I am looking for a postdoc to join my research group Graphics, Vision & Video (GVV) at the Max-Planck-Institute (MPI) for Informatics in Saarbruecken, Germany. Me and my group work on challenging research problems on the boundary between computer graphics, computer vision and and human-computer interaction.

One major line of research is our work on new methods for high-quality reconstruction of static and dynamic scene models in general environments using only few cameras. We develop state-of-the-art marker-less skeletal motion capture approaches for full-body and hands (some of our techniques form the basis for the award-winning startup www.thecaptury.com), and develop methods for highly accurate and dense reconstruction of deformable scenes using only a sparse camera set or even a single camera (including performance capture of full body and face). In this context, we also developed some of the most advanced inverse rendering methods that enable us to estimate scene appearance and scene lighting in general environments. Recently, we started to investigate how methods for detailed dense static and dynamic scene reconstruction and inverse rendering can be empowered to run in real-time. Another important part of recent algorithmic advancements is the development of new machine learning techniques that work in tandem with our state-of-the-art model-driven approaches.

A second important line of work, which cross-fertilizes with our work on reconstruction, is the development of new methods for user-centric video editing and exploration of large video collections.

GVV Publications (by year)
GVV Publications

The core mission of the Max-Planck-Institute for Informatics is foundational research. The institute offers great facilities, a very friendly and dynamic environment, and great support for international researchers and their families. The postdoc will conduct research in the core area of work of the GVV group. The group lives a very collaborative working style and a postdoc will have the chance to work with and co-advise PhD students. Candidates should have profound experience in computer vision and/or graphics, specifically in the GVV group's areas of research. Additionally, expertise in machine learning techniques in the context of vision and graphics is desirable. The position is fully funded, including full social benefits.

Applicants should have an outstanding research record as demonstrated by publications in top tier vision / graphics conferences and journals. The candidate should be fluent in written and spoken English and be willing to travel. Please send a complete application package, including a CV, transcripts and certificates, and the contacts of two references to

Prof. Dr. Christian Theobalt
MPI for Informatics
theobalt - at - mpi-inf.mpg.de
Plase use the tag [Postdoc Application] in the subject of your Email.

About the Research Group

Christian Theobalt is a Professor of Computer Science and the head of the research group "Graphics, Vision, & Video" at the Max-Planck-Institute (MPI) for Informatics, Saarbruecken, Germany. Most of his research deals with algorithmic problems that lie on the boundary between the fields of Computer Vision and Computer Graphics, such as static and dynamic 3D scene reconstruction, marker-less motion capture, computer animation, appearance and reflectance modeling, machine learning for graphics and vision, new sensors for 3D acquisition, advanced video processing, as well as image- and physically-based rendering. For his work, he received several awards, including the Otto Hahn Medal of the Max-Planck Society in 2007, the EUROGRAPHICS Young Researcher Award in 2009, and the German Pattern Recognition Award 2012. In 2015 he was elected one of the top 40 innovation leaders under the age of 40 in Germany by the magazine Capital. Further, in 2013 he was awarded an ERC Starting Grant by the European Union, the most prestigious and most competitive grant for individual researchers. He is a Principal Investigator and a member of the Steering Committee of the Intel Visual Computing Institute in Saarbruecken. He is also a co-founder of a spin-off company from his group - www.thecaptury.com - that is commercializing marker-less motion and performance capture solutions.

Several of our recent projects received attention in popular press, e.g.
http://www.theverge.com/2015/10/15/9541985/Real-time-expression-transfer-facial-reenactment
(Face Reenactment)

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 for Informatics has a vibrant, innovation-driven, and highly international working atmosphere. The working language is English. MPI-INF is embedded in a unique highly international cluster of computer science research. Around 400 PhD students in CS do research in the different CS institutes on campus under the roof of a joint CS graduate school. 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 Intel Visual Computing Institute (IVCI), the Excellence Cluster Multimodal Computing and Interaction, the new federal research center on IT Security, Privacy and Accountability (CISPA), and the Computer Science Department of Saarland University. The Leibniz Center for Informatics in Schloss Dagstuhl is also located nearby. (www.informatik-saarland.de)