News

2024.12.9

The Art & Technology Lab (AT Lab), a convergence arts center at the Korea National University of Arts (President Dae-jin Kim), participated in SIGGRAPH Asia 2024, held in Tokyo, Japan from December 3 to 6.

SIGGRAPH Asia is the world’s largest conference and exhibition dedicated to computer graphics and interactive technologies. It serves as a global platform for sharing the latest innovations and research trends in fields such as science, gaming, education, CGI, and animation, and is a hub where related companies and institutions showcase emerging technologies.

AT Lab is currently leading the 2024 Global Culture Technology (CT) Specialist Training Project, supported by the Korea Creative Content Agency. As part of this initiative, the lab runs a program titled "Production-Based and Emotion-Cognitive AI Foundation for XR Content Technology Experts." AT Lab showcased two works and academic poster papers created through its internal curriculum, applying the results of this project, at the event.

                                                                                                     <Siggraf Asia 2024 K-ARTS Participating Papers Posters 2 Types>

The first study, conducted in collaboration with Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), focused on designing an Empathy Scoring System (ESS) to strengthen the emotional connection between users and AI characters in VR content. Building upon previous research projects such as Diamond Dust and user surveys, the study aimed to improve the precision of emotional recognition. By enhancing conversational capabilities and interaction with AI characters, the research demonstrated potential applications in education, therapy, and entertainment.

The second study, carried out in partnership with 3D commerce content company Ricon Labs, explored a new method of expressing 3D objects using Gaussian Splatting—a technology typically focused on minimizing noise for photorealistic 3D rendering. In contrast, this study intentionally amplified noise to express the abstract aesthetics of traditional Korean masks, offering a fresh perspective on 3D expression through artistic interpretation.

Additionally, attention-grabbing works such as ⟪Fly to You⟫—which were officially invited to the 2024 Ars Electronica Festival and the Kaohsiung International Film Festival—were also exhibited.

Lee Seung-moo, Director of AT Lab, the organizer of the project, commented, “SIGGRAPH is a valuable opportunity not only to broaden academic horizons but also to expand our network with professionals in the industry.”