Diploma Thesis from the year 2006 in the subject Communications - Research, Studies, Enquiries, grade: 1, University of Weimar, language: English, abstract: Reconstruction of real-world scenes from a set of multiple images is a topic in Computer Vision and 3D Computer Graphics with many interesting applications. There exists a powerful algorithm for shape reconstruction from arbitrary viewpoints, called Space Carving. However, it is computationally expensive and hence can not be used with applications in the field of 3D video or CSCW as well as interactive 3D model creation. Attempts have been made to achieve real-time framerates using PC cluster systems. While these provide enough performance they are also expensive and less flexible. Approaches that use GPU hardware acceleration on single workstations achieve interactive framerates for novel-view synthesis, but do not provide an explicit volumetric representation of the whole scene. The proposed approach shows the efforts in developing a GPU hardware-accelerated framework for obtaining the volumetric photo hull of a dynamic 3D scene as seen from multiple calibrated cameras. High performance is achieved by employing a shape from silhouette technique in advance to obtain a tight initial volume for Space Carving. Also several speed-up techniques are presented to increase efficiency. Since the entire processing is done on a single PC the framework can be applied to mobile setups, enabling a wide range of further applications. The approach is explained using programmable vertex and fragment processors with current hardware and compared to highly optimized CPU implementations. It is shown that the new approach can outperform the latter by more than one magnitude. The downloadable introduction has been written specifically for this offer. Its contents are only a subset of the real introductory chapter of the thesis.

Master's Thesis from the year 2005 in the subject Engineering - Industrial Engineering and Management, grade: 2,0, Stellenbosch Universitiy, course: Operations Management, 78 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: The research report takes an in-depth look at the automotive industry and their major participants in the upstream value chain. The different parties involved are the automotive manufacturers (OEMs) and their suppliers. The overall goal of the following report is to identify suitable business models for small to medium sized (SME) automotive suppliers. As the automotive value chain currently undergoes an evolutionary change towards a diminishing vertical integration of the OEMs, it becomes a challenging issue to reconfigure the responsibilities of the suppliers. Thereby OEMs and their suppliers have to cope with a shift from a functional to a process orientated value chain. During this reorganization of the OEM-supplier interface, enterprises realign their strategic intent towards their core competencies as well. Besides the shifting value chain, both suppliers and OEMs have to cope with a consolidation in their industries. This consolidation is impacted by stagnating traditional markets, an ongoing globalization of the value chain, and an increasing productivity pressure in the automotive industry. Looking at the automotive supplier, it becomes obvious that the suppliers are on the one hand challenged by productivity pressures and on the other hand have the opportunity to take over more business of the automotive value chain. The growth potential requires changes in the area of supply chain management and new types of collaboration in the supply network. This prospective development is mainly influenced by a trend towards the outsourcing of entire processes by the OEMs and the increasing need for future innovations in the automotive industry. After discussing the above mentioned issues, the report analyses the role of suppliers with res

Our environment is more and more shaped by the influence of digital media which itself evolves at tremendous pace. A small example: 15 years ago, offthe- shelf computers were only able to cope with flat 2D graphics. Improvements in system design made it possible to process 3D scenes, leading to a powerful contribution to our everyday life. However, such scenes need to be created by experienced artists employing difficult and expensive tools. The increasing demand for realism makes things not easier. At the same time, the rapid improvement of commodity hardware enables the development of low cost systems for 3D photography. How can systems for volumetric scene reconstruction be efficiently designed? How may high quality be combined with real-time processing? And how is it possible to create a lightweight architecture using a single computer? After presenting an introductory overview and sketching a novel approach to scene reconstruction, the author Christian Nitschke gives a survey of related work in high-performance reconstruction by shape from silhouette and shape from photo-consistency. To convey a profound understanding to the reader he explains the fundamentals of scene and camera geometry, image formation, light and color as well as 3D reconstruction from multiple views. The novel approach is then introduced in two steps by mapping a basic algorithm to an advanced algorithm using graphics hardware acceleration. Performance and quality issues are analyzed and discussed in detail. The book aims at software and system engineers, scientists and researchers, technical directors as well as the interested public.

Diplomarbeit aus dem Jahr 2004 im Fachbereich Ingenieurwissenschaften - Wirtschaftsingenieurwesen, Note: 1,7, Fachhochschule Wedel (Wirtschaftsingenieurwesen), Sprache: Deutsch, Abstract: Nach der Einfuhrung der Massenfertigung in den 20er-Jahren und der schlanken Produktion" in den 80ern, befindet sich die Automobilproduktion derzeit mitten in einem neuen Umbruch: Bis 2015 werden die Zuliefer-Unternehmen der Automobilindustrie grosse Teile von Entwicklung und Produktion von den Autoherstellern ubernehmen und dadurch um 70 Prozent wachsen konnen. Die Hersteller geben im selben Zeitraum 10 Prozent ihrer Wertschopfung ab - erhohen aber ihren Ausstoss um 35 Prozent." Diese Entwicklung wird ausgelost durch neue Technologien, zunehmende Fahrzeugkomplexitat und eine enorme Modellvielfalt, die Entwicklung und Produktion erheblich verteuern. Andererseits bieten Service und Dienstleistung gute Investitionsmoglichkeiten fur die Autohersteller. Daher werden die Autohersteller ihre Entwicklungs- und Produktionskapazitaten in Zukunft auf Marken pragende Module und Komponenten richten. In diesem Zusammenhang ist es interessant, die Kennzahlen der Automobilindustrie zu betrachten. Mit 8,8 Millionen direkten Arbeitsplatzen bei Herstellern und Zulieferern erwirtschaftet die Automobilindustrie 15 Prozent des Welt-Bruttosozialprodukts. Die automobile Wertschopfung in Entwicklung und Produktion wird vom Jahre 2003 in darauf folgenden 12 Jahren um jahrlich 2,6 Prozent wachsen, von 645 Milliarden Euro auf 903 Milliarden Euro im Jahre 2015. Die etablierte Hierarchie von Automobilherstellern und Zulieferern der ersten und zweiten Ebene bleibt in diesem Zusammenhang die dominierende Form der Zusammenarbeit. Allerdings werden sich durch die Konzentration der Hersteller auf das der Produktion nach gelagerte Geschaft (Vertrieb, Services und Kundenbetreuung) die Aufgaben in der automobilen Wertschopfungskette andern. Bei zunehmender Konzentration der Automobilhersteller auf das so genannte