This is an interesting article regarding future directions of graphics research. For medical illustrators, the section about the virtual human might play a particularly important role.
The Computer Graphics industry is suffering from its own success. Recent smashes like Avatar, Toy Story 3, and others have several people thinking that computer graphics is ‘done’, there’s no more research to do. The technology has matured to the point where we can not only realistically create digital actors, but completely make up alien planets and worlds. What is possibly left to do?
Such thinking is beginning to impact researchers and academics financially, as government grants are becoming more and more scarce. Shrinking government budgets doesn’t help things, so the academic community has decided to come together and write up a lengthy report to the National Science Foundation (NSF) detailing areas that still need research.
While the paper is still in development, they decided to discuss some of the areas with us and then open the panel for a ‘townhall’ format to allow the audience to pitch in with new ideas and contributions.
They broke it into five areas.
The Virtual Human
Very Large Datasets
Interaction
Education and Knowledge Dissemenation
Modeling Simulation To Action To Design
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Read the rest of SIGGRAPH: Future Directions of Graphics Research (1,175 words)