Visual Computing (Scientific American Library)

An incredible revolution in technology, visual computing allows us to create three-dimensional worlds to explore phenomena that otherwise would be unfathomable. It is not merely a new way to make images--it is a new way to think.

Written by two leaders in the field, Visual Computing helps readers understand the nature of visual computing by drawing on concepts from computer science, vision and cognitive science, and the visual arts. From the history of computer graphics to the research that is shaping this new technology, Visual Computing tells the exciting story of how scientists are linking the tremendous visual powers of human beings to the tireless and unlimited computational power of the computer. The result has had an impact on nearly every area of science, engineering, medicine, design, and entertainment--as well as on the fantastic growth of the Internet.

Abundantly illustrated using classical works of art as well as computer imagery, Visual Computing is a celebration of an amazing new field whose potential is limitless.

RICHARD MARK FRIEDHOFF is a scientist and technologist working in the areas of computer science and human perception. He has been associated with many corporations and institutions, including the Polaroid Corporation; Silicon Graphics, Inc.; the University of California; Dolby Laboratories; and the Rowland Institute for Science. His research has focused on human/computer interactions and computer models of color perception. He is coauthor with William Benzon of the widely praised Visualization: The Second Computer Revolution (W. H. Freeman and Company, 1991).

MARK S. PEERCY is a principal engineer in advanced graphics at Silicon Graphics, Inc., in Mountain View, California, where he develops hardware and software technology for visual computers. His research has included the computational modeling of light based on human color perception, and his current focus is procedural lighting and shading for interactive visual computing.