Claude Comair
Claude Comair is the founder of DigiPen Institute of Technology and co-founder of the Nintendo Software Technology Corporation. While at Nintendo Software Technology, a subsidiary of Nintendo Co. Ltd. of Kyoto, Comair held the title of Chairman and CTO, and later, Chairman of the Board. Comair continues to be the President and CEO of DigiPen Institute of Technology to the present day.
Career
Comair founded DigiPen Institute of Technology in 1988. Comair served as one of the founders of Nintendo Software Technology in 1996. At Nintendo Software Technology, Comair held the title of Chairman and CTO, and later, Chairman of the Board. At Nintendo, Comair additionally worked on games for Digital Eclipse Software, Inc., Intelligent Systems Co., Ltd. and Namco, and went on to releasing 12 video game titles and receiving 25 patents. At DigiPen Institute of Technology's Research & Development arm, Comair lead the development of an Artificial Intelligence system regarding human behavioral modeling and simulation, titled B-HIVE, for The Boeing Company and their Phantom Works division. B-HIVE and its associated patents were commended as Boeing's "Supplier Technology of the Year" in 2008.Comair remains the CEO and President of DigiPen Institute of Technology to this day. Comair has established the university in 3 locations- Redmond, Singapore, and Bilbao, Spain, with over 2000 undergraduate and postgraduate students.
Education and early life
Comair attended medical school in Lyon, France, but he returned to Lebanon out of worry for his home country's condition at the time. In Lebanon, Comair studied and received a degree of Engineering and Architecture at Université Saint-Esprit de Kaslik. While in Lebanon, Comair was offered to establish a computer based research group for the Japanese government in Osaka, Japan. In Osaka, he went on to receiving a Masters Degree in Environmental Engineering from Osaka University's Faculty of Engineering. Comair went on to becoming a faculty member at Osaka University in 1983.Comair was born and raised in the hamlet of Tannourine, located in the Batroun District of Lebanon. Comair lived in Lebanon during a significant period of the 15 year conflict of the Lebanese Civil War, where approximately 15% of the country's population was either killed, permanently injured, or permanently displaced. Comair sustained a stab wound to his left eye as a young man, rendering him permanently blind in that eye. This injury resulted in Comair's loss of visual depth perception, which he claims inspired his future work in 3D computer graphics.
Personal life
Claude Comair and his wife, Nissrine Comair, reside in Bellevue, Washington, a neighboring city to Redmond where DigiPen Institute of Technology and Nintendo Software Technology are headquartered. Comair has three children, Christopher, Alexander, and Lea Comair. Comair moved to the United States in 1998 from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, but continues to be a non-resident citizen of Canada.Comair is fluent in 5 languages- English, Arabic, French, Japanese, and Spanish. Comair's native tongues are Arabic and French. Comair became fluent in Japanese when he moved to Osaka, Japan, where he also became fluent in English. Comair later became fluent in Spanish while establishing DigiPen Institute of Technology in Spain. Comair is an enthusiast of bicycle manufacturing, RC airplanes, and ceramics. Comair is a member of the Marymoor R/C Club and has personally designed and manufactured a number of RC airplanes. In 2004, Comair manufactured a bicycle of which he gave to all faculty and staff members at DigiPen Institute of Technology.
