Computer vision to drive sports, entertainment and medicine Carnegie Mellon researcher presents world-renowned research in computer vision

DOHA, QATAR – Whether it’s cricket, basketball or football, it can be hard for fans to see all the action in a fast-paced sports game.

That’s why Takeo Kanade, a computer and robotics professor at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, developed “Eye Vision” technology, which allows viewers to see a play as if time is frozen while a camera circles around the action. The effect was first used by CBS Television during the 2001 U.S. Super Bowl, and has the potential to completely change the way people watch sports and entertainment events.

Kanade, one of the world’s foremost researchers in computer vision, spoke to students, faculty and the community as part of the A. Nico Habermann Distinguished Lecture Series in Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar. He inspired students to use their computer science skills to make a difference in the real world.

With Qatar hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup™ in nine years, students and professionals versed in computer vision will be well placed to understand the technical requirements of tomorrow’s broadcasting.

Kanade’s contributions to computer vision and robotics balance theoretical insights with practical, real-world applications. During his presentation, Kanade highlighted other research he has undertaken in the area of computer vision, including vision-based autonomous robots, biological live cell tracking, face image analysis, and water drop illumination.

Kanade recently finished teaching a six-week seminar on computer vision at Carnegie Mellon Qatar.

“Students learn the mathematics of computer science, however they need to understand the importance of applying this to improve human behavior and their physical surroundings,” Kanade said.

“Computer vision and robotics connect computer science with the physical world that we live in,” he added.

By transforming itself into a knowledge-based economy, Qatar provides an interesting opportunity for Kanade’s work. “Creating a core of expertise is integral to fuel the industry and computer science students here in Qatar are central to further developing society through technology.

“I am really impressed by the vision of the students here, I hope they go away from this course excited about the things they can do through combining math, science and technology – they can create innovations to help us in our day-to-day lives,” Kanade said.

Kanade is the U. A. and Helen Whitaker University Professor of Computer Science and Robotics at Carnegie Mellon. He received his doctorate in electrical engineering from Kyoto University, Japan, in 1974 and joined Carnegie Mellon University in 1980. He was the director of the Robotics Institute from 1992 to 2001 as well as the founding director of the Quality of Life Technology Center from 2006 to 2012. He also founded the Digital Human Research Center in Tokyo and served as the founding director from 2001 to 2010.