Graphics-Technology Expert David Kirk and Award-winning Human-Computer Interaction Pioneer Jun Rekimoto to speak at the highly anticipated 2nd ACM SIGGRAPH Conference and Exhibition in Asia.

SIGGRAPH Asia 2009 will be held in Pacifico Yokohama, Japan from 16-19 December. Amongst the multi-disciplinary programs, these two featured speakers at the conference are just one of the many highlights for the 8,000 attendees expected to gather in this annual digital media event.

David Kirk, a leading scientist and multi-award winner in the field of graphic-technology will speak on "The Power of Heterogeneous Computing", reviewing the evolution of GPU technology. Modern GPUs are revolutionizing scientific visualization, visual effects and many other applications in computer graphics. They are accelerating routine processes and revealing new possibilities that were only futuristic speculation a few years ago. The traditional graphics processors used to be special-purpose, hardwired devices that support a limited range of graphics applications. Now they are replaced by fully programmable, massively parallel, floating-point processors that accelerate many applications by two folds of magnitude or more. Through his featured talk, Kirk will also share his vision how current work in academic and industrial labs around the world will be applied to future generations of computer graphics systems.

David Kirk is an NVIDIA Fellow and served from 1997 to 2009 as NVIDIA's chief scientist, a role in which he led the development of graphics technology for today's most popular consumer entertainment platforms.

The California Institute of Technology (CIT) honoured Kirk in 2009 with a Distinguished Alumni Award, its highest honour, for his work in the graphics-technology industry. He was elected in 2006 to the National Academy of Engineering for his role in bringing high-performance graphics to personal computers. In 2002, Kirk received the SIGGRAPH Computer Graphics Achievement Award for his role in bringing high-performance computer graphics systems to the mass market. Kirk has invented 50 patents and patent applications relating to graphics design and he has also published extensively in the field of graphics technology. He holds BS and MS degrees in mechanical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and MS and PhD degrees in computer science from CIT.

Jun Rekimoto, Professor at the University of Tokyo and the Founding Director of the Interaction Laboratory within the Sony Computer Science Laboratories will speak on "Enhanced Realities". In his featured talk, he will discuss the shift of focus of human computer interactions from improving individual devices to the enhancement of more connected activities and communications. He will further examine how pervasive connectivity based on advanced sensing technologies, and large-scale fusion of real and digital worlds, will change our physical space, and what the user interface challenges will be as ubiquitous computing rapidly penetrates our everyday lives.

Currently a Professor in the Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies at The University of Tokyo, Rekimoto is a pioneer in the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). Rekimoto's works have been in the forefront of applying new technologies to interaction. His research explored a range of highly innovative techniques for combining the digital and physical worlds. Rekimoto's clever devices and interaction techniques have extended the reach of interactive technologies into the everyday world, and represent some of the best work in computer augmented environments, tangible interaction, and mobile computing. He invented various innovative interactive systems and sensing technologies, including NaviCam (a hand-held AR system), Pick-and-Drop (a direct-manipulation technique for inter-appliance computing), CyberCode (the world's first marker-based AR system), Augmented Surfaces, and two of the earliest representations of multi-touch systems The HoloWall, and SmartSkin.

In 2007, Rekimoto was also elected to the ACM SIGCHI (Special Interest Group in Human-Computer Interaction) Academy. The CHI Academy is an honorary group of individuals who have made extensive contributions to the study of HCI and who have led the shaping of the field.

Rekimoto is also a well-published author of more than hundreds of articles in the area of human-computer interactions, including ACM SIGCHI, and ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology. He received the Multi-Media Grand Prix Technology Award from the Multi-Media Contents Association Japan in 1998, the iF Interaction Award in 2000, the Japan Inter-Design Award in 2003, and the iF Communication Design Award in 2005.

For more information on SIGGRAPH Asia 2009 program updates, please visit www.siggraph.org/asia2009.

About SIGGRAPH
Asia The 2nd ACM SIGGRAPH Conference and Exhibition on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques in Asia will take place in Pacifico Yokohama, Japan. Featuring an international conference from 16-19 December 2009, SIGGRAPH Asia 2009 offers works that provoke thoughts, explore ideas in innovative ways, address contemporary issues, interactively engage viewers in discovery, and stimulate their intellect and creativity through art, computer animation, courses, education, new technologies, technical papers, sketches and posters.

SIGGRAPH Asia 2009 also features a trade exhibition of products and services from the computer graphics and interactive marketplace. Held from 17-19 December 2009, it is also a recruitment ground for job seekers to meet potential employers. Sponsored by ACM, SIGGRAPH Asia 2009 is expected to to bring together 8,000 - 10,000 computer graphics and interactive technology professionals and enthusiasts from Asia and beyond. For more information, please visit www.siggraph.org/asia2009.

The inaugural SIGGRAPH Asia 2008 was a resounding success. Artists, researchers, developers, gaming experts, filmmakers, as well as academics from 49 countries gathered in Singapore, spending four exciting days to discover new products, talents, technology and techniques in the digital media industry. In all, a total of 49 countries were represented in an array of thought-provoking works and breakthrough ideas presented at the show. For more information, please visit www.siggraph.org/asia2008.

About ACM
The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) SIGGRAPH sponsors SIGGRAPH Asia 2009. ACM is an educational and scientific society uniting the world's computing educators, researchers, and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources and address the field's challenges. ACM strengthens the profession's collective voice through strong leadership, promotion of the highest standards, and recognition of technical excellence. ACM supports the professional growth of its members by providing opportunities for life-long learning, career development, and professional networking.