Beyond animation and gaming, computer graphics design and analysis is becoming a prevalent technology tool in many industries today. From healthcare and construction to security and environmental studies, computer graphics has a role to play in creating new realities.

SIGGRAPH Asia 2010 seeks to underline this development through several carefully selected sessions. Featured Speaker Frank Stephenson, Design Director, McLaren Automotive will take audiences into one of the world’s most technologically advanced automotive design studio, where digital tablets and digital three-dimensional modeling have replaced hand-drawn sketches and clay modeling. Stephenson will also explain how computer graphics has allowed his design team to consistently push the limits in automotive design.

From the glamor of automotive design, computer graphics has also made its way into the glory of old masters’ paintings. Recent studies have shown that modeling artists’ studios have allowed scholars to address a number of vexing problems in the history and interpretation of art, particularly those related to old masters' working methods. In recent years, computer experts and art scholars have built such computer graphics models to gain insights into how some of the world’s most famous paintings were created. Using illustrations from key pieces such as Jan van Eyck’s Portrait of Arnolfini and Parmigianino’s Self Portrait in a Convex Mirror, David G. Stork, Chief Scientist from Ricoh Innovations, will elaborate on some of the mysteries surrounding these works that have since been solved by computer graphics modeling. This intriguing Special Sessions talk will also end with a number of unsolved problems in the history of art that seem amenable to the modeling methodology.

Other potential applications of computer graphics in tomorrow’s technologies which will be explored at SIGGRAPH ASIA 2010 include:
* Understanding Ohm’s Law – Enlightenment Through Augmented Reality: This Technical Sketch by Fraunhofer IDM Center @ NTU presents a new application of augmented reality technology in the teaching of the physics of electrical circuits.
* Chladni Satellite: Converting Real-Time Information on Solar Wind into Aural and Visual Experience: This interactive installation from Yuan Ze University provides an environment for visitors to feel various changes in space “weather” directly on earth.
* Automatic Generation of Destination Maps: This Technical Papers session will present a system of navigational aids designed to show anyone within a region how to reach a small set of locations. This research is presented by Adobe Systems, Incorporated; Microsoft Research and University of California, Berkeley.

The Invitation – Asian Universities in Art and Technology
To inspire and help shape future talents that will drive the industry, close to 20 universities from China, Japan, Korea and Singapore will showcase the creativity and technological excellence of their faculty and students at SIGGRAPH Asia 2010. Presenting universities will include Beijing Film Academy, Ewha Womans University, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Korea National University of Arts, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Tokyo University, Tokyo University of Arts, Tsinghua University, Yonsei University and many more.

Jungmin Lee, Executive of Koreagraph and Professor at Korea National University of Arts explains, "The Invitation is an excellent opportunity for university participants to network with the international audience, while providing an opportunity for the global computer graphics community at SIGGRAPH Asia 2010 to see and experience the developments in Arts and Technology in some of Asia’s top institutions. We are proud to be introducing The Invitation at SIGGRAPH Asia 2010 and hope that it may spark future collaborations for participants.”

A global gathering not to be missed