Author: Thomas A. DeFanti
Ph.D
Tom DeFanti is a computer graphics researcher and pioneer. His work has ranged from early computer animation, to scientific visualization, virtual reality, and grid computing. He is a distinguished professor of Computer Science at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a research scientist at the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology.DeFanti did his PhD work in the early 1970s at Ohio State University, under Charles Csuri in the Computer Graphics Research Group. For his dissertation, he created the GRASS programming language, a three-dimensional, real-time animation system usable by computer novices.
In 1973, he joined the faculty of the University of Illinois at Chicago. With Dan Sandin, he founded the Circle Graphics Habitat, now known as the Electronic Visualization Laboratory (EVL). At UIC, DeFanti further developed the GRASS language, and later created an improved version, ZGRASS, implemented on the low-cost Datamax UV-1. The GRASS and ZGRASS languages have been used by a number of computer artists, including Larry Cuba, in his film 3/78 and the animated Death Star sequence for Star Wars. Later significant work done at EVL includes development of the graphics system for the Bally home computer, invention of the first data glove, co-editing the 1987 NSF-sponsored report Visualization in Scientific Computing that outlined the emerging discipline of scientific visualization, invention of PHSColograms, and invention of the CAVE Automatic Virtual Environment. DeFanti's current work includes heading the TransLight/StarLight international multi-gigabit networking project and co-directing the OptIPuter optical networking and visualization project.
DeFanti contributed greatly to the growth of the SIGGRAPH organization and conference. He served as Chair of the group from 1981 to 1985, co-organized early film and video presentations (which became the Electronic Theatre), and in 1979 started the SIGGRAPH Video Review, a video archive of computer graphics research.
DeFanti is a Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery. He has received the 1988 ACM Outstanding Contribution Award, the 2000 SIGGRAPH Outstanding Service Award, and the UIC Inventor of the Year Award.
Publications
Co-authors
Productive Colleagues
- John C. Hart
- Jason Leigh
- Andrew E. Johnson
- 19
- 20
- 21
Publications
Luciano, Cristian, Banerjee, Pat, DeFanti, Thomas A. (2009): Haptics-based virtual reality periodontal training simulator. In Virtual Reality, 13 (2) pp. 69-85. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10055-009-0112-7
Kenyon, Robert V., Sandin, Daniel J., Smith, Randall C., Pawlicki, Richard R., DeFanti, Thomas A. (2007): Size-Constancy in the CAVE. In Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments, 16 (2) pp. 172-187. https://dx.doi.org/10.1162/pres.16.2.172
DeFanti, Thomas A., Laat, Cees de, Mambretti, Joe, Neggers, Kees, Arnaud, Bill St. (2003): TransLight: a global-scale LambdaGrid for e-science. In Communications of the ACM, 46 (11) pp. 34-41. https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/948383.948407
Smarr, Larry, Chien, Andrew A., DeFanti, Thomas A., Leigh, Jason, Papadopoulos, Philip M. (2003): The OptIPuter. In Communications of the ACM, 46 (11) pp. 58-67. https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/948383.948410
DeFanti, Thomas A. (2000): Better than Being There: Next Millennium Networks. In IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, 20 (1) pp. 60-61. https://csdl.computer.org/comp/mags/cg/2000/01/g1060abs.htm
Czernuszenko, Marek, Sandin, Daniel J., Johnson, Andrew E., DeFanti, Thomas A. (1999): Modeling 3D scenes from video. In The Visual Computer, 15 (7) pp. 341-348. https://springerlink.metapress.com/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=1432-2315&volume=15&issue=7&spage=341
Leigh, Jason, Johnson, Andrew E., Brown, Maxine D., Sandin, Daniel J., DeFanti, Thomas A. (1999): Visualization in Teleimmersive Environments. In IEEE Computer, 32 (12) pp. 66-73.
Stevens, Rick, Woodward, Paul R., DeFanti, Thomas A., Catlett, Charles E. (1997): From the I-WAY to the National Technology Grid. In Communications of the ACM, 40 (11) pp. 50-60.
Lehner, Valerie D., DeFanti, Thomas A. (1997): Distributed Virtual Reality: Supporting Remote Collaboration in Vehicle Design. In IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, 17 (2) pp. 13-17. https://doi.ieeecomputersociety.org/10.1109/38.574654
Roy, Trina M., Cruz-Neira, Carolina, DeFanti, Thomas A. (1995): Cosmic Worm in the Cave: Steering a High Perfomance Computing Application from a Virtual E. In Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments, 4 (2) pp. 121-129.
