Doug James from Cornell University presents as part of the UBC Department of Computer Science's Distinguished Lecture Series, October 1, 2009.
Recent decades have seen the dramatic rise of computer graphics and physically based animation---from early algorithms to sophisticated systems for rendering feature-length computer animations. Unfortunately, as we race toward highly interactive and realistic visual experiences, it is becoming obvious that something is still lacking: realistic sound. For starters, most current physics simulators are inherently silent, so that sounds are added as afterthoughts often having little to do with the animated geometry or physics. Compared to computer graphics, algorithms for rendering realistic and synchronized sounds for virtual objects are still in their infancy.
My talk will cover the challenges of physically based sound rendering, and how we can hope to render synchronized sounds automatically and convincingly for future interactive applications. I will discuss on-going work, including sound radiation models for contacting rigid bodies, the noisy nonlinear sounds of vibrating thin shells, the familiar splashing and gurgling sounds of water, and some other surprises.
