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Institute Affiliation:
California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology
Contact Information:
Phone:
858-822-0415
Email:
henrik@cs.ucsd.edu
Personal Home Page
Research Page
| | Henrik Wann Jensen - Associate Professor
Computer graphics, specializing in the rendering of realistic images of natural phenomena,
global illumination and appearance modeling.
One of Professor Jensen's major contributions is the photon mapping algorithm for
simulating global illumination in complex, three-dimensional scenes such as those used in architecture, design,
and visual effects for film. His photon mapping technique extends ray tracing and makes it possible to simulate
effects such as caustics (focused light, such as shimmering waves at the bottom of a swimming pool), diffuse
inter-reflection (e.g., the bleeding of colored light from a red wall onto a white floor, giving the floor a
reddish tint), and participating media (e.g., clouds, smoke, and fire). The photon mapping method is very
practical and it has been widely adopted in industry, since it makes it possible to render images of virtual
scenes that are indistinguishable from photographs. Jensen also developed the first methods capable of
rendering translucent materials such as snow, marble, milk, and human skin. His approach is based on a
mathematical model that describes how light scatters inside translucent materials. Even though this research
is very recent it is already being used extensively in the movie industry, and it is expected to result in
the first truely photorealistic digital human. Jensen has described his photon mapping method for rendering
images in his book "Realistic Image Synthesis Using Photon Mapping," published by AK Peters in July 2001, and
in a Japanese translatation by Omsha Ltd. in July 2002. He has lectured on the subject to computer graphics
artists at major digital-effects companies including Sony Imageworks, Disney, Pixar, and Industrial Light & Magic.
His work has been widely profiled in international media.
Capsule Bio:
Henrik Wann Jensen joined the UCSD faculty in July 2002 following three years as a
research associate at Stanford University. Before Stanford, he was a post-doctoral researcher in the graphics
group at MIT, and between 1996-98 a research scientist in industry working on visual effects software. He
received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the Technical University of Denmark in 1996. In 2004, Professor Jensen
received an Academy Award (Technical Achievement Award) from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
for pioneering research in rendering translucent materials. He also became a Sloan Fellow and he was selected
as one of the top 10 scientists in 2004 by Popular Science magazine.
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