Abstract
Powerful computer applications today allow manipulating digital objects in unimaginable ways. An exciting new trend allows fabricating and creating objects in reality using 3D printing and other technologies. However, the tools and applications supporting these developments are often sophisticated and very difficult to use. One of the challenges in graphics and design today is to create simpler tools that allow even novice users to use computers more naturally to manipulate photographs and 3D objects alike. In this talk I will present several such efforts. The key idea in all of them is to utilize humans specifically for semantic, high-level tasks that are very simple for them, but are still extremely difficult for machines, while utilizing the machine for tasks that are harder and tedious for humans.
