BCS
 Printable version
|
Leading scientist developing Canary Wharf will present BCS Needham Lecture 2015
A pioneering scientist, revolutionising the future development of Canary Wharf using geometric optimisation will be presenting at this year’s BCS Roger Needham Lecture 2015. Professor Niloy J Mitra, the 2015 winner of the Roger Needham Award will present his lecture entitled: ‘Linking Form and Function, Computationally’ on 2 November 2015 at The Royal Society in London.
Dr Mitra, Professor of Geometry Processing in the Department of Computer Science, UCL (University College London), was awarded the BCS Roger Needham Award for 2015 in recognition of his outstanding contribution in the area of computer graphics and 3D geometry.
In his lecture Niloy will explain more about his work. He says: “The transferring of an object from a flat image to a 3D understanding of the how the parts fit together can be difficult for computers to recognise. Through using 3D modelling a complex scene can be transferred into simple objects, which can be then manipulated for each individual user. For example this can be used for people to buy furniture or redevelop cities.
“By creating an algorithm we can understand the relationship of how the objects relate to each other. Currently the way in which buildings and objects are designed is performed manually and it can be very time consuming. In today’s society it is no longer about only producing a virtual scene, it is about sketching, optimising and fabricating real objects. The advances in 3D modelling will revolutionise the design and manufacturing process. I will be discussing at my lecture how 3D modelling has bridged the gap between functionality and geometry, looking at how the latest computational analysis techniques can be used to extract high-level geometric abstractions from unorganised images.”
Niloy’s work involves deep insights and the impact of his work will be broad and diverse. His papers are already attracting excellent citations and recognition for their rigour and potential impact in computer science (e.g., twice being selected as research highlights in communications of the ACM - Association for Computing Machinery). Future practical implementation of designing smart cities using geometric optimisation is going to be piloted in Canary Wharf.
Chris Bishop, Laboratory Director, Microsoft Research Cambridge says: “Niloy’s pioneering work designing new objects with the focus on functionality is extremely important for the future of computational design. The impact of this development will benefit architects, designers and engineers, through making the process of design more cost effective and efficient. Niloy is a deserving winner of the prestigious Roger Needham and we very much look forward to his lecture.”
The Roger Needham Award is sponsored by Microsoft Research Cambridge and established in memory of Microsoft’s first director of research outside the US. It is awarded for a distinguished research contribution in computer science by a UK based researcher within ten years of their PhD.
Registration for the BCS Roger Needham Lecture 2015 is now open.
Needham Lecture details
Date: 2 November 2015
Venue: The Royal Society, 6-9 Carlton House Terrace, London, SW1Y 5AG
Time: 6.30 pm to 10.00 pm
Cost: The lecture is free of charge to attend, with a small fee for the drinks and buffet reception
For more information and to register visit: https://events.bcs.org/book/1710/
Professor Niloy J Mitra is part of the 3D Repo team which won first prize in the Virtual Design and Construction category in the Cognicity Challenge, earlier this year. As a result the team’s open source building information modelling platform is going to be piloted at Canary Wharf. The Cognicity Challenge was run by the Canary Wharf Group to identify ground breaking technology to create smart cities.
