New Atlas

Drones Audio available

Drones may find use in simplified motion-capture animation

Ben Coxworth December 6, 2018

In motion-capture animation, an actor moves through a studio equipped with multiple cameras. A computer tracks markers on their body, building a 3D "skeleton" that is used to create the final animated character. Experimental new drone-based tech, however, may make the process much easier.

The system requires no more than two commercially-available camera-equipped drones, a laptop, and a special suit ...

Computers Audio available

AI neural network builds new virtual cities by studying real ones

Michael Irving December 3, 2018

To speed up the creation of virtual environments, researchers at Nvidia have taught artificial intelligence systems how to generate and detail new virtual cityscapes, by training neural networks on real video footage.

A Nvidia team has taught a neural network system to generate virtual worlds based on real ...

Robotics

Demo shows workings of Mesmer animatronics in action

James Holloway September 11, 2018

A system combining robotics and animation software to create lifelike humanoid characters has been demonstrated in a new video by Engineered Arts. Dubbed Mesmer, the technology promises cheaper results by pulling disparate technologies into a single package.

The underlying components can be accessed without damaging the artificial skin

Good Thinking

System creates computer-generated sounds for computer-animated objects

Ben Coxworth August 8, 2018

Although movie producers can now create computer-animated images of just about anything, the sounds made by those items still typically consist of recordings of real-world objects. That may not be the case for much longer, however, thanks to a computer system developed at Stanford University.

A crashing cymbal is just one of the sound effects that has been generated by the ...

VR

Disney's Magic Bench makes augmented reality a group activity

Michael Irving July 26, 2017

Some day, even stopping for a rest on a bench at Disneyland might be an attraction, thanks to a mixed reality prototype called the Magic Bench. Designed to make AR more of a group activity, it allows people to interact with animated characters in 3D space, and even feel them through haptic feedback.

Disney Research's Magic Bench remixes reality, making augmented reality a group experience

Wearables

Sensor-packed smartsuit takes motion capture out of the studio

Michael Irving December 13, 2016

The cumbersome, expensive process of motion capture might soon be a thing of the past. Danish startup Rokoko has developed the Smartsuit Pro, a mocap suit that works without wires or cameras, and instead relies on sensors and a Wi-Fi network to record or stream motion to a character in real time.

Rokoko has developed the Smartsuit Pro, a suit full of sensors that allows for motion capture ...

Computers

Legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki calls AI generated animation "an insult to life itself"

Rich Haridy December 11, 2016

Legendary Studio Ghibli animator Hayao Miyazaki was recently screened a demo of AI generated animation after which he vehemently responded, "I would never wish to incorporate this technology into my work at all."

Can AI-generated animation ever develop a sense of human empathy?

Mobile Technology

Latest mobile tech hints at the power of GIFs and emojis

Emily Ferron August 17, 2016

If recent mobile technology releases are any indication, pictures are still worth a thousand words – and millions of dollars. Emojis and short animations have become communication essentials. Here’s how these modern pictographs are taking over the world, and how tech companies are trying to cash in.

Emoji apps are making huge money in the App Store

Computers

Interactive software makes for "hands-on" video

Michael Irving August 2, 2016

MIT researchers have developed a technique that allows dynamic interaction with objects captured in video. By analyzing vibrations in the video, the system can construct an interactive model of a real-world object from as little as five seconds of video.

MIT's new video technique analyzes the vibration frequencies of an object in a video, and builds ...

Computers

New light rendering technique ups the realism of computer generated images

Dario Borghino July 25, 2016

Researchers have developed a graphics algorithm that not only realistically models light reflecting off complex surfaces like water, leather, glass, and metal, but which also runs about 100 times faster than current state-of-the-art systems.

A graphics algorithm can render lighting on rough surfaces with high fidelity