From computer graphics to data visualization, computers play an increasingly important role in how we see the world. Today’s software is capable of both creating rich images in two and three dimensions and rapidly digesting data from photo and video, enabling applications in computer vision and scientific observation. As such, nearly every corner of CS — including machine learning, human-computer interaction, computing and database architectures, and data science — interacts with the visual dimension.

UChicago researchers in visual computing explore every angle of this relationship, both creating and understanding visual data. They’re building new AI-driven approaches for 3D data, enhancing how humans and machines create together. Others develop novel software and systems for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting scientific data, from microscopic images to astronomical surveys. And with researchers at the Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago (TTIC), they’re pushing forward the abilities of computer vision, enabling technologies such as autonomous vehicles, robotics, and image recognition for science and industry.