Draft:Iman Sadeghi (computer scientist)



Iman Sadeghi, Ph.D. (born 1984) is a computer scientist and a computer graphics researcher. He is a Principal Software & Technology Consultant at Quandary Peak Research, a software consultation firm based in Los Angeles.[1] Previously, he held roles at Google, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and Lucasfilm.[2][3]

Education

edit

Sadeghi earned a Ph.D. and a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of California, San Diego, and a Bachelor of Science degree from Sharif University of Technology.[2][3][4]

Career

edit

Sadeghi is a Principal Software & Technology Consultant at Quandary Peak Research. He has held research and engineering roles at Google, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and Lucasfilm.[1]

Whistleblowing and Scientific Integrity

edit

In 2018, Sadeghi filed a lawsuit against Pinscreen Inc., alleging scientific misrepresentation, data fabrication, and retaliation.[5] The lawsuit, filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court, claims that Pinscreen misrepresented the capabilities of its artificial intelligence-driven avatar generation technology and fabricated research results in submissions to ACM SIGGRAPH.[6]

According to the verified complaint, which was published by The Register, Sadeghi alleged that he was dismissed after raising concerns about the accuracy of Pinscreen's claims.[7] The case progressed through the California Court of Appeal, which issued two opinions allowing certain claims to proceed, while other aspects remain subject to litigation.[8][9]

The case has been reported by media outlets such as the Los Angeles Times, The Register, and Retraction Watch. Reports have discussed scientific integrity concerns, AI research ethics, and corporate accountability in emerging technologies.[5][6][10]

Inventions

edit

Sadeghi co-invented a hair shading system that was used in Disney’s animation pipeline.[11] He also contributed to event grouping algorithms for Google’s infrastructure.[12]

Research and media coverage

edit

Sadeghi’s research has been featured in media coverage on photorealistic rendering, appearance modeling, and computer graphics. His work on rainbow simulation was highlighted by NBC News,[13] CNN,[14] and ABC News,[15] while his hair shading system for Disney Animation was discussed in Animation World Network[16] and UC San Diego Today.[17]

His research on cloth rendering was covered by New Atlas, which described his work as a breakthrough in simulating fabric materials for computer graphics.[18] UC San Diego’s Jacobs School of Engineering also highlighted his development of a microcylinder appearance model for realistic cloth simulation.[19]

Film Contributions

edit

Sadeghi's work on hair rendering technology was used in the production of the Disney animated film Tangled, where he is credited under Hair Rendering Development.[20]

Awards

edit

In 2007, Sadeghi received the Grand Prize at the UCSD Computer Graphics Rendering Competition, recognizing his advancements in rendering technology.[21]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "Quandary Peak Research". Quandary Peak Research. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
  2. ^ a b "JurisPro Expert Witness Directory". JurisPro. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
  3. ^ a b "Seak Expert Witness Directory: Iman Sadeghi, Ph.D." Seak Expert Witness Directory.
  4. ^ "Association for Computing Machinery". ACM. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
  5. ^ a b "Lawsuit accuses Los Angeles start-up Pinscreen of misrepresenting its technology". Los Angeles Times. June 20, 2018.
  6. ^ a b "Techie sues ex-bosses, claims their AI avatar tech was faked". The Register.
  7. ^ "Verified complaint and Demand for Jury Trial" (PDF). The Register.
  8. ^ "California Court of Appeal Opinion Case No. B312596" (PDF). California Court of Appeal.
  9. ^ "California Court of Appeal Opinion Case No. B316405" (PDF). California Court of Appeal.
  10. ^ "Deepfake Pioneer to Lose Two Papers After Misconduct Finding". Retraction Watch. January 30, 2023.
  11. ^ US8674988B2, "System and method for artist friendly controls for hair shading" 
  12. ^ US20160027037A1, "Event grouping using timezones" 
  13. ^ "Secret of 'Twinned Rainbows' Simulated on a Computer". NBC News. 9 December 2011.
  14. ^ "Seeing Double: Researchers Find Rainbow Connection". CNN. December 9, 2011.
  15. ^ "Fake Rainbows Lead to Scientific Discovery". ABC News.
  16. ^ "Rapunzel Lets Her Hair Down in 'Tangled'". Animation World Network.
  17. ^ "It's All About the Hair". UC San Diego.
  18. ^ "Computer graphics researchers crack realistic fabric". New Atlas. 14 August 2013.
  19. ^ "Nice Threads! Computer scientists develop new model to simulate cloth on a computer with unprecedented accuracy". UC San Diego.
  20. ^ "Walt Disney Animation Studios - An Artist Friendly Hair Shading System". Walt Disney Animation Studios.
  21. ^ "UCSD Computer Graphics Rendering Competition 2007". 2007-08-24. Archived from the original on 2007-08-24. Retrieved 2024-11-28.