ETH ZURICH - ETH - Finanzen und Controlling

Knowledge and technology transfer
Walt Disney at ETH Zurich
Partnerships with industry are interesting for
ETH Zurich for many reasons. In 2008, ETH
Zurich entered into a partnership that is
inspiring in every way with the Walt Disney
Corporation. This means that ETH Zurich is
Disney’s first research base in Europe. In the
autumn, the new Disney research laboratory
commenced its work in ETH Zurich premises.
In order to develop the latest technologies, the US American
entertainment company relies on partnerships with
leading universities. This is why Disney and ETH Zurich have
established a joint research laboratory in Zurich in a partnership
due to last for at least five years. The laboratory
carries out its research in close cooperation with the Department
of Computer Science at ETH Zurich, especially the
laboratory for computer graphics and computer animation.
Ideal conditions: young
talent and expertise at the
heart of Europe.
ETH Zurich is providing the premises and the infrastructure.
In the medium term, up to 20 researchers will work there,
financed by Disney, and Disney and the Department of
Computer Science are also sharing the cost of four postgraduate
positions. In addition to the actual research collaboration,
highly skilled researchers and engineers from
Disney will also become involved in ETH teaching by giving
lectures and colloquia. “The sharing of ideas between Disney
specialists and ETH researchers under the same roof
greatly benefits creativity,” says Professor Markus Gross of
the Department of Computer Science and Director of the
new laboratory.
The laboratory at ETH will work mainly on computer animation,
geometric modelling, computer photography, image
generation, video processing, artificial intelligence and robotics.
One focus for research, for example, will be 3D computer
animation. Nowadays, cartoons such as “Toy Story”
and “Finding Nemo” are based on computer animation.
Even in other films, though, more and more characters or
scenes are computer-generated. There is still a great deal of
room for improvement in the use of computer-generated
doubles for actors.
Expressing emotions, for example, is still a major challenge.
Being true to life here does not mean being as perfect as
possible but as natural as possible. That is why the researchers
in Zurich are working on using algorithms to impart
lifelike facial lines to the artificial faces of their figures,
which calls for complex numerical simulations. A second
focus for research will be new technologies for film production,
and in the longer term other ETH areas such as artificial
intelligence and robotics will also contribute to the
research carried out at the Disney laboratory.
For Markus Gross it is obvious that ETH Zurich will benefit
just as much from its partnership with the global entertainment
corporation as Walt Disney will benefit from the innovative
spirit at ETH. “It’s the complexity of the problems
that makes Disney attractive for us. They offer unique potential
for applied research,” explains Gross. “Film animations
are becoming more and more sophisticated, the technology
in theme parks is ever more advanced and the
world’s largest sports channel ESPN is increasingly being
presented using high-quality software technology – in
short, innovative information technology is needed in all
kinds of ways.” The associated issues, for example the management
and archiving of vast quantities of data, are central
not only to the entertainment industry but to many
other sectors too. And, for its part, ETH offers a critical
mass of talent and expertise, the like of which it would not
be easy to find anywhere else in the world.
Laboratory for computer graphics and computer animations:
www.graphics.ethz.ch
34 ETH Zurich annual report 2008