Newsletter
IMSC eNews, January 2004
Contact: Nichole Phillips, (213) 740-3237 nicholep@imsc.usc.edu
PROF. CHEW RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS NSF CAREER AWARD - Prof. Elaine Chew, a key IMSC investigator and assistant professor in industrial and systems engineering, recently received a 2004 Early Career Award from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Prof. Chew specializes in computational research in music cognition, music information categorization and retrieval, content-based music visualization, music performance and performance rendering. She received the five-year, $500,000 grant for research, teaching and outreach activities in the development of computational music perception and cognition models for real-time interactive music systems. The award is from the Program in Human-Computer Interaction under the Information and Intelligent Systems Division of NSF. For more information on IMSC's music visualization research, visit http://imsc.usc.edu/research/project/musa/index.html.
RESEARCHERS DEVELOP NEW "EYE-NIMATION" METHOD - IMSC researchers have developed a more practical method to synthesize life-like and lively eye motions for computer-generated human representations-a key element in creating a convincing "virtual human." "Very often, the way the eyes are perceived is what destroys the illusion in attempts to animate computer-generated humans," according to Zhigang Deng, a Ph.D. student in computer science and member of the project team. His presentation was the first spring semester event sponsored by the IMSC Student Council. The new method simulates the motion of human eye gazing and blinking, producing animations that researchers believe are as good or better than those produced by more complex methods, such as a custom statistical model developed specifically for eye movement. The IMSC method is based on texture synthesis, which uses measured patterns of eye movement and blinking to create similar patterns. IMSC researchers are working to develop animated "virtual humans" for use in such areas as movies, computer gaming, advertising, education and psychological therapy. For more information on IMSC's graphics research, visit http://imsc.usc.edu/research/project/facemodeling/index.html.
IMSC CITED AS "PLACE TO GO" TO STUDY TECHNOLOGY IN ENTERTAINMENT FIELD - Multimedia degree programs developed by IMSC were highlighted in the February 2004 issue of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Spectrum magazine in an article on where to go to study technology used in the entertainment industry. Under "Entertainment & Engineering: Where to Study," the article listed the Master of Science in Integrated Media Systems; Master of Science in Electrical Engineering with a specialization in Multimedia and Creative Technologies; and Master of Science in Computer Science with a specialization in Multimedia and Creative Technologies. Programs at other schools of engineering were also cited. IMSC has also developed other School of Engineering degree programs-two undergraduate minors in Multimedia and Creative Technologies (one for engineering students and the other for non-engineering students) and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering with an emphasis in Integrated Media Systems. Go to http://imsc.usc.edu/education for more information on IMSC's education program.
IMSC IN THE NEWS - Prof. Shri Narayanan appeared on MSNBC's "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" in February to discuss a system he and his team are developing to recognize frustration in the voice of callers when they use phone answering systems that respond to verbal input. As researchers develop the system, they will decide on implementing such possible capabilities as providing a soothing response by computer or transferring the call to a human. Prof. Narayanan, a key IMSC researcher and associate professor of electrical engineering, computer science and linguistics, said this first version of the system distinguishes irritated speech from normal speech with 85 percent accuracy. He estimated that a commercially viable system could be available in about two years. He said the underlying, fundamental technology will also be useful in such areas as training and education. Other media coverage of the system included MIT Technology Review, February issue; Wired.com Web site; 94 KJY Radio, Providence, Rhode Island; Canadian Broadcast Corp. radio; and Le Show on National Public Radio. Go to http://imsc.usc.edu/research/project/emotionssound/index.html for more information on this IMSC voice recognition system.
Prof. Skip Rizzo, head of IMSC's Virtual Environments projects, was featured in an article in February in The New York Times on virtual reality used in psychological therapy. Prof. Rizzo, a licensed psychologist, and his team have developed several virtual reality environments, including IMSC's Virtual Classroom for assisting children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. For more information, visit http://imsc.usc.edu/research/project/virtclass/index.html.
The Integrated Media Systems Center is a National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center at the University of Southern California.