ph.D. at Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute, completing his dissertation titled "Sensing, Measuring, and Modeling Social Signals in Nonverbal Communication." His doctoral work focused on developing the Panoptic Studio, a unique sensing system with over 500 synchronized cameras for capturing social interactions. Dr. Joo's research primarily focuses on endowing machines and robots with the ability to perceive and understand human behaviors in 3D . His goal is to build "social Artificial Intelligence" that can interact with humans using social signals (body languages). He pursues this direction using data-driven methods where data is collected by measuring the wide spectrum of social signals transmitted during interpersonal social interaction. His research spans computer vision, machine learning, computer graphics, and robotics , with particular emphasis on 3D human pose estimation, human-object interaction, and social signal processing. His recent publications demonstrate a clear trend toward leveraging diffusion models for 3D reconstruction and generation tasks, with a focus on human-centric applications. His work bridges the gap between 2D image understanding and 3D scene reconstruction, often utilizing pre-trained models to overcome data limitations. The research consistently addresses fundamental challenges in understanding human behavior, interaction with objects, and social dynamics in 3D space. Dr. Joo is a recipient of several prestigious awards including the Samsung Scholarship and the CVPR Best Student Paper Award in 2018 . His paper "Total Capture: A 3D Deformation Model for Tracking Faces, Hands, and Bodies" received this honor at CVPR 2018. His research has been widely recognized in top computer vision and AI conferences, with multiple oral presentations at venues like CVPR, ICCV, and ECCV. Dr. Joo actively mentors a large group of students, with approximately 15 current students working toward MS/PhD degrees under his supervision. His lab, the SNU VCLab, focuses on cutting-edge research in computer vision and graphics. He has secured significant research funding through his work, though specific grant details aren't provided on his website. Dr. Joo frequently serves as an area chair for major conferences including CVPR, ICCV, and NeurIPS, demonstrating his standing in the academic community. Dr. Joo leads the SNU VCLab, which has developed several notable datasets and tools including SNU ParaHome, FrankMocap, and the CMU Panoptic Studio Dataset. His lab maintains strong industry connections, with students interning at leading companies like Meta. The lab's research focuses on building the infrastructure and algorithms needed for social AI, with an emphasis on practical applications that can be deployed in real-world settings.
