■ Abstract
This talk will discuss the development of high-fidelity finite element simulation methods based on adaptive mesh refinement. These methods dynamically refine and coarsen meshes so that they automatically conform to the geometric and dynamic detail of the simulated phenomena. Adaptation produces anisotropic meshes that align with the underlaying physical system allowing efficient modeling of fine-scale oriented structures. By preemptively reefing in anticipation of the formation detailed features these methods are able to preserves fine-scale dynamic behavior. Applications of these techniques that I'll discuss include clothing simulation, fracture propagation, and buckling shells.

■ Biography
James F. O'Brien is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of California, Berkeley. His primary area of interest is Computer Animation, with an emphasis on generating realistic motion using physically based simulation and motion capture techniques. He has authored numerous papers on these topics. In addition to his research pursuits, Prof. O'Brien has worked with several game companies on integrating advanced simulation physics into game engines, and his methods for destruction modeling have been used in more than 58 feature films. He received his doctorate from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2000, the same year he joined the Faculty at U.C. Berkeley. Professor O'Brien is a Sloan Fellow and ACM Distinguished Scientist,   Technology Review selected him as one of their TR-100, and he has been awarded research grants from the Okawa and Hellman Foundations. He is currently serving as ACM SIGGRAPH Director at Large.