Tai Chi synthesizer: a motion synthesis framework based on key-postures and motion instructions

• Published in: Computer animation and virtual worlds Vol. 15; no. 3-4; pp. 259 - 268
• Main Authors: Chao, Shih-Pin, Chiu, Chih-Yi, Yang, Shi-Nine, Lin, Tsang-Gang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.07.2004
• Subjects: animation from motion/video data; animation of articulated figures: animation system; animation techniques; language parsing and understanding; motion capture and retargeting
• ISSN: 1546-4261; 1546-427X
• DOI: 10.1002/cav.28

Human spontaneous motions such as walking and runing are seldom described in detail. However, some well designed motions such as conditioning and rehabilitation exercises are usually described in detail and edited into exercise manuals for training purpose. This paper presents a novel framework for synthesizing new motions based on given motion manuals and corresponding motion capture examples. First, using text analysis method, a set of basic motion texts is extracted from exercise manuals and converted into text normal form. Then we introduce an annotation method to build the mapping table between basic motion texts and their corresponding motion clips in the given examples. To facilitate the search for proper motion clips, a multi‐dimensional index structure based on posture parameters is proposed. Then a new motion with given textual description can be synthesized by converting the description sentences into a sequence of text normal forms and then concatenating the corresponding motion clips to form the desired motion. Moreover, to realize the smooth concatenation, we show that it can be achieved by finding an appropriate path in the proposed multi‐dimensional index space. Several experimental examples are given to demonstrate the proposed method is effective in synthesizing desired motions according to given descriptions. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.