X-Rite Pantone Deploys Its Ambitions of Creating an Eco-system for "Digital Appearance" by Significant Investments in Science

Central to this, X-Rite plans to expand the reach of the Pantone brand beyond its traditional relevance of communicating and specifying flat color into serving as a key standard for definition and categorization of complex digital materials. The PantoneLIVE digital color standards Digital Rights Management (DRM), which already delivers cloud-based color data, will be expanded in the coming years to manage and deliver appearance data.

 “After a multi-year search across three continents to upgrade our platform of capabilities, we have found a rare, world-class team at the University of Bonn who demonstrates thought leadership, technical sophistication and formal rigor, alongside an eagerness and passion for the challenge that mirror our own,” said Lamy. “We believe the partnership with Prof. Reinhard Klein and his team will enrich the skills and experience of both sides and we are excited at the prospect of walking this path together.”

"We are very pleased to have forged this partnership with X-Rite to promote further research into this exciting branch of computer science," Klein said. "We are very satisfied to see that our fundamental research is applied to commercially relevant problems.”

Led by Dr. Gero Mueller, Sensible Graphics has developed technology to process and compress data captured by a hemispherical array of digital cameras and light sources to create virtual prototypes with a remarkably realistic look nearly indistinguishable from that of the real object. “Since this is a measurement-based process, designers and 3D artists can now use physically correct and highly realistic virtual materials without time-consuming tweaking in material editors,” Mueller said.

The automotive industry has been an early adopter of Sensible Graphics’ appearance process for realistic digital renderings that show designers and customers how vehicles look when coated with pearlescent or iridescent paints and how upholstery looks when fashioned from textured woven cloths or leathers. Other industries that may find applications for the new technology include industrial design, fashion, cosmetics, advertising, and the entertainment industry.

 “Building from the solid technological framework established by Sensible Graphics and the University of Bonn, we anticipate this ecosystem of digital materials will revolutionize how our customers create and communicate appearance,” said Dr. Adrian Kohlbrenner, Director of Advanced Programs at X-Rite. “We are looking forward to taking Sensible Graphics’ extraordinary technology to the next level.”

X-Rite will give a sneak preview of Sensible Graphics' technology on Nov. 29th during its Automotive Innovation Day to be held at the ADAC Fahrsicherheitszentrum Nordbayern, near Nuremberg, Germany.