Animating with Simulation

Computer animations and virtual environments both require a source of motion for characters and objects in the environment. We are exploring simulation as a possible solution to this problem. For characters, this solution requires applying control algorithms to physically realistic models of the systems that we would like to animate. By using these techniques to simulate humans, we are working towards avatars that are responsive to the user's subtle gestures and interactive agents that respond appropriately to events in a virtual environment. For example, we developed control algorithms that allow rigid body models to run or bicycle, bounce on a trampoline, and perform a handspring vault. Recently, we have begun to combine simulations with motion capture data in the hope that these techniques will benefit both from the physical realism of simulation and from the humanlike motion provided by captured data. We are using human motion data to inform the construction of control systems and to construct interfaces for avatars.