FACULTY OF

COMPUTER SCIENCE

The research activities in this field include image understanding (image processing, pattern recognition), modeling and realistic visualization of 3D scenes as well as interactive exploration of such visualizations, e.g. through suitably coupled views of different partial aspects. Image understanding mainly deals with questions concerning medical image analysis (segmentation, registration of medical image data). In current works, e.g., time-changing image data are analyzed.

The spectrum in the field of modeling ranges from freeform surfaces and volumetric approaches to discrete representations. The realistic visualization of large 3D models focuses on the efficient simulation of realistic lightning conditions and comprises the best possible use of current graphics hardware.

Relation to other key aspects

There is a close relation between the research focuses image and interaction. This mainly includes the medical visualization that is primarily focused on the support of clinical doctors in terms of complex questions regarding image-based diagnostics and therapy, and the intuitive and efficient handling of medical image data such as CT and MRT.

A current topic being treated by the three groups since several years is the exploration of measured and simulated blood flow data generated for a better understanding of vessel diseases.

A growing application field for image research is biology (especially cell biology), neurobiology and genetics, where very complex and large amounts of data are acquired and where image analysis and interactive visualization techniques bear a huge potential for their evaluation.

Another field of application in connection with image and interaction are different approaches from the field of information visualization that are analyzed by several groups.

The activities of the research focus image are also closely connected to those of knowledge, since complex scientific issues often require the integration of methods of data analysis and machine learning with suitable visualizations of the analysis results. Since 2008, three work groups from Magdeburg are involved in the Scalable Visual Analytics priority program funded by the DFG, which deals with such questions.

Priority projects

A range of projects concerning the research focus image:

Research Colloquium

The Visual Computing Colloquium offers a platform for scientific exchange focused on image.

Study courses

The research focus image forms the scientific background for the Bachelor and Master study courses in Computational Visualistics.