I am looking for a PhD student to join my research group Graphics, Vision & Video at the Max-Planck-Institute (MPI) for Informatics. The position can be filled immediately, but starting date is flexible.

The student will work with me on a topic within on my research project CapReal which is funded through an ERC Starting Grant. The goal of this far reaching project is to rethink the basic algorithmic concepts of marker-less motion capture, dynamic (4D) scene reconstruction, performance capture and 3D Video. We develop new 4D reconstruction methods that, unlike current approaches, capture detailed models of dynamic shape and appearance (e.g. of humans, human hands and faces or general dynamic scenes) in complex real world environments outside of the a lab using only a low number of cameras. We also work on new algorithms for image-based estimation of lighting and reflectance in general uncontrolled scenes, and we utilize these estimates for improved 4D reconstruction, high quality shape estimation, and relighting.

In CapReal, we further develop new representations for captured dynamic scene models that facilitate editing and modification of data after acquisition.

http://gvv.mpi-inf.mpg.de/GVV_Projects.html
http://gvv.mpi-inf.mpg.de/GVV_Publications.html

An applicant should have a Bachelor, preferably Master degree, in computer science or a closely related field. Course work and research experience in one or more of the following areas is desirable: multi-view / 3D scene reconstruction methods, 4D reconstruction, marker-less performance capture, marker-less motion capture, tracking algorithms, 3D Video, general computer graphics concepts.

Applicants should have a strong academic record, publications in one of the above areas are a plus. A candidate should be fluent in written and spoken English and be willing to travel. Full funding and benefits are provided. Please send a complete application package, including a CV, results of graduate tests (if available), transcripts and certificates, and the contacts of two referees to

please use the tag [PhD Application] in the subject of your Email.

About the environment

The Max-Planck Institute for Informatics (MPI-INF) (www.mpi-inf.mpg.de) is one of the world's leading research institutes in Computer Science in general, and Visual Computing in particular. It is located on the campus of Saarland University in Saarbruecken, Germany. MPI-INF is embedded in a unique cluster of computer science research. In immediate neighborhood on campus, there are several other computer science research institutes of world renown with which close collaborations exist: the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), the Max-Planck-Institute for Software Systems, the Institute for Bioinformatics, the Excellence Cluster Multimodal Computing and Interaction, and the Computer Science Department of Saarland University. The Leibniz Center for Informatics in Schloss Dagstuhl (www.informatik-saarland.de) is also located nearby. The Intel Visual Computing Institute (IVCI) on campus further strenghtens strong visual computing research focus in Saarbruecken.

The group Graphics, Vision & Video is affiliated with the IVCI it and maintains a close collaboration. In addition, GVV researchers collaborate on the CapReal project with many international partners, including Stanford, Microsoft, Harvard, and Technicolor R&D. The company the Captury, that was spun-off from the GVV group, commercializes research developed in the group to offer an entirely new way of marker-less motion capture.

An applicant should have a Bachelor, preferably Master degree, in computer science or a closely related field. Course work and research experience in one or more of the following areas is desirable: multi-view / 3D scene reconstruction methods, 4D reconstruction, marker-less performance capture, marker-less motion capture, tracking algorithms, 3D Video, general computer graphics concepts.

Applicants should have an excellent academic record, publications in one of the above areas are a plus. A candidate should be fluent in written and spoken English and be willing to travel. Full funding and benefits are provided. Please send a complete application package, including a motivation letter, CV, results of graduate tests (if available), transcripts and certificates, and the contacts of two references to

please use the tag [PhD Application] in the subject of your Email.