D-INFK news channel

Modelling a human being in detail and in motion is a task that continues to challenge developers. Researchers led by Otmar Hilliges, Professor at the Department of Computer Science, showed how to do this more easily: Instead of modelling every last detail, they use intelligent algorithms that learn to automatically render animated avatars in every conceivable pose by observing 3D images of humans in just a few poses.

Professor Otmar Hilliges and his collaborators have received lasting impact honours for two papers published ten years ago at the conferences IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality (ISMAR) and ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (UIST) respectively.

ETH and the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems are intensifying their partnership to promote doctoral candidates and research: ETH professors Otmar Hilliges, Thomas Hofmann, Andreas Krause and Klaas P. Prüssmann are new Max Planck fellows.

From robots that offer solace to algorithms that help judges make fact-​based decisions, robotics and machine learning are entering new domains that were once the preserve of humans.

Alexis Block, a doctoral fellow with the Advanced Interactive Technologies Lab at ETH Zurich and the Max Planck ETH Center for Learning Systems, has developed HuggieBot, a hugging robot, to improve emotional well-being during the pandemic.

Producing realistic animated film figures is a highly complex technical endeavour. ETH researchers have now shown how drones can be used to greatly reduce the effort required in the process.

Scientists from ETH Zurich and EPFL have developed an ultra-light glove – weighing less than 8 grams – that enables users to feel and manipulate virtual objects. Their system provides extremely realistic haptic feedback and could run on a battery, allowing for unparalleled freedom of movement.

Filming of spectacular action scenes is expensive and the creative possibilities are often limited. A D-INFK doctoral student has developed an algorithm that allows drones to implement the desired picture compositions independently.

Assistant Professor Otmar Hilliges leads the Advanced Interactive Technologies (AIT) lab. His research areas include human-​computer interaction, augmented and virtual reality as well as human robot interaction.

Professor Otmar Hilliges and his staff at ETH Zurich have developed a new app enabling users to operate their smartphone with gestures. This development expands the range of potential interactions with such devices.

ETH Zurich and EPFL are jointly entering into a new research partnership with Microsoft Research. Over five years, Microsoft Research will provide five million Swiss francs of funding to support IT research projects. Microsoft researchers will also work closely with the scientists at the two universities.

Otmar Hilliges is a recognized scientist in the field of human-computer interaction. Hilliges primarily researches techniques in the area of "augmented reality". With his research field, he continues the successful tradition of ETH Zurich in harnessing computer power in a modern way. (German)