Professional Interests

Computer Graphics, Computer Vision, Robotics.

Current Position

Senior Scientist, Pixar Animation Studios, 1995 - present.

Previous Positions

• Chief Scientist, FITS Imaging, 1994-1995.
• Principle Scientist, Apple Computer 1988 - 1993.
• Member of Technical Staff, Schlumberger Palo Alto Research, 1984 - 1988.

Education

• Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, 1988.
• M.S., Computer Science, M.I.T., 1984.
• B.A., Artificial Intelligence (Independent Concentration), Princeton University, 1982, Phi Beta Kappa, Summa Cum Laude.

Professional Honors and Awards

• Siggraph Computer Graphics Achievement Award "for his extensive and significant contributions to computer graphics, ranging from image processing to animation to modeling, and in particular for his use of optimization for physical simulation and image segmentation."
• Academy Award, Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, 2005 for "pioneering work in physically-based computer-generated techniques used to simulate realistic cloth in motion pictures" with D. Baraff and A. Witkin.
• 11th most cited paper in computer science according to Citeseer as of 9/14/2010 for "Snakes: Active contour models," Int. J. of Computer Vision, 1988 with D. Terzopoulos and A. Witkin.
• Golden Nica, Prix Ars Electronica 1992 with A. Witkin for the image "Reaction Diffusion Texture Buttons," Linz, Austria.
• Grand Prix, Pixel INA, Imagina, 1991 for the animation "Splash Dance" with G. Miller.
• Marr Prize Honorable Mention for "Snakes: Active contour models," 1st International Conference on Computer Vision, London, 1987 with D. Terzopoulos and A. Witkin.
• Best paper in Perception-Vision, AAAI 1987 for "Energy constraints on deformable models: Recovering shape and non-rigid Motion," with D. Terzopoulos and A. Witkin.
• Honorable Mention, Prix Ars Electronica 1987 for animation "Knot Reel" with A. Witkin and K. Fleischer.
• Nomination, Best paper prize, AAAI 1986 for "Linear image features in stereopsis."
• Grand Prix, Parigraph, 1986 for animation "Knot Reel" with A. Witkin and K. Fleischer.

Publications

Siggraph and ACM Trans. on Graphics publications:

1. M. Kass and D. Pesare, "Coherent noise for non-photorealistic rendering," ACM Trans. Graph. (to appear, Siggraph 2011).
2. M. Kass and J. Solomon, "Smoothed local histogram filters," ACM Trans. Graph. 29(4): (2010).
3. M. Kass and J. Anderson, "Animating oscillatory motion With overlap: wiggly splines," ACM Trans. Graph. 27(3): (2008).
4. David Baraff, A. Witkin and M. Kass, "Untangling cloth," ACM Trans. Graph. 22(3): 862-870 (2003).
5. T. DeRose, M. Kass and T. Truong, "Subdivision surfaces in character animation," Siggraph 1998: 85-94.
6. N. Greene and M. Kass, "Error-bounded antialiased rendering of complex environments," Siggraph 1994: 59-66.
7. N. Greene, M. Kass and G. Miller, "Hierarchical Z-buffer visibility," Siggraph 1993: 231-238.
8. M. Halstead, M. Kass and T. DeRose, "Efficient, fair interpolation using Catmull-Clark surfaces," Siggraph 1993: 35-44.
9. M. Kass, "CONDOR: constraint-based dataflow," Siggraph 1992: 321-330.
10. A. Witkin and M. Kass, "Reaction-diffusion textures," Siggraph 1991: 299-308.
11. M. Kass, G. Miller, "Rapid, stable fluid dynamics for computer graphics," Siggraph 1990: 49-57.
12. A. Witkin, M. Kass, "Spacetime constraints," Siggraph 1988: 159-168.

Other Refereed Journals

1. M. Kass and A. P. Witkin and D. Terzopoulos, "Snakes: Active contour models," International Journal of Computer Vision, 1(4): 321-331, January 1988.
2. M. Kass, "Linear image features in stereopsis," International Journal of Computer Vision, 1(4): 357-368, January 1988.
3. D. Terzopoulos, A. Witkin and M. Kass, "Constraints on deformable models: Recovering 3d shape and nonrigid motion," Artificial Intelligence, 35 1988.
4. A. P. Witkin, D. Terzopoulos and M. Kass, "Signal matching through scale space," International Journal of Computer Vision, 1(2): 133-144, 1987.
5. D. Terzopoulos, A. Witkin and M. Kass, "Symmetry-seeking models and 3D object reconstruction," International Journal of Computer Vision, 1(3): 211-221, 1987.
6. M. Kass and A. Witkin, "Analyzing oriented patterns," Computer Vision, Graphics, and Image Processing 37(3): 362-385, 1987.

