ICT is running a series of articles to highlight the work of our Graduate Research Assistants. In this essay we hear from Jing (Carl) Yang, PhD candidate, Computer Science, Viterbi School of Engineering, who works as a Research Assistant in the Vision and Graphics Lab, under the supervision of Dr. Yajie Zhao.
BYLINE: Jing (Carl) Yang, PhD candidate, Computer Science, Viterbi School of Engineering; Research Assistant, Vision and Graphics Lab, ICT.
I am a PhD candidate at USC’s Vision & Graphics Lab (VGL) working with Prof. Yajie Zhao. My current research revolves around the intricate challenges of light transport, leveraging the Light Stage and advancements in machine learning to enhance the accuracy and realism of material representation and light interaction in digital environments. I am particularly passionate about acquiring real-world material properties and applying them to relighting, physically accurate material generation, and physically-based neural rendering.
My goal is to improve the accuracy and realism of material representation and light interaction in digital environments. I previously interned at Dolby Vision, Tiktok U.S., and Google Open Source, contributing to research and development in graphics, vision, and AI. I continue to engage with the broader research community through conference reviews, attendance, and technical contributions.
Finding ICT
My journey with ICT began in 2019, during my CSCI 576 – Multimedia Systems Design course. Visiting the lab and stepping into the Light Stage for a human digitization scan was a transformative experience.
As I stood amidst the meticulously orchestrated light sources, I had a profound realization: I wanted to dedicate the next several years of my life to exploring the potential of this technology.
That moment solidified my aspiration to pursue in-depth research in this domain, setting me on the path toward my PhD
Research Interests
Between Spring 2019 and Fall 2020, I pursued my Master’s in Computer Science at USC, concentrating on computer graphics. I have always been fascinated by the visual aspects of computing—how we can simulate light, materials, and motion with striking realism. USC’s exceptional graphics courses and research opportunities, particularly within ICT, provided an ideal environment for me to cultivate my interests at the intersection of visual computing, storytelling, and artificial intelligence.
Returning to ICT as a PhD student felt like a full-circle moment.
The very lab that first captivated my imagination became the foundation of my academic journey. Today, I actively contribute to ongoing research in light transport, leveraging the Light Stage to capture real-world material properties and integrate them into computational models for enhanced rendering and relighting.
Pushing the Boundaries of Realistic Rendering
My research at ICT focuses on addressing the complexities of light transport using machine learning techniques. One of my most significant contributions thus far has been my first lighting-related paper, accepted at the International Conference on Learning Representations (ICLR) 2023 in Rwanda. In this work, we introduced a neural lighting sampling field and a material network to achieve highly realistic human skin renderings. Following this milestone, I embarked on the creation of an extensive material database, capturing a diverse range of real-world surfaces with the Light Stage to improve reflectance modeling and rendering fidelity.
Beyond publications, my ultimate objective is to advance the realism and physical accuracy of digital human representation by refining how light interacts with various materials. By expanding my material database and integrating it with machine learning-driven rendering techniques, I aspire to contribute to breakthroughs that make digital environments more lifelike and immersive.
Engaging with the Broader Research Community
Actively participating in premier academic conferences has been an integral part of my research experience.
I have presented my work at ICLR 2023 and attended top-tier conferences such as CVPR, SIGGRAPH, ICML, and NeurIPS, both in-person and virtually. These gatherings are not just about disseminating research; they are vibrant intellectual spaces where innovation flourishes.
Among them, SIGGRAPH holds particular significance for me, as it embodies the perfect synthesis of technical depth and creative storytelling—a fusion that aligns closely with my research passions.
Future Directions: Scaling Material Acquisition and Neural Rendering
Currently, my research is centered on expanding the material database I have developed using the Light Stage. My aim is to investigate more diverse and complex real-world materials, enhancing the precision of their digital counterparts.
Moving forward, I hope to explore scalable methods for physically accurate material acquisition and their seamless integration with neural rendering techniques. My long-term vision involves bridging physically based methodologies with generative models to enable controllable, photorealistic rendering of humans and materials under novel conditions.
These explorations are driven by a broader mission—to push the boundaries of realism and reliability in digital human representation and light transport modeling. By deepening our understanding of how light interacts with materials, I aspire to contribute to the next generation of visual computing innovations.
ICT: Space for Creativity and Discovery
ICT is more than just a research lab; it is a community that fosters curiosity, creativity, and intellectual growth. Some of my most cherished memories here extend beyond academic achievements. Late-night debugging sessions that turned into philosophical discussions, impromptu soccer games that provided mental clarity, and the sheer wonder of witnessing someone experience the Light Stage for the first time—these moments have shaped my journey as much as my research has.
I still vividly recall riding in a self-driving car to the lab one morning, gazing out the window, and marveling at the realization that I was on my way to work at a place that once felt like science fiction. ICT has given me the space to explore new ideas, collaborate with brilliant minds, and stay connected to the passion that first brought me here. It is this spirit of innovation and discovery that continues to drive me forward, and I am excited to see where this path leads next.
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