The Center for Computer Graphics and Virtual Reality was established in March 1998 to nurture and produce professionals of international standards and to develop creative technology through research in the interaction between computers and people, and visual communications, which is seen as the primary factor for the paradigm shift in the information society.
It was designated as the ITRC (Information Technology Research Center) in August of 2000 under the Ministry of Information and Communications’ project for university information and communications research center support.
The center is one of the few research institutes which own a variety of high-tech imaging and display equipment essential for research related to virtual/mixed reality techniques. It has rendered distinguished services by contributing to import substitution through the construction of a ‘PC-based CAVE-like system with four-sided display’.
Currently, the center is conducting two main interdisciplinary convergent research projects:
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- Development of a real-time physics simulation engine for e-Entertainment, supported by the IT R&D Program of the MKE (Ministry of Knowledge Economy), and
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- High-resolution time-spatial bio-cell image computing, supported by the Acceleration Research Program of the MEST (Ministry of Education, Science and Technology).
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Its main areas of research include virtual and mixed reality technology to create human-centered digital spaces (HCI, VR displays, immersive 3D digital sound), and real-time computer graphics (digital human body modeling, natural phenomena modeling, intelligent virtual characters).
The newly developed technologies are applied to practical fields such as automotive and architectural design to test their feasibility. Approved technologies are then transferred to relevant industries, contributing to Korea’s industrialization.
The center has also demonstrated its academic value through numerous awards and papers presented at prestigious academic journals and symposiums both domestically and internationally.
In July 2003, it received international attention at the SIGGRAPH computer graphics symposium held in San Diego, U.S., by showcasing its first-person VR shooting game, Alice in Virtual World. In 2004, it won first place in the symposium’s special contest, Real Time 3DX: Demo or Die, gaining recognition for its outstanding and innovative technology.
The center has also received global recognition, including being featured as the cover image of the Journal of Visualization and Computer Animation, winning the Best Paper Award from Elsevier’s Computers & Graphics, and being selected among the Top 50 Outstanding Research Achievements by the National Research Foundation of Korea.
Other notable achievements include the Best Paper Award at the ACM Symposium on Solid Modeling and Applications, the Best Poster Award at Geometric Modeling and Processing, the Outstanding Research Cases Award from the Korea Research Foundation, and the unanimous Best Paper Award at the international CAD Conference.
In January 2004, the center established a research branch at the Computer Graphics Lab (CGL) of ETH Zurich, the second most prestigious engineering university in the world, and has since been actively engaged in collaborative research.
It also serves as a bridge for global technology exchange through joint research with institutions in Europe (Germany, France, etc.), the U.S., and Japan, the co-hosting of international symposiums, and guest lectures by world-renowned scholars.
The center continues to train researchers equipped with modern global theories and hands-on research experience, reinforcing its role as a leader in the field of computer graphics and virtual reality.