Franc Solina
Franc Solina is a computer scientist whose computer vision work used superquadric models to interpret range images. He graduated in electrical engineering in Ljubljana and completed a PhD in computer science at the University of Pennsylvania in 1987. He founded the Computer Vision Laboratory in 1991 and headed the nationally funded Computer Vision research program from 1999. The International Association for Pattern Recognition named him an IAPR Fellow in 2002, and in 2012 he received the Donald Michie and Alan Turing Lifetime Achievement Award. As of October 2026, he is a retired professor at the University of Ljubljana's Faculty of Computer and Information Science.
Timeline
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1979–1988
Degrees from Ljubljana and Penn
He graduates in electrical engineering in Ljubljana in 1979. He completes a PhD in computer science at the University of Pennsylvania in 1987 under Ruzena Bajcsy, and his dissertation wins the 1988 Morris and Dorothy Rubinoff Award.
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1988–1999
Building a lab in Ljubljana
He starts teaching computer science at the University of Ljubljana in 1988 and becomes a full professor there in 1998. In 1991 he founds the Computer Vision Laboratory, and from 1999 he heads the nationally funded Computer Vision research program.
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1990
Superquadrics from range images
In 1990 he and Ruzena Bajcsy publish a paper on recovering superquadric models from range images. He uses superquadrics as part-level volumetric models for interpreting range images.
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2002
Named an IAPR Fellow
In 2002 he becomes an IAPR Fellow for contributions to the interpretation of range images and for service to IAPR.
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2004
A face-detection art installation
In 2004 he creates the interactive art installation 15 seconds of fame. The installation elevates the face of a randomly selected observer for 15 seconds, and its face detection crops faces from wide-angle images of people standing in front of it.
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2006–2010
Dean of the faculty
From 2006 to 2010 he serves as dean of the Faculty of Computer and Information Science. He administers the study reform that enacts the Bologna Process.
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2012
A lifetime achievement award
In 2012 he receives the Donald Michie and Alan Turing Lifetime Achievement Award. From 2012 he also teaches in the Video and New Media program at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Ljubljana.
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As of October 2026
Retired professor in Ljubljana
He is a retired professor at the Faculty of Computer and Information Science in Ljubljana.
Sources and credits
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