SIGGRAPH Asia 2018 Makes Crossover History in Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques in Tokyo
TOKYO, Japan, 13 December 2018 – SIGGRAPH Asia 2018 concluded on a record high note in Tokyo, Japan. The 11th edition of the conference drew close to 10,000 attendees worldwide including computer graphics professionals, researchers, enthusiasts and trade visitors from 59 countries and regions. This makes this the largest and most successful SIGGRAPH Asia edition in the history of the event.
“SIGGRAPH Asia is a story of a diverse group of individuals coming together to celebrate the intersection of science, technology, art and entertainment. The variety of expertise under one roof allows for the cross-pollination of ideas which is what makes it a great place for collaboration, disruption and innovation. We knew from the onset that SIGGRAPH Asia in Tokyo was going to a great destination and the end result has proven that it was indeed an excellent choice. Tokyo’s achievement has been the cumulation of over two years of dedication from the conference and local SIGGRAPH Asia committees. SIGGRAPH Asia 2018 has set a new benchmark and we will strive to make the event even more impactful in the coming years.” said Prakash Ramajillu, Division Director – (Technology, Digital Media, Entertainment & Mobility) Koelnmesse Pte Ltd & Chief Staff Executive SIGGRAPH Asia.
Around 750 speakers presented at the conference, discussing the latest industry developments and future of the computer graphics and interactive techniques industry. The exciting line-up featured distinguished keynote speakers such as David Oh, Senior Systems Engineer at NASA JPL who shared about NASA’s recent Mars exploration and their latest mission, Psyche – The first metal asteroid that humankind will visit; Erik Demaine, Professor in Computer Science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) who spoke about computational origami and how he uses math to create artistic sculptures; and Kaname Hayashi, Founder and CEO of GROOVE X (A member of Pepper Project in Softbank) who gave the final keynote on a “New Generation Household Robot’s” and his LOVOT concept (Love x Robot) exploring the relationship between human beings and robots.
Production and visual effects teams from Pixar Animation Studios, Weta Digital Ltd and ILM Singapore took to the stage to showcase their crossover work; from creating realistic virtual humans, to unforgettable characters in films such as Lord of the Rings and the Avengers franchise, to developing a backstory for Star Wars’ most iconic character, Han Solo.
Emerging Technologies featured strongly at SIGGRAPH Asia 2018 with several presentations on how interactive technology has played a vital role in driving the development of research communities in the pursuit of technological innovations that will impact the public. The Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR) program showcased emerging media and cutting-edge technologies in virtual, augmented, and mixed reality. The highly engaging sessions were a dive into these emerging digital media and interactive technologies. The Art Gallery featured fascinating crossover pieces titled Candle TV (1975) by Nam June Paik, which is designed to represent two interrelated organisms in a communication system, and Mannbi (1981), a mask used in classical Japanese musical drama Noh, by Ayako Iwai.
The largest exhibition in SIGGRAPH Asia’s history featured 93 exhibitors from over 14 countries showcasing the latest hardware, software, technologies and innovations from around the world. Key exhibitors and brands included: ASTRODESIGN, Inc., AWS Thinkbox, BANDAI NAMCO Studios Inc., BinaryVR, Inc., CLO Virtual Fashion Inc, CyberAgent, Inc., Dell Japan Inc., Digital Hollywood University, Dwango Media Village, EEZ Production Studios Co., Ltd., FORUM8 Co., Ltd., HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES JAPAN K.K., IMAGICA GROUP, InstaLOD GmbH, NOITOM, teamLab, Too Corporation, Tsinghua University-Tencent Joint Laboratory, Unity Technologies Japan G.K., VFX-Japan Association, Visual Computing Center at KAUST, Xsens Technologies B.V., YGGDRAZIL Group Co., Ltd, Zero C Seven, Inc. and more.
Award-winners at SIGGRAPH Asia
SIGGRAPH Asia featured an awards component for the Computer Animation Festival, Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR) and the Emerging Technologies programs.
The winners for the Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR) are:
- Best VR/AR Technology Voted by Committee:
FiveStar VR: Shareable Travel Experience Through Multisensory Stimulation To The Whole Body by Kouichi Shimizu, Gaku Sueta, Kentaro Yamaoka, Kazuki Sawamura, Yujin Suzuki, Keisuke Yoshida, Vibol Yem, Yasushi Ikei, Tomohiro Amemiya, Makoto Sato, Koichi Hirota, Michiteru Kitazaki
(Winner photo link; https://buff.ly/2BeZhDD) - Best VR/AR Content Voted by Committee:
Rapture of the Deep VR by Monja Dietrich, Vincent Suttner, Theres Buehler
(Winner photo link: https://buff.ly/2BcTZJ4)
Second and third places of each of the above award categories can be found in Annex A (See attached PDF).
Under Emerging Technologies, the winning teams are:
- Best Demo Voted by Attendees
Hap-Link: Wearable Haptic Device on the Forearm that Presents Haptics Sensations Corresponding to the Fingers by Taha Moriyama, The University of Electro-Communications, Japan
(Winner photo link: https://buff.ly/2Er2rsf) - Best Demo Voted by Committee
Relaxushion: Controlling the Rhythm of Breathing for Relaxation by Overwriting Somatic Sensation, by Yuki Ban, The University of Tokyo, Japan
(Winner photo link: https://buff.ly/2Eqg7nn)
The Computer Animation Festival honored the top talent in animation including:
- Best in Show: L’oiseau qui danse (France), directed and produced by Jean-Marie Marbach
- Jury Special Award: Vermin (Luxembourg), directed by Jérémie Becquer, Miyu Distribution and produced by Michelle Ann Nardone, Miyu Distribution, Denmark
- Best Student Film: Reverie (Mexico), directed by Philip Louis Piaget Rodriguez, Miyu Distribution and produced by Michelle Ann Nardone, Miyu Distribution, Denmark
Click here for the press release on the announcement of the Computer Animation Festival Award Winners.
SIGGRAPH Asia 2019
Next year’s edition, SIGGRAPH Asia 2019 will be held at Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC), Brisbane, Australia from 17 – 20 November 2019.
“Next year’s edition of SIGGRAPH Asia 2019 (SA2019) will be held for the very first time in Australia, in the beautiful subtropical city of Brisbane, which is referred to as Brissy by the locals,” said Tomasz Bednarz, SIGGRAPH Asia 2019 Conference Chair. “The leading theme of the conference is a DREAM ZONE!, therefore you can expect lots of magical experiences that expand perception and interaction through the creative use of computer graphics and interactive techniques, delivered in completely new innovative ways. SIGGRAPH Asia 2019 will include the Studio Program from the North American editions. We will also debut a Demoscene Program, which is inspired by limitation-driven creative, real-time computer graphics underground hack-code-art communities. Mark your calendars for SIGGRAPH Asia 2019! Join the conference and take the opportunity to explore beautiful Queensland.”
Visit the website for more details: http://sa2019.siggraph.org.
