The Smithsonian has put on view the first-ever 3D Presidential portraits created using technology from the University of Southern California Institute for Creative Technologies.
A newly released White House video explains the process.
The University of Southern California Institute for Creative Technologies (ICT) was part of a Smithsonian-led team that created 3D portraits of President Obama. A modified Light Stage X, a high-speed system with eight cameras and 50 LED lights that capture detailed shape and reflectance properties of a face in seconds, recorded the President's facial features in high resolution. The Light Stage data was processed by the ICT Graphics Lab team, and subsequently combined with additional data capture by the Smithsonian team to create a life-sized bust and life mask of the president.
The portraits, part of the collection of the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, will be on view in the Commons gallery of the Smithsonian Castle starting today through Dec. 31. They were previously displayed at the White House Maker Faire on June 18.
For more information on the project, visit the ICT Graphic’s Lab page at http://gl.ict.usc.edu/Research/PresidentialPortrait/
About the USC Viterbi School of Engineering
Engineering Studies began at the University of Southern California in 1905. Nearly a century later, the Viterbi School of Engineering received a naming gift in 2004 from alumnus Andrew J. Viterbi, inventor of the Viterbi algorithm now key to cell phone technology and numerous data applications. Consistently ranked among the top graduate programs in the world, the school enrolls more than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students, taught by 174 tenured and tenure-track faculty, with 60 endowed chairs and professorships. http://viterbi.usc.edu
About the USC Institute for Creative Technologies
At the University of Southern California Institute for Creative Technologies (ICT), leaders in artificial intelligence, graphics, virtual reality and narrative advance low-cost immersive techniques and technologies to solve problems facing service members, students and society. Established in 1999, ICT is a DoD-sponsored University Affiliated Research Center working in collaboration with the U.S. Army Research Laboratory. ICT brings film and game industry artists together with computer and social scientists to study and develop immersive media for military training, health therapies, education and more.
Contact
Orli Belman - (310) 301-5006 or belman@ict.usc.edu
Tanya Abrams - (213) 740-6973 or tanyaabr@usc.edu
Assets
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The University of Southern Californian Institute for Creative Technologies (ICT) was part of a Smithsonian-lead team that created 3-D portraits of President Obama. A modified Light Stage X, a high-speed system with eight cameras and 50 LED lights that capture detailed shape and reflectance properties of a face in seconds, recorded the President's facial features in high-resolution. (Credit: White House) |
Recently, the Smithsonian stopped by the White House to take a 3D portrait of President Obama, in what will be be the highest resolution digital model of a head of state. Take a look at the process, and the 3D rendering created from this technology. (Credit: White House) |
