Québec City: A pioneer in 3D research and technologies
Québec City is renowned around the world for its visionary 3D research and development of ahead-of-the-curve 3D technologies. Its thriving 3D sector, part of Québec City’s key industries, has definitely placed the city on the international scene for advances in all things 3D.
And at the heart of this brimming innovation is Mr. Denis Laurendeau and Mr. Jean-François Lalonde, two professors at Université Laval’s Electric Engineering and Computer Engineering Department that are affiliated with the university’s Computer Vision and Systems Laboratory (CVSL) and the NSERC/Creaform Industrial Research Chair on 3D Scanning: 3-D CREATION.
As esteemed researchers in 3D technologies, both spearheaded the bid for Québec City to host the International Conference on 3D Vision, a prestigious international event that is being held for the first time in Canada—a well-deserved, accomplished feat for them and the city. The conference, also known as 3DV, will take place from September 16 to 19, 2019.
“The International Conference on 3D Vision actually stems from two former conferences known as 3DIM (Digital Imaging and Modeling) and 3DPVT (Data Processing, Visualization, and Transmission),” explained Mr. Laurendeau. “The first 3DIM conference was actually held in Québec City in 2011. However, once the two conferences joined forces to become the International Conference on 3D Vision, the event was held around the world in Asia, Europe and the United States. For the 2019 edition, it was time it came back to Québec.”
According to Mr. Laurendeau, the conference will welcome respected keynote speakers, including Kyros Kutulakos from the University of Toronto, Andrew Davison from the Imperial College in London, and Aaron Courville from the Université de Montréal. “Due to their impressive work in computer vision, computational imaging, AI and machine learning, these speakers will definitely draw huge crowds.”
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Centre des congrès de Québec. Photo: Emmanuel Coveney
The conference’s program plans to be chock-full of 3D research presentations in computer vision and graphics, optical sensors, signal processing, geometric modeling, representation and transmission, visualization and interaction, and a variety of other topics.
However, while the event’s main focus is on research, it nevertheless has a unique goal of bringing together professors and students from higher ed to network with businesses in the 3D sector.
“We want to create opportunities for potential partnerships and leverage both research and field expertise to further 3D vision as a whole.” Québec City’s 3D ecosystem is the perfect springboard for networking due to the close ties between educational institutions, researchers and businesses.
We have had marvelous collaborations with many event partners. We couldn’t have pulled it off without Québec City’s Ambassadors’ Club and Québec City Convention Centre.
Mr. Laurendeau has a long-standing expertise in 3D vision that dates back over 30 years. He was instrumental in developing the world’s first handheld 3D camera that could capture 3D data. That technology has since been patented, further developed, and now used around the globe for many different applications.
“3D technology actually plays a huge role in many aspects of people’s lives; they just don’t necessarily realize it,” said Mr. Laurendeau. “For example, 3D technology is used to inspect the quality of vehicles made before they leave the production line. It is also required to make customized prostheses in healthcare. Furthermore, many museums and archaeologists are taking advantage of 3D technology for heritage preservation.”
Mr. Laurendeau is excited about the upcoming conference. “We have had marvelous collaborations with many event partners. We couldn’t have pulled it off without Québec City’s Ambassadors’ Club and Québec City Convention Centre. They were able to truly understand our vision for the event and are making it into reality,” he added. “We’re looking forward to pushing the 3D technology envelope in September!”
