معرفی
Markus Gross is a Professor of Computer Science at ETH Zurich, where he founded the Computer Graphics Laboratory in 1994. He also serves as the Chief Scientist of the Walt Disney Studios and Director of DisneyResearch|Studios, a position he has held since 2008. His work bridges academia and industry, with research that has been applied in Hollywood films, sports broadcasting, and medical applications.
Professor Gross received his Master of Science in electrical and computer engineering and his Ph.D. in computer graphics and image analysis from Saarland University in Germany in 1986 and 1989.
His research spans multiple domains of computer graphics and visual computing. Early in his career, he pioneered point-based graphics techniques that offered alternatives to traditional triangle-based rendering pipelines. More recently, his work has focused on digital humans, AI characters, and machine learning applications for visual computing. His research has led to significant practical applications, including the Medusa capture system used in Hollywood films, the blue-c immersive telepresence system, and the Liberovision technology now used by major sports broadcasters.
Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on neural rendering techniques, particularly around Gaussian splatting and diffusion models. His work increasingly integrates AI with traditional computer graphics methods, with applications in digital humans, medical visualization, and video processing. Many papers demonstrate practical applications in film production, medical treatment planning, and interactive systems.
Professor Gross has received numerous prestigious awards throughout his career:
- 2024 Eurographics Gold Medal
- 2021 Steven Anson Coons Award for outstanding creative contributions to computer graphics
- 2019 Technical Achievement Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
- 2013 Karl Heinz Beckurts-Preis
- 2013 Konrad-Zuse-Medaille für Informatik
- 2013 Technical Achievement Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
- 2012 Academy Sci-Tech Oscar award for Wavelet Turbulence
Professor Gross has mentored numerous Ph.D. students throughout his career, with 20 Ph.D. students contributing to his blue-c project alone. His research has been supported by significant funding from both academic and industry sources, enabling the creation of multiple startups including Cyfex, Novodex, LiberoVision, Dybuster, and Animatico (acquired by Nvidia in 2022).
He leads the Computer Graphics Laboratory at ETH Zurich and DisneyResearch|Studios, fostering collaboration between academic research and practical industry applications. His teams have developed groundbreaking technologies that have impacted film production, sports broadcasting, medical visualization, and educational technology.
