William B. Thompson Professor of Computer Science School of Computing 50 So. Central Campus Dr., Room MEB-3190 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT 84112-9205 Tel: (801) 585-3302 Fax: (801) 581-5843

Teaching:

• CS 2000 -- Introduction to Programming in C.
• CS 6962 -- Perception for Graphics.

Research:

• Perception and Computer Graphics
  
  This research focuses on increasing the effectiveness of computer graphics in conveying information about the three-dimensional world. It is an interdisciplinary effort involving computer graphics, perceptual psychology, and computational vision. We are interested in better understanding the spatial information potentially available in CG imagery, determining what spatial cues are actually used when CG imagery is viewed, and using this information to inform the development of improved rendering algorithms.
  
  
• Designing Visually Accessible Spaces.
  
  Research ultimately aimed at provide tools to enable the design of safe environments for the mobility of low-vision individuals who may need to operate under low luminance and other visually challenging conditions.  This is a multi-university, multi-disciplinary effort involving clinical low vision, visual science, perceptual psychology, and computer graphics.
  

Previous work:

• Visual Motion
  
  Much of Prof. Thompson's prior research deal with the analysis of visual motion. This included optical flow estimation, detection and interpretation of discontinuities in optical flow, and the detection of moving objects from non-stationary viewpoints.
  
  
• Vision-Based Navigation in Unstructured, Outdoor Terrain
  
  A model of the process by which current location can be determined from views of outdoor environments and maps representing topographic information was developed. This required an interdisciplinary approach, involving laboratory and field studies of highly expert map readers, computational analysis, and computer simulations.
  
  
• Terrain
  
  Accurately rendering naturally occurring outdoor terrain requires a number of techniques that are very different from those involved in realistic rendering of indoor scenes. Prof. Thompson's work has included methods for constructing models of terrain features that combine image and elevation data to produce a model more detailed than would be possible with elevation data alone, plus methods for augmenting terrain models with correct vegetation and snow coverage.
  
  
• Texture
  
  Work on recognition and discrimination of visual texture (from grad school!).
  
  
• Odds and ends
  
  A few papers I think are interesting but don't fit into any of the other categories.

Other (potentially) useful/interesting information:

• (Almost) everything you need to know about getting a Ph.D
• The importance of stupidity in scientific research
• CV (short)