Latest news with #Rodin
RTÉ News
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- RTÉ News
Alex Dunne grabs maiden F2 pole at prestigious Monaco Grand Prix
Alex Dunne has claimed his maiden pole position in FIA Formula 2 after setting the fastest time in Friday's qualifying session for the Monaco Grand Prix. The Offaly native, has already enjoyed a stellar season to date in the final feeder series leading to Formula One, winning the feature races in Bahrain and Imola, which has left him top of the drivers standings. The McLaren development driver has an opportunity to extend that championship lead at an iconic Monaco street circuit where qualification is more paramount than at any other venue. The 19-year-old, who drivers for the Rodin team in F2, made his way round the Monte Carlo streets in a time of 1:21.142 , three thousands of a second faster than Victor Martins of ART Grand Prix, which ensured that he will start from pole for Sunday's feature race. 🏁 CHEQUERED FLAG 🏁 BY THREE THOUSANDTHS OF A SECOND, ALEX DUNNE GRABS POLE!!! A 1:21.142 secures the championship leader pole position for Sunday's Feature Race #F2 #MonacoGP — Formula 2 (@Formula2) May 23, 2025 Next up for Dunne in Monaco will be Saturday's sprint race, before the feature race the following morning which will precede the F1 race.
RTÉ News
18-05-2025
- Automotive
- RTÉ News
Alex Dunne sparkles in Imola to notch another F2 victory
Ireland's Alex Dunne surged to another brilliant FIA Formula 2 victory on Sunday, timing his move to perfection to win at Imola for Rodin Motorsport. Dunne is the first Irish driver to compete in the F2 having secured a 2025 drive with the Rodin team. In April, the Offaly man claimed his first grand prix victory in F2 when he won in Bahrain. He followed that up with a third-placed finish in Saudi Arabia, and has now further strenghthened his position in the championship with a second race win of the campaign. He started fifth on the grid but bided his time before overtaking AIX Racing's Joshua Durksen on lap 27 to take a lead he would not relinquish. Luke Browning (Hitech TGR) was second, with Dino Beganovic (Hitech TGR) third. It leaves Dunne top of the standings on 64 points after four rounds ahead of Browing (58 points) and Richard Verschoor (MP Motorsport, 55 points). The next race takes place in Monte Carlo from 22 to 25 May. Earlier this month Dunne - part of the McLaren F1 driver development programme - was chosen to test a McLaren Formula One car at the Zandvoort seaside circuit in the Netherlands.
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
France Pavilion: A Hymn to Love
The French pavilion takes the form of a stage, with the theme of 'A Hymn to Love.' The exhibits inside feature the work of globally known fashion houses, showing off craft skill and love for Japanese culture. Regular exhibits include an artistic space created by 85 trunks from Louis Vuitton, while Dior is showing Bar suits lined in red, white and blue like the tricolored French flag and 3D-printed perfume bottles. Celine is hosting a temporary exhibit featuring lacquer-ware artworks by Wajima -based artist collective Hikojū Makie. Chaumet has a deeply immersive digital art exhibit, although it is the statues by Rodin placed nonchalantly alongside the high-tech displays that catch the eye. Drinks giant Moët Hennessy has a hand in the attached bistro menu, while the rooftop garden offers a moment of respite among the flowers. The French pavilion is located in the Empowering Lives zone. ( See the official map for details.) France marks its national day on Saturday, September 13, at the Expo National Day Hall. A display of trunks by Louis Vuitton. (© ) Blue, white, and red Bar suits by Dior. (© ) An exhibit links Mont-Saint-Michel and a Japanese torii with a sacred rope. (© ) The outside of the French pavilion. (© ) (Originally published in Japanese. Reporting and text by Uchiyama Ken'ichi and . Photographic assistance by Kuroiwa Masakazu of 96-Box. Banner photo © .)
