Virtual human modeling that could transform movie animation, computer games that help players lose weight and mini-wind turbines that can provide clean energy – these are some of the cutting-edge technologies to be showcased Oct. 20 at the UH Computer Science Open House.

Computer science faculty members invite the public into their labs to take a peak at the department’s most exciting high-tech projects – research that can launch dramatic advancements in fields from health to entertainment to national security.

At UH, computer science is not about theory – it is about using technology to change the way people live, said Marc Garbey, department chair.

“We’re not a traditional department of computer science, we build things. We’re explorers,” Garbey said.

Visitors can see nearly two dozen demonstrations, with faculty and graduate students on hand to discuss their projects and answer questions.

Among the displays will be Assistant Professor Zhigang Deng’s Computer Graphics and Interactive Media Lab. There, an array of cameras and detectors attached to the body capture the rich styles and subtleties of human motion – making the 3-D animation of humans more accurate and realistic.

Assistant Professor Shishir Shah will show how high-powered spectral imaging can improve the diagnosis of thyroid cancer. By more accurately assessing the malignancy of a tumor, Shah’s new screening system can prevent unnecessary surgeries removing the thyroid gland.

Couch-potatoes who enjoy spending an evening sitting in front of a computer instead of hitting the gym can try out a new breed of high-tech diversions that blend exercise with pleasure. Eckhard Pfeiffer Professor Ioannis Pavlidis will present computer games designed to get the inactive moving by integrating physical activity into video races and logic puzzles.

In addition to showing the public the department’s latest research, the open house also is  intended to encourage among tech-savvy high school, community college and UH students an interest in studying computer science.

The department wants students to explore the possibilities of computer science and where a degree in the field might lead. Jobs for computer science graduates are as plentiful and lucrative as ever, Garbey said.

The event will include a software programming contest for high school students, with cash prizes totaling $2,400.  

All visitors to the open house can participate in the Science in Action contest. After stopping by all the demonstrations, contestants will answer written questions about the displays, and the one with the best responses will win a laptop. Second- and third-place winners will get an iPod.

The open house will be from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Philip G. Hoffman Hall on campus.