Ken Perlin
Encyclopedia
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, founding director of the Media Research Lab at NYU, and the Director of the Games for Learning Institute. His research interests include graphics
Graphics
Graphics are visual presentations on some surface, such as a wall, canvas, computer screen, paper, or stone to brand, inform, illustrate, or entertain. Examples are photographs, drawings, Line Art, graphs, diagrams, typography, numbers, symbols, geometric designs, maps, engineering drawings,or...
, animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
, multimedia
Multimedia
Multimedia is media and content that uses a combination of different content forms. The term can be used as a noun or as an adjective describing a medium as having multiple content forms. The term is used in contrast to media which use only rudimentary computer display such as text-only, or...
, and science education
Science education
Science education is the field concerned with sharing science content and process with individuals not traditionally considered part of the scientific community. The target individuals may be children, college students, or adults within the general public. The field of science education comprises...
. He developed or was involved with the development of techniques such as Perlin noise
Perlin noise
Perlin noise is a computer-generated visual effect developed by Ken Perlin, who won an Academy Award for its use in the motion picture Tron...
, Hypertexture, Real-Time Interactive Character Animation, and computer-user interfaces such as Zooming User Interface
Zooming User Interface
In computing, a zooming user interface or zoomable user interface is a graphical environment where users can change the scale of the viewed area in order to see more detail or less, and browse through different documents. A ZUI is a type of graphical user interface...
s, stylus-based input
Graphics tablet
A graphics tablet is a computer input device that enables a user to hand-draw images and graphics, similar to the way a person draws images with a pencil and paper. These tablets may also be used to capture data or handwritten signatures...
, and most recently, cheap, accurate multi-touch input devices. He is also the Chief Technology Advisor of ActorMachine, LLC.
His invention of Perlin noise
Perlin noise
Perlin noise is a computer-generated visual effect developed by Ken Perlin, who won an Academy Award for its use in the motion picture Tron...
in 1985 has become a standard that is used in both computer graphics and movement.
Perlin was founding director of the NYU Media Research Laboratory and also directed the NYU Center for Advanced Technology from 1994 to 2004. He was the System Architect for computer generated animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
at Mathematical Applications Group, Inc.
Mathematical Applications Group, Inc.
Mathematical Applications Group, Inc. was an early computer technology company founded in 1966 by Dr. Philip Mittelman, it was located in Elmsford, New York. It was one of four companies hired to create the CGI animation for the film Tron...
1979-1984, where he worked on Tron
Tron
-Film:*Tron , a franchise that began in 1982 with the Walt Disney Pictures film Tron** Tron , a 1982 science fiction film by Disney, starring Jeff Bridges, Bruce Boxleitner, Cindy Morgan, Dan Shor and David Warner...
. He has served on the Board of Directors of the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
chapter of ACM SIGGRAPH
ACM SIGGRAPH
ACM SIGGRAPH is the New York–based Association for Computing Machinery's Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques. It was founded in 1969 by Andy van Dam ....
, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the New York Software Industry Association. Perlin received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, and a B.A. in theoretical mathematics from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. He is a professor in the Department of Computer Science at NYU.
Dr. Perlin is an accomplished pianist and classical guitarist. He is fluent in French and Portuguese, and he is a vegan.
Awards
On August 11, 2008, Dr. Perlin received the Computer Graphics Achievement Award from ACM SIGGRAPHACM SIGGRAPH
ACM SIGGRAPH is the New York–based Association for Computing Machinery's Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques. It was founded in 1969 by Andy van Dam ....
.
In 2006, he received the Trapcode award for achievement in computer graphics research.
In January 2004, he was the featured artist at the Whitney Museum of American Art
Whitney Museum of American Art
The Whitney Museum of American Art, often referred to simply as "the Whitney", is an art museum with a focus on 20th- and 21st-century American art. Located at 945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street in New York City, the Whitney's permanent collection contains more than 18,000 works in a wide variety of...
.
In 2002, he received the Mayor's Award for Excellence in Science and Technology
Mayor's Award for Excellence in Science and Technology
The Mayor's Award for Excellence in Science and Technology is given annually to recognise important members of the science and engineering communities in New York City...
and the Sokol award for outstanding Science faculty at NYU.
In 1997, he won an Academy Award for Technical Achievement
Academy Award for Technical Achievement
The Technical Achievement Award is a kind of Scientific and Technical Award given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to those whose particular technical accomplishments have contributed to the progress of the motion picture industry and who are given a certificate, which describes...
from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures...
for his noise and turbulence procedural texturing
Procedural texture
A procedural texture is a computer generated image created using an algorithm intended to create a realistic representation of natural elements such as wood, marble, granite, metal, stone, and others....
techniques, which are widely used in feature films and television.
In 1991, he received a Presidential Young Investigator Award
Presidential Young Investigator Award
The Presidential Young Investigator Award was awarded by the National Science Foundation. The program operated from 1984 to 1991, and was replaced by the NSF Young Investigator Awards and Presidential Faculty Fellows Program...
from the National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
.
External links
- Ken Perlin's NYU home page
- Ken Perlin's WebLog
- http://mrl.nyu.edu
- The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.