Forbes
06-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Move Over, Chatbots: The Next Tech Superstars Are 3D Foundation Models
Chatbots and 3D large models By author When ChatGPT burst onto the scene, it transformed how we interact with technology. But now, another AI revolution is quietly reshaping industries, promising not just smarter conversations, but immersive worlds—welcome to the era of 3D foundation models. These powerful AI systems generate intricate 3D models, animations, and virtual environments in mere moments, redefining how businesses operate from gaming and e-commerce to industrial design and beyond. This isn't just a creative tool; it's a strategic pivot with trillion-dollar potential. The 3D Content Crisis and AI's Answer The global thirst for 3D content is insatiable. The rise of virtual reality, augmented reality devices like Apple's Vision Pro, and digital twins—virtual replicas of physical objects used extensively in manufacturing and construction—have placed unprecedented demands on digital content creation. Traditional methods are too slow, expensive, and reliant on scarce expertise. Enter 3D foundation models: AI trained on massive databases of shapes, textures, and spatial relationships. These models rapidly convert sketches, photographs, or simple text prompts into fully-realized, production-ready 3D assets. "We're witnessing the democratization of spatial design," a AI engineer tells me. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to publicly comment on their product. "Smaller studios and global enterprises alike can now do in minutes what previously took weeks." The Rising Players in 3D AI The competition in 3D AI has intensified, dividing primarily between agile startups and tech giants aiming to dominate entire ecosystems. Here are some of the leading players in the field: Startups: Tripo: Favored by indie developers for its speed in generating editable 3D wireframes from single images. However, its lower texture detail opens opportunities for rivals. Rodin: Specializes in photorealistic avatars, granting users granular control over facial expressions and poses. Luxury brands and virtual influencers have already begun to embrace it. Meshy: Dubbed the "Shopify of 3D commerce," it optimizes models for real-time product visualization. But inconsistent texture quality reveals it's still maturing. Tech Giants: Microsoft Trellis: Aims at large-scale, enterprise-focused applications, especially mixed reality and industrial metaverse integrations. Strategic partnerships with Autodesk and Unity highlight its ambitious goals. Tencent Hunyuan 3D: Recently upgraded and open-sourced, it's become a versatile platform generating everything from game assets to intricate animations and consistent character sequences—ideal for industries reliant on storytelling. Video Generation: The Game-Changing Factor Among the most groundbreaking advances is FramePack, spearheaded by Lvmin Zhang, a pioneer behind the influential ControlNet project. FramePack combines the power of 3D modeling and AI video generation, making Hollywood-quality content accessible even on consumer-grade GPUs. This development doesn't merely shorten production timelines—it fundamentally disrupts traditional studio economics, affecting animation studios, advertising, and social media content creation. An LA-based visual effects producer currently trialing FramePack emphasizes, " 80% of lens dynamization needs can be handled with two RTX 4090 graphics cards at 1/5 the cost of traditional processes. This doesn't just reduce costs—it reshapes entire business models in entertainment and beyond." Navigating Geopolitical Realities Underpinning these technical advancements is a critical geopolitical layer. The escalating U.S.-China tech rivalry, exacerbated by stringent GPU export controls, has compelled Chinese tech giants such as Alibaba, ByteDance, and Tencent to push the boundaries of software optimization. Their focus on running complex AI models efficiently on consumer hardware demonstrates how innovation can circumvent traditional hardware barriers. "Efficiency is the new Moore's Law," notes a Silicon Valley venture capitalist closely observing these developments. "Those mastering lean, optimized 3D AI could dominate emerging markets and effectively sidestep sanctions." Real-World Impacts Across Industries The commercial and practical implications of 3D foundation models are staggering. Consider these scenarios: Retail: Virtual showrooms that previously took months to create can now be generated within hours. Healthcare: Detailed surgical simulations using AI-generated 3D organs significantly enhance training and preparation. Manufacturing: Instant prototyping through simple text prompts dramatically shortens product development cycles, reducing costs and accelerating innovation. Yet despite these promising developments, significant hurdles remain. Copyright and intellectual property disputes are already surfacing, as businesses grapple with the legal nuances of AI-generated content. Additionally, inconsistent quality in early outputs could lead to initial skepticism, reminiscent of the early days of ChatGPT. The Investment Imperative For investors, the 3D AI revolution represents an unprecedented opportunity. The smartest bets will be on companies that not only possess cutting-edge technology but also offer tailored, industry-specific applications—whether in gaming, architecture, virtual try-ons, or beyond. Businesses must heed this rapidly changing landscape urgently. Those unwilling or unable to adapt risk obsolescence as competitors embrace AI-driven spatial design. The next industrial revolution won't be written, it will be modeled. Indeed, while chatbots reshaped our communication, 3D foundation models promise to transform the very worlds—both physical and digital—that we inhabit.