Patents
Comair is credited for 29 US patents. Of these, Nintendo or Nintendo Software Technology are the assignees of 25, The Boeing Company is the assignee of 1, and DigiPen Institute of Technology is the assignee of 3.| Assignee | Title | Patent no. |
| Boeing | Human behavioral modeling and simulation framework | 7844424 |
| Nintendo | Game object control using pointing inputs to rotate a displayed virtual object control device | 9533223 |
| Nintendo | Portable electronic device having mobile communication capability | 9457266 |
| Nintendo | System and method for using indirect texturing to efficiently simulate and image surface coatings and other effects | 9342918 |
| Nintendo | Game object control using pointing inputs to rotate a displayed virtual object control device | 9101827 |
| Nintendo | System and method for using indirect texturing to efficiently simulate and image surface coatings and other effects | 8972230 |
| Nintendo | Portable device having mobile communication capability | 8961320 |
| Nintendo | Game object control using pointing inputs to rotate a displayed virtual object control device | 8540573 |
| Nintendo | Game machine having wireless communication capability | 8469817 |
| Nintendo | Communication system and method using pictorial characters | 8317617 |
| Nintendo | Driving game steering wheel simulation method and apparatus | 8202163 |
| Nintendo | Driving game steering wheel simulation method and apparatus | 7625287 |
| Nintendo | System and method for efficiently simulating and imaging realistic water surface and other effects | 7539606 |
| Nintendo | Parameterized interactive control of multiple wave table sound generation for video games and other applications | 7330769 |
| Nintendo | Game machine having wireless communication capability | 7275994 |
| Nintendo | Communication system and method using pictorial characters | 7052396 |
| Nintendo | Method and apparatus for displaying higher color resolution on a hand-held LCD device | 7050064 |
| Nintendo | Texture morphing process provided by the preferred embodiment of the present invention | 6906732 |
| Nintendo | Method and apparatus for interactive real time music composition | 6822153 |
| Nintendo | Portable game machine | 6716103 |
| Nintendo | Method and apparatus for inserting external transformations into computer animations | 6628286 |
| Nintendo | 3D transformation matrix compression and decompression | 6591019 |
| Nintendo | Object modeling for computer simulation and animation | 6563503 |
| Nintendo | Data compression/decompression based on pattern and symbol run length encoding for use in a portable handheld video game system | 6416410 |
| Nintendo | Method and apparatus for displaying higher color resolution on a hand-held LCD device | 6373462 |
| Nintendo | Method and apparatus for displaying higher color resolution on a hand-held LCD device | 6369827 |
| DigiPen | Bicycle trainer | 7520842 |
| DigiPen | Recumbent bicycle frame | D522411 |
| DigiPen | Bicycle frame | D524698 |
Comair is credited on 26 US pending patent applications. Of these, Nintendo or Nintendo Software Technology are the registered applicants of 25, The Boeing Company is the registered applicant of 2, and DigiPen Institute of Technology is the registered applicant of 1.
| Applicant | Title | Publication no. |
| Boeing | Human transparency paradigm | 20080301631 |
| Boeing | Human behavioral modeling and simulation framework | 20080294399 |
| Nintendo | Game object control using pointing inputs to rotate a displayed virtual object control device | 20150306506 |
| Nintendo | System and method for using indirect texturing to efficiently simulate and image surface coatings and other effects | 20150109291 |
| Nintendo | Portable electronic device having mobile communication capability | 20140248957 |
| Nintendo | Portable electronic device having mobile communication capability | 20140228116 |
| Nintendo | Game object control using pointing inputs to rotate a displayed virtual object control device | 20140004946 |
| Nintendo | Portable device having mobile communication capability | 20130281205 |
| Nintendo | Driving game steering wheel simulation method and apparatus | 20120231861 |
| Nintendo | Driving game steering wheel simulation method and apparatus | 20100048271 |
| Nintendo | System and method for efficiently simulating and imaging realistic water surface and other effects | 20090066692 |
| Nintendo | Game machine having wireless communication capability | 20080119274 |
| Nintendo | Driving game steering wheel simulation method and apparatus | 20070077541 |
| Nintendo | Communication system and method using pictorial characters | 20060040737 |
| Nintendo | Game machine having wireless communication capability | 20040176170 |
| Nintendo | Method and apparatus for displaying higher color resolution on a hand-held LCD device | 20030189576 |
| Nintendo | System and method for efficiently simulating and imaging realistic water surface and other effects | 20030090484 |
| Nintendo | Communication system and method using pictorial characters | 20030045355 |
| Nintendo | Parameterized interactive control of multiple wave table sound generation for video games and other applications | 20030045956 |
| Nintendo | Method and apparatus for interactive real time music composition | 20030037664 |
| DigiPen | Bicycle trainer | 20070099768 |
Game credits
- Metroid Prime Hunters, Nintendo of America Inc.
- ', Nintendo of America Inc.
- Mario vs. Donkey Kong, Nintendo of America Inc.
- Ridge Racer DS, Namco Hometek Inc.
- 1080° Avalanche, Nintendo of Europe GmbH
- ', Nintendo of America Inc.
- ', Universal Interactive Studios
- ', Nintendo Co., Ltd.
- , Nintendo Co., Ltd.
- Crystalis, Nintendo of America Inc.
- Pokémon Puzzle League, Nintendo of America Inc.
- Ridge Racer 64, Nintendo of America Inc.