(In person)

Title: Biophysical Digital Characters in the Metaverse

Abstract: To be successful, the Metaverse will need to provide its users a full sense of immersion and the ability to naturally interact with the world and others around them, in ways that they feel comfortable with. It also will present the unique opportunity for users to control their appearance and express themselves in distinctive and creative ways, beyond what’s possible in the real world. In this talk we’ll explore ideas and concepts to enable such capabilities at scale, and discuss what kind of technological breakthroughs and intuitive content creation tools will be needed.

Bio: Ronald Mallet is the director and founder of Meta Reality Labs Research in Sausalito & Zurich, working on the future of digital humans and characters for AR/VR applications. The team's research includes biomechanical motion analysis, data-driven biophysical simulations, machine perception, and photorealistic rendering, spanning sub-disciplines in computer vision, computer graphics, and machine learning. Prior to joining Meta, he was a lead researcher at Industrial Light & Magic, a Lucasfilm division, working on cutting edge technologies to deliver visual effects and digital characters for high-end feature films, including Avatar, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, and many others. He received an Academy Award for Technical Achievement for his ground breaking work on markerless full body on-set motion capture. Prior to ILM, he held various research and engineering positions, including leading the awarding-winning MatchMover software project for 3d camera tracking.