The Guardian
13-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘Very desirable' rare cast of Rodin's The Kiss is up for auction
Auguste Rodin's sensual portrayal of tragic lovers caught in an embrace before being killed by a jealous husband is one of the world's most recognised works of art. The French artist had the idea for The Kiss (Le Baiser) in 1882, and the larger-than-lifesize marble artwork emerged a decade later. By then, Rodin was the most influential international sculptor of the age. Dozens of versions of The Kiss were made before Rodin's death aged 77 in 1917 and dozens more official reproductions and copies emerged after, making it one of the most replicated pieces of art in the world. Now, a rare bronze of The Kiss produced during Rodin's lifetime, signed by the artist and which has been in private hands for most of the past century, will be auctioned this month. The bronze, measuring 60cm high, was one of the first three cast in this size and has retained the artist's original detail. It was commissioned in 1904 by the Argentine Jockey Club to be presented as a marriage gift to Lucien Mérignac, the French fencing world and Olympic champion. Auctioneering expert Raphaël Courant admitted he was surprised to discover what he described as 'a very beautiful work, very sensual' in the living room of a family apartment in western France. 'It's a very desirable object and it's increasingly rare to see this kind of work by Rodin outside of a museum,' he told the Observer. The bronze, estimated at about €500,000, was cast in France in July 1904 and presented to Mérignac two months later in Buenos Aires as a fitting symbol of love to mark his marriage to Christina Ruiz de Castillo. Rodin had initially intended to include the ill-fated lovers in his massive bronze doors, The Gates of Hell, commissioned in 1879 by the French government for a new Paris museum. The figures are of Paolo and Francesca, tragic lovers from Dante's narrative poem The Divine Comedy, who were killed by Francesca's husband after he caught the 13th-century Italian noblewoman in an embrace with his own younger brother. The lovers were condemned to wander eternally through hell. Rodin later removed the couple from the gates and transformed them into a standalone marble sculpture measuring 1.8m that was presented to the Paris Salon in 1898 and is today in the city's Rodin Museum. After the success of The Kiss at the Salon, Rodin contacted the Maison Barbedienne foundry and agreed a 10-year contract to reproduce the sculpture. A total of about 60 bronzes measuring 60cm are believed to have been struck. Sign up to Art Weekly Your weekly art world round-up, sketching out all the biggest stories, scandals and exhibitions after newsletter promotion The Mérignac bronze has a dedication to the fencing champion on its base. Mérignac and his wife later moved back to France and settled in La Flèche in the west where he was a fencing instructor at the Prytanée military school. Christina died in 1923 and, 14 years later, Mérignac married one of his students, Agathe Turgis. They moved to Angers in the Loire valley and when he died in 1941, Turgis continued to teach fencing. The anonymous private owner was one of Turgis's pupils. She spotted the bronze in a local antique shop and bought it for her Angers flat. 'You really don't expect to see a work of this kind and size in such a domestic setting,' Courant said. The bronze will be sold by auction house Chauviré & Courant in Angers on 25 April.