Hart, John C., Lescinsky, Gordon W., Sandin, Daniel J., DeFanti, Thomas A., Kauffman, Louis H. (1993): Scientific and artistic investigation of multi-dimensional fractals on the AT&T Pixel Mach. In The Visual Computer, 9 (7) pp. 346-355. https://
Cruz-Neira, Carolina, Sandin, Daniel J., DeFanti, Thomas A., Kenyon, Robert V., Hart, John C. (1992): The Cave - Audio Visual Experience Automatic Virtual Environment. In Communications of the ACM, 35 (6) pp. 64-72.
DeFanti, Thomas A., Brown, Maxine D., McCormick, Bruce H. (1989): Visualization: Expanding Scientific and Engineering Research Opportunities. In IEEE Computer, 22 (8) pp. 12-25.
DeFanti, Thomas A., Sandin, Daniel J., Nelson, Theodor Holm (1975): Computer graphics as a way of life. In Computers & Graphics, 1 (1) pp. 9-15. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0097-8493(75)90026-6
DeFanti, Thomas A. (1997): Global tele-immersion. In: IEEE Visualization 1997 , 1997, . pp. 15. https://doi.acm.org/10.1145/266989.278502
Imai, Tomoko, Johnson, Andrew E., Leigh, Jason, Pape, David E., DeFanti, Thomas A. (1999): The Virtual Mail System. In: VR 1999 , 1999, . pp. 78. https://csdl.computer.org/comp/proceedings/vr/1999/0093/00/00930078abs.htm
Leigh, Jason, Johnson, Andrew E., DeFanti, Thomas A., Brown, Maxine D. (1999): A Review of Tele-Immersive Applications in the CAVE Research Network. In: VR 1999 , 1999, . pp. 180-. https://csdl.computer.org/comp/proceedings/vr/1999/0093/00/00930180abs.htm
Kooima, Robert, Peterka, Tom, Girado, Javier, Ge, Jinghua, Sandin, Daniel J., DeFanti, Thomas A. (2007): A GPU Sub-pixel Algorithm for Autostereoscopic Virtual Reality. In: Sherman, William R., Lin, Ming C., Steed, Anthony (eds.) IEEE Virtual Reality Conference, VR 2007 10-14 March, 2007, Charlotte, NC, USA. pp. 131-137. https://doi.ieeecomputersociety.org/10.1109/VR.2007.352473
Luo, Xun, Kenyon, Robert V., Kamper, Derek, Sandin, Daniel J., DeFanti, Thomas A. (2007): The Effects of Scene Complexity, Stereovision, and Motion Parallax on Size Constancy in a . In: Sherman, William R., Lin, Ming C., Steed, Anthony (eds.) IEEE Virtual Reality Conference, VR 2007 10-14 March, 2007, Charlotte, NC, USA. pp. 59-66. https://doi.ieeecomputersociety.org/10.1109/VR.2007.352464
Peterka, Tom, Kooima, Robert, Girado, Javier, Ge, Jinghua, Sandin, Daniel J., Johnson, Andrew E., Leigh, Jason, Schulze, Jürgen P., DeFanti, Thomas A. (2007): Dynallax: Solid State Dynamic Parallax Barrier Autostereoscopic VR Display. In: Sherman, William R., Lin, Ming C., Steed, Anthony (eds.) IEEE Virtual Reality Conference, VR 2007 10-14 March, 2007, Charlotte, NC, USA. pp. 155-162. https://doi.ieeecomputersociety.org/10.1109/VR.2007.352476
Hudson, Randy, Gunn, Charlie, Francis, George, Sandin, Daniel J., DeFanti, Thomas A. (1995): Mathenautics: Using VR to Visit 3-D Manifolds. In: SI3D 1995 , 1995, . pp. 167-170. https://doi.acm.org/10.1145/199404.199433
Cruz-Neira, Carolina, Sandin, Daniel J., DeFanti, Thomas A. (1993): Surround-screen projection-based virtual reality: the design and implementation of the CAV. In: Proceedings of the 20st Annual Conference on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques, SIGGRAPH 1993 , 1993, . pp. 135-142. https://doi.acm.org/10.1145/166117.166134