Carlos A. Vanegas

Graduate Student
Department of Computer Science
Purdue University

Computer Graphics and Visualization Lab

305 N. University St.
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2066

Email:

I am a third-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Computer Science at Purdue University, and a Research Assistant at the Computer Graphics and Visualization Lab, where I currently work with Prof. Daniel Aliaga.

My research is focused on procedural methods for fast design and editing of 3D urban models. Modeling the appearance and behavior of urban spaces is a great challenge for computer graphics and urban simulation, due to the size and detail of urban structures, and the complex socioeconomic rules that determine the evolution of a city. These two disciplines have traditionally worked in isolation, in spite of the many applications to which they are both relevant, including urban planning, emergency response, mapping, visualization, and entertainment.

My goal is to show that a concurrent behavioral and geometrical simulation significantly benefits the design, editing, and prediction of large-scale 3D urban models by (i) inferring the values for multiple parameters and decision choices which in turn reduces design time, (ii) enforcing the 3D generation process to produce models that behaviorally and geometrically resemble plausible real-world cities, and (iii) augmenting the simulation to consider changes in the urban landscape geometry resulting in improved simulation accuracy over long time horizons and in more simulated urban phenomena.

I was born and raised in Medellín, Colombia. This has defined my life goals and ideas more than I ever expected, as a result of my deep, conflicting admiration and aversion towards many customs and values of my country. I have a significant interest in understanding the sociopolitical events taking place around the world, and attempt to be severe to myself when it comes to social and environmental awareness. I love traveling (particularly to France and Colombia) and visiting new countries, and have been fascinated by Geography and Foreign Languages during most of my life. I have also played classical piano since I was a child, and this is by far the most effective way for me to briefly escape from everything else. I must have spent hundreds of hours throughout the last four years trying to play Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue completely. I will succeed one day, but will never stop wondering if I should have tried to become a professional pianist instead.