Nancy Pollard

Robotics Institute and the Computer Science Dept.

Carnegie Mellon University

"Directing Physically Based (and Physical) Interactions: 

New Interfaces for Animation Control"

 

Abstract

How can we make it easy to create animations that are both compelling and physically plausible?  Should we implement a super animation controller and try to put all the intelligence into that controller?  Or add a “physical plausibility” dial to allow an animator to layer realistic physics into an animation that they have already created?  Or can we somehow choose the best of both worlds:  physical realism and animator freedom?  Our answer is to give the animator direct and detailed control of a running physically based simulation, under the philosophy that – given the right tools – people will learn very quickly how to make use of a character's physical capabilities to create expressive motion.  Enabling technologies that I will present are a methodology for fast physically based simulation and a varied suite of intuitive interaction modalities. 

As an added bonus, this idea of direct control of a running simulation transfers directly to control of robots, and I will present a system for teleoperating a multifingered robot hand using multitouch and other sensing capabilities of, for example, the iPad for direct user control of simple assembly, sliding, rotation, and cloth manipulation.

Our ultimate goal is to understand the factors that contribute to natural and compelling motion, and in that context, I will also briefly consider other questions in and beyond computer animation, such as what does it mean for two individuals or species to move in a similar fashion?  .. and how do we begin to categorize the vast range of manipulation actions that people can be observed to perform on a daily basis?

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