AI for Optics and Optics for AI – How Rendering can Shape Computational Optics Research
Wolfgang Heidrich
In the first part of this talk I will highlight recent work at the interconnection between AI techniques and (imaging) optics. In particular, I will describe AI methods for learning optical designs of camera optics, including some the boost the capabilities of conventional cameras with a form-factor suitable for mobile devices and small field-deployable sensors. I will also describe some on-going work on the reverse direction — optical designs that facilitate the computation for AI models while promising to reduce power consumption.
In the second part of the presentation I will discuss ways in which the Rendering community can help address open problems in computational optics.
Bio: Wolfgang Heidrich is a Professor of Computer Science and Electrical and Computer Engineering at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), where he also served as the Director of the Visual Computing Center from 2014 to 2021. Prof. Heidrich joined KAUST in 2014, after 13 years as a faculty member at the University of British Columbia. He received his PhD in from the University of Erlangen in 1999, and then worked as a Research Associate in the Computer Graphics Group of the Max-Planck-Institute for Computer Science in Saarbrucken, Germany, before joining UBC in 2000. Prof. Heidrich’s research interests lie at the intersection of imaging, optics, computer vision, computer graphics, and inverse problems. His more recent interest is in computational imaging, focusing on hardware-software co-design of the next generation of imaging systems, with applications such as High-Dynamic Range imaging, compact computational cameras, hyperspectral cameras, to name just a few. Prof. Heidrich is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, IEEE, Optica, AAIA, and Eurographics, and the recipient of a Humboldt Research Award as well as the ACM SIGGRAPH Computer Graphics Achievement Award.
Beyond Beauty: The science and evolution of avian coloration
Liliana D’Alba
Birds are among the most colorful organisms on Earth, yet their plumage serves functions that extend far beyond visual appeal. Feather coloration plays critical roles in communication, camouflage, thermoregulation, protection against harmful solar radiation, and even the biomechanical reinforcement of feathers. These diverse functions have contributed to the extraordinary ecological success of birds across virtually every habitat on the planet.
In this keynote, I will explore the physical, chemical, and biological foundations of avian coloration and discuss how recent discoveries are reshaping our understanding of its evolution and function. By tracing the origins of color-producing mechanisms back to the ancestors of modern birds, we can gain new insights into why bird plumage exhibits such remarkable diversity in appearance and performance today. I will also highlight the multidisciplinary approaches and collaborative research efforts that are advancing this field, integrating perspectives from evolutionary biology, ecology, physics, chemistry, materials science, and paleontology.
Bio: Liliana D’Alba is an integrative and evolutionary biologist studying the evolutionary drivers of phenotypic diversity and their mechanistic foundations in birds and reptiles. She integrates field and laboratory methods to understand why and how birds are so colorful and what explains the large diversity of egg forms in vertebrates.
