Empathy in Point Clouds
Faculty Lead: Dawn Gilpin
Students: Sophia Chen, Qilmeg Dooudatcz, Rishad Hasan, Mardy Hillengas, Sang Won Kang, Xin Li, Yipeng Lin, Ting-Yu Ling , Lili Omilian, Matthew Priskorn, Edward Rapa, Junde Song, Nicole Tooley
Empathy in Point Clouds is a cross-disciplinary team exploring design through point clouds generated from 3D laser scanning of large-scale landscapes, buildings, objects, and situations. EPIC team writes and refines workflows and methods to integrate LiDAR scanning, photogrammetry, and technologies to architectural education. Gaming engines such as Unreal Engine enable world building of spatial narratives and speculative fictions. Physical models of spatial ideas are scanned and integrated into the site point cloud to not only access site measure but also views from and light modulation of apertures, and a general experience of the space as anticipated by the author. A point cloud is a set of data points usually displayed in an X, Y, and Z Cartesian coordinate system. Each data point represents the surface of an object, so the generation of point clouds is often associated with survey work. Where a detailed image of a surface is required. 3D laser scanners are used to capture a 3D object, the output from the laser scanner, the raw point cloud data, which may be further processed into a polygonal mesh through a process called surface reconstruction. The object mesh would then be further augmented by adding texture mapping and other lighting effects to produce, if desired, a photo realistic model of the object. It is the raw point clouds and the story behind the points that form the inspiration. Point clouds are a catalyst for wonder and enquiry, providing new perspectives across traditional views. Point clouds force us to wonder what we are looking at. Where and how was this image created? What’s the story behind the data? Supported by FEAST Faculty Engineering Arts Student Teams/MDP Multidisciplinary Programs Taubman College of Architecture + Urban Planning Emerging Technologies Group, Duderstadt Center, and Center for Academic Innovation XR Lab.
