PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Choreographing light

EPFL scientists have developed an algorithm to control light patterns called "caustics" and organize them into coherent images

Choreographing light
2012-11-13
(Press-News.org) It's a simple, transparent acrylic plate – nothing embedded within it and nothing printed on its surface. Place it at a certain angle between a white wall and a light source, and a clear, coherent image appears of the face of Alan Turing, the famous British mathematician and father of modern computer science.

There's no magic here; the only thing at work is the relief on the plaque's surface and a natural optical phenomenon known as a "caustic," which researchers in EPFL's Computer Graphics and Geometry Laboratory have succeeded in bending to their will. Their research was presented recently at the Advances in Architectural Geometry Conference in Paris.

"With the technique that we've developed, we can compose any image we want, from a simple form such as a star to complex representations such as faces or landscapes," explains EPFL professor Mark Pauly, head of the laboratory, who conducted the study with four other scientists*.

This "caustic" effect is well known and easy to observe; a bit of sunlight shining on a pool of water produces patterns that dance on the surrounding tiles or walls. These undulating lines, apparently random, are generated by light that hits the moving surface of a pool or puddle. This effect, which is very mobile and dynamic in liquid, produces static patterns with solid transparent materials such as glass or transparent acrylic (better known as Plexiglass).

Deviated trajectories

Scientifically, this phenomenon can be explained by light refraction. When light rays hit a transparent surface, they continue their trajectory but are bent as a function of the surface geometry and optical properties of the material. The light passing through is thus not uniformly distributed. It gets concentrated in certain points, forming some zones that are more intense and others that are more shaded.

Pauly and his colleagues studied the principles of this distribution, and were able to identify the curves and undulations they would need to give to the surface in order to direct the beams of light to a desired area. They then developed an algorithm to calculate the trajectories very precisely and thus form a specific image.

One of the most interesting and eagerly awaited applications of this method is in architecture. It could be applied to display cases, windows, fountains, and ornamentations on museums and monuments. In design it could be used for decorating glasses, vases, carafes, jewelry and many other objects. It has considerable potential in other, more technical applications as well, such as automobile headlights and projectors.



INFORMATION:

See the Youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NXNAIqU8KM

*Thomas Kiser (EPFL), Michael Eigensatz (Evolute), Minh Man Nguyen (WAO) and Philippe Bompas.


[Attachments] See images for this press release:
Choreographing light

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Policy considerations pose options for leaders to reduce costly disparities in diabetes

2012-11-13
ANN ARBOR, Michigan (November 13, 2012) – As newly elected or reelected national leaders consider paths forward for continued implementation of the Affordable Care Act, an innovative, locally-implemented program focused on reducing disparities in diabetes is releasing a new set of policy considerations to help inform decisions on national health policy. The Alliance to Reduce Disparities in Diabetes, a national program launched and supported by The Merck Company Foundation, released "Policy Considerations That Make the Link," that offers policymakers options for ways ...

Are there risks involved in using a debt settlement company?

2012-11-13
Are there risks involved in using a debt settlement company? In Kentucky and across the country, many Americans are struggling to pay their bills, often accumulating large debts in the process. When faced with mounting debts, it can be difficult for people to know how best to tackle the problem. When someone does not have enough money coming in to pay for necessities, finding a way to put a stop to the ever-increasing bills can seem difficult, if not impossible. Unfortunately, some companies are seeking to exploit those in difficult financial situations by making ...

Buying a Home in New York City: Co-op or Condo?

2012-11-13
Buying a home in New York City: co-op or condo? The decision to purchase a home is always a complicated one. However, in the New York City housing market, the process can be even more convoluted. In addition to deciding what neighborhood to live in, how much space they need and how much they can afford to pay, purchasers must also make the important decision between buying a co-op or a condo. In many ways, condos and co-ops are very similar. Both involve buying into a common-interest housing development. However, purchasers of condos and co-ops are buying different ...

Not All "Smiles" For Those Charged Under Florida Synthetic Drug Bans

2012-11-13
Not All "Smiles" For Those Charged Under Florida Synthetic Drug Bans There's a new designer drug on Florida's streets, and it's got concerned citizens in an uproar. Known as "smiles," the new synthetic compound has been linked to violent behavior and even several deaths. Makers of synthetic drugs are constantly working to create new chemical compounds that stay ahead of laws that ban specific substances. But as the law becomes more complex, store owners who sell potpourri, incense and other seemingly innocuous substances have to be increasingly ...

Attorney Andrew Weinstein a Featured Speaker at the Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law Center

2012-11-13
Attorney Andrew Weinstein, managing partner and founder of the South Florida-based Weinstein Law Firm (www.weinstein-law.com) recently spoke as a guest lecturer at the Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law Center. Andrew's presentation, given to students in the Electoral Process class, focused on Federal campaign finance law and his experiences serving as a member of President Obama's National Finance Committee and as a national co-chair of Lawyers for Obama. "It was an honor to be asked to speak to the students and to share my experience with federal ...