Juried Animations

1. A. Witkin and M. Kass, "Reaction Diffusion Textures," Siggraph '91 Electronic Theater
2. M. Kass and G. Miller, "Splash Dance," Siggraph '90 Electronic Theater.
3. G. Miller and M. Kass, "Her Majesty's Secret Serpent," Siggraph '89 Electronic Theater.
4. A. Witkin, M. Kass and K. Fleischer, "Knot Reel," Siggraph '86 Electronic Theater

Refereed Conference Publications

1. M. Gleicher and M. Kass, "An interval refinement technique for surface intersection," Graphics Interface '92: 242-249, May 1992.
2. M. Kass, A. Witkin and D. Terzopoulos, "Snakes: Active contour models," International Conference on Computer Vision (ICCV), IEEE 1987: 259-268, London.
3. D. Terzopoulos, Andrew P. Witkin, M. Kass,"Energy constraints on deformable models: Recovering shape and non-rigid Motion," Proc. AAAI 1987: 755-760.
4. Andrew P. Witkin, D. Terzopoulos, M. Kass, "Signal matching through scale space," Proc. AAAI 1986: 714-719.
5. M. Kass, "Linear image features in stereopsis," Proc. AAAI 1986: 707-713.
6. M. Kass, Andrew P. Witkin, "Analyzing oriented patterns," Proc. IJCAI 1985: 944-952.
7. M. Kass, "A computational framework for the visual correspondence problem," Proc. IJCAI 1983: 1043-1045.

Technical Reports Resulting in Patents

M. Kass, A. Lefohn and J. Owens, "Interactive depth of field using simulated diffusion on a GPU," Pixar Animation Studios Technical Report, 06-01, 2006

Book Chapters:

1. A. Witkin, M. Kass, D. Terzopoulos and Alan Barr, "Linking perception and graphics: modeling with dynamic constraints." In Images and Understanding, Barlow, H. and C. Blakemore and M. Weston-Smith, eds. Cambridge University Press, 1987.
2. M. Kass, "Computing visual correspondence," From Pixels to Predicates: 78-92, Ablex, 1986.

Other Conference Proceedings:

1. M. Kass, "Inverse problems in computer graphics," Creating and Animating the Virtual World (Computer Animation '92, Fourth Workshop on Computer Animation), Springer-Verlag Tokyo, May 1992.
2. David E. Breen, Jeffrey W. Eischen, M. Kass, Nadia Magnenat-Thalmann, Maurizio Vecchione: "Can we get there from here? Current challenges in cloth design, modeling and animation (panel)." Siggraph 1997: 437-439.
3. M. Kass, "Height-field fluids for computer graphics." Winter Simulation Conference 1991: 1194-1198.
4. D. Terzopoulos, A. Witkin, and M. Kass. "Symmetry-seeking elastic models in vision." Proc. ARVO 88, volume 29.

Pixar Film Credits

1. "Geri's Game" (short film)
2. "A Bug's Life"
3. "Toy Story 2"
4. "Monsters Inc."
5. "Finding Nemo"
6. "The Incredibles"
7. "Cars"
8. "Ratatouille"
9. "WALL-E"
10. "Up"
11. "Toy Story 3"

U.S. Patents

1. 7,885,454 Recursive filters on GPUs
2. RE41,677 Hybrid subdivision in computer graphics
3. 7,787,688 Interactive depth of field using simulated heat diffusion
4. 7,483,030 Interactive spacetime constraints: wiggly splines
5. 7,355,600 Global intersection analysis for determining intersections of objects in computer animation
6. 6,970,171 Global intersection analysis for determining intesections of objects in computer animation
7. 6,489,960 Hybrid subdivision in computer graphics
8. 6,300,960 Realistic surface simulation in computer animation
9. 6,222,553 Hybrid subdivision in computer graphics
10. 6,037,949 Texture mapping and other uses of scalar fields on subdivision surfaces in computer graphics and animation
11. 5,600,763 Error-bounded antialiased rendering of complex scenes
12. 5,587,711 Method and system for reconstructing quantized signals
13. 5,579,455 Rendering of 3D scenes on a display using hierarchical z-buffer visibility
14. 4,745,550 Processing of oriented patterns

Misc.

• 3rd place, U.S. Argentine Tango Stage Championships, 2011
• U.S. Adult National Silver Medalist in ice dance, 2003.
• U.S. Juggling Champion, 1980.