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Carnegie Mellon Qatar continues its Distinguished Lecture Series

Renowned researcher and professor Takeo Kanade, Ph.D., from the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon Pittsburgh is the 4th speaker in the series

DOHA, QATAR - Renowned researcher and robotics professor Takeo Kanade, Ph.D., engaged a large audience at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar in a lively and intriguing talk entitled "Research on robotics and vision." Kanade visited Qatar as the fourth speaker in Carnegie Mellon Qatar's Distinguished Lecture Series.

Kanade spoke at length on his 'moment of fame' as a researcher. This moment came in 2001 when the CBS television network contracted with Kande to test new technology he was co-developing. Eye Vision, as CBS called it, involved shooting multiple video images from multiple cameras placed at different angles during the Super Bowl XXXV game. Computers then combined the video streams from the state-of-the-art cameras, and the resulting images gave viewers the feeling they were flying through the scenes.

The similar feeling of rotating around the scene was used in the major motion picture The Matrix. The unique EyeVision technology was proven to be more than just hi-tech entertainment when it was used to decide a crucial play near the end of the game.

Kanade also spoke of his work on the analysis of facial images and video to recognize people and understanding human expressions. He showed dynamic videos of how he conducts his research, develops his projects and brings them to fruition. And also emphasized how much fun he has had over his long and unparalleled career.

Kanade is the U. A. and Helen Whitaker University Professor of Computer Science and Robotics and the director of Quality of Life Technology Engineering Research Center at Carnegie Mellon University. A pioneer in the field of robotics and vision, he is also the director of Digital Human Research Center in Tokyo, Japan, which he founded in 2001. Kanade has won countless awards in his 30-year career, and has mentored hundreds of Carnegie Mellon students.

The Distinguished Lecture Series was created in 2007 as a way to expand the breadth of educational opportunities offered by Carnegie Mellon Qatar. People from all over the world who have different messages and different areas of expertise are invited to Education City to speak to university students and guests from the community. These events help Carnegie Mellon students see where their education can be plugged in once they graduate.

Another great aspect of the Distinguished Lecture Series is that it gives Carnegie Mellon Qatar an opportunity to show that the university has more to offer than undergraduate degrees in business administration, computer science and information systems. Members of the Doha community are welcome to attend the lectures and engage in dialogue with the speaker as well as the students, staff and faculty at Education City.

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ABOUT CARNEGIE MELLON
With more than a century of academic excellence and innovative research, Carnegie Mellon University is a global leader in education with real-world applications. Consistently top ranked, Carnegie Mellon offers a distinct mix of programs to its 10,000 students at campuses around the globe. Core values of innovation, creativity, problem solving and collaborative teamwork provide the foundation for everything we do.

At the invitation of Qatar Foundation, Carnegie Mellon joined Education City in 2004. Here, Qatar Foundation has created a world-class center for scholarship and research that is the ideal complement to Carnegie Mellon's tradition of innovation through collaboration. Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar offers its highly regarded undergraduate programs in business administration, computer science and information systems to students in Qatar and the Gulf Region.

© Press Release 2008