Computational Design and Motion Control for Characters in the Real World

Abstract

Computer graphics techniques allow artists to realize their imaginative visions, leading to immersive virtual worlds that capture the imagination of audiences world-wide. And now, thanks to advancements in rapid manufacturing devices, tangible links between these vivid virtual worlds and our own can be created. But in order to unleash the full potential of this technology, a key challenge lies in determining the fundamental principles and design paradigms that allow digital content to be processed into forms that are suitable for fabrication. A particularly challenging task is that of creating physical representations of animated virtual characters. This paper discusses several techniques that can be applied towards this goal. In particular, a method for controlling the deformation behavior of real-world objects is described, and a computational design system that allows casual users to create animated mechanical characters is presented. In addition, this paper shows that control algorithms developed for physics-based character animation can also be applied to legged robots, allowing them to move with skill and purpose.