A field trip for twelve students from the Giessen -Friedberg University of Applied Sciences took them to the Center for Computer Graphics Research (ZGDV) in Darmstadt. The aspiring mathematicians and media informatics specialists were able to gain insights into current research projects and potential future career paths at the highly application-oriented research institution. They were accompanied by Prof. Dr. Monika Lutz and research assistant Sonja Emmel ( Department Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Data Processing).
The most lasting impression on the visitors from Friedberg was left by the "5-sided Cave," a large walk-in cube. Stereoscopic images are projected onto five of the cube's six faces, making the user part of the virtual world. For example, the guests from the university of applied sciences were able to view Siena Cathedral from a deceptively realistic interior perspective. The church's highlights were explored, among other things, through spectacular virtual flights into the cathedral dome.
In the "Cognitive Computing & Medical Imaging" department, visitors learned about a project that aims to compensate for the limited vision of physicians during minimally invasive procedures. The missing visual information is displayed on a swiveling, semi-transparent screen, allowing the physician to use it as a virtual window to the patient.
The Interactive Digital Center offered a programme that could soon be of interest to car dealers. It is capable of displaying spatial images on a 3D monitor. With today's vast array of models, no dealer can possibly have all possible variations as actual vehicles. Using interactive car models, where parameters such as color or optional equipment packages can be changed, buyers can get a preview of their dream car.
The various demonstrations of current examples of computer graphics processing captivated the students. Many participants in the excursion expressed interest in an internship at the ZGDV (Center for Computer Graphics Research). Cornelius Malerczyk is an example of the even more advanced opportunities that exist. The graduate mathematician from the University of Applied Sciences in Friedberg is now a research assistant at the ZGDV and is working on a project that enables human-computer interaction through camera recognition of hand gestures.