Dallas Lighthouse Doubles Customer Expectations Thanks to NIB Grant

2012-11-13
Dallas Lighthouse for the Blind (DLB) today announced that the recent award of a Compensation and Productivity Improvement (CPI) grant from National Industries of the Blind (NIB) to update equipment, upgrade software and obtain training for employees, has resulted in surpassing customer expectations for a contact center by increasing daily call volume productivity by 40 percent. "Currently, the employees working on this project are exceeding the customer's expectations by placing more than 20,000 calls per month with a success rate of 70 percent," said DLB ...

Writer Alyce Wilson Vying to Become America's Next Author

2012-11-13
Author and poet Alyce Wilson hopes her short story about a woman who gets supernatural help to find love will be the magic key to win America's Next Author 2012. Wilson is competing with over 350 writers to win the most reader votes and social media mentions. The winner will receive $5,000 and a chance at publication. Wilson's story, "Dating Safari," follows a 30-something office worker who's been unlucky with romance. Thanks to a pendant, which may or may not contain magical powers, the protagonist uncovers truths about herself and her taste in men. But will ...

Seattle-Area Gourmet Kitchen Store Poggi Bonsi Chosen by the Italian Trade Commission to Participate in "Tuscan Home," an Event Celebrating the Quality and Craftsmanship of Tuscany.

2012-11-13
This summer, Poggi Bonsi, a woman-owned independent retailer specializing in imported ceramics and gourmet kitchenware, was selected by the Italian Trade Commission, Artex, and Promozione Toscana as one of 15 stores from across the country to participate in "Tuscan Home." This promotion was developed to enable small artisan manufacturers in Tuscany to connect with independent retail store owners in the United States. The "Tuscan Home" event featuring newly arrived Tuscan ceramics, hand selected during the promotion this summer, will run December 9-13, ...

Realty Direct's John Yu Serves Up Everyone's Dream Home, Boston Style

2012-11-13
For a firm that prides itself on recognizing leading entrepreneurs in the real estate market, welcoming Bostonian realtor John Yu has been Realty Direct's most recent gratifying achievement. And think twice before disagreeing with them - Yu is a former competitor turned ally. "John has sold over 20 million dollars worth of homes; I've seen his marketing everywhere and competed with John for years," said Tom Truong, Realty Direct President. "I'm glad that we're now on the same team." John's fascination with realty began at an early age with numerous ...

Don Barnhart's New Film Reefer Rendum Explores America's Different Laws Regarding the Legalization and Recreational Use of Marijuana

2012-11-13
Comedy Hypnotist Don Barnhart's New Documentary Reefer Rendum Explores America's Prohibition On Marijuana "The movie was inspired while I was performing my hypnosis shows in Colorado and they passed Amendment 64 legalizing the recreational use of marijuana", states Barnhart. "My hypnosis CDs are already featured in many of the medical marijuana clinics as another alternative source of both physical and mental health". Barnhart's comedic background takes a humorous approach to the controversial subject with interviews by celebrities, law enforcement, ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Printed skin to replace animal testing

Precision medicine could be possible in the fight against antibiotic resistance

Researchers at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University identify new targeted approach to protect neurons against degeneration

Western diet causes inflammation, traditional African food protects

Electrochemical method supports nitrogen circular economy

How researchers are shining a light on kidney disease

Some gut bacteria could make certain drugs less effective

PEPITEM sequence shows effects in psoriasis, comparable to steroid cream

Older teens who start vaping post-high school risk rapid progress to frequent use

Corpse flowers are threatened by spotty recordkeeping

Riding the AI wave toward rapid, precise ocean simulations

Are lifetimes of big appliances really shrinking?

Pink skies

Monkeys are world’s best yodellers - new research

Key differences between visual- and memory-led Alzheimer’s discovered

% weight loss targets in obesity management – is this the wrong objective?

An app can change how you see yourself at work

NYC speed cameras take six months to change driver behavior, effects vary by neighborhood, new study reveals

New research shows that propaganda is on the rise in China

Even the richest Americans face shorter lifespans than their European counterparts, study finds

Novel genes linked to rare childhood diarrhea

New computer model reveals how Bronze Age Scandinavians could have crossed the sea

Novel point-of-care technology delivers accurate HIV results in minutes

Researchers reveal key brain differences to explain why Ritalin helps improve focus in some more than others

Study finds nearly five-fold increase in hospitalizations for common cause of stroke

Study reveals how alcohol abuse damages cognition

Medicinal cannabis is linked to long-term benefits in health-related quality of life

Microplastics detected in cat placentas and fetuses during early pregnancy

Ancient amphibians as big as alligators died in mass mortality event in Triassic Wyoming

Scientists uncover the first clear evidence of air sacs in the fossilized bones of alvarezsaurian dinosaurs: the "hollow bones" which help modern day birds to fly

[Press-News.org] Choreographing light
EPFL scientists have developed an algorithm to control light patterns called "caustics" and organize them into coherent images