Simulating Humans: Computer Graphics Animation and Control

by Norman I. Badler, Cary B. Phillips, Bonnie Lynn Webber

Overview

During the past decade, high-performance computer graphics have found application in an exciting and expanding range of new domains. Among the most dramatic developments has been the incorporation of real-time interactive manipulation and display for human figures. Though actively pursued by several research groups, the problem of providing a synthetic or surrogate human for engineers and designers already familiar with computer-aided design techniques was most comprehensively solved by Norman Badler's computer graphics laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania. The breadth of that effort as well as the details of its methodology and software environment are presented in this volume. The book is intended for human factors engineers interested in understanding how a computer-graphics surrogate human can augment their analyses of designed environments. It will also inform design engineers of the state of the art in human figure modeling, and hence of the human-centered design central to the emergent concept of concurrent engineering. In fulfilling these goals, the book additionally documents for the entire computer graphics community a major research effort in the interactive control of articulated human figures.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195073591
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	06/17/1993
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	6.42(w) x 9.24(h) x 1.07(d)

About the Author

all at the University of Pennsylvania

Table of Contents

1. Introduction and Historical Background1.1. Why Make Human Figure Models? 1.2. Historical Roots1.3. What is Currently Possible? 1.4. Manipulation, Animation, and Simulation1.5. What Did We Leave Out? 2. Body Modeling2.1. Geometric Body Modeling2.2. Representing Articulated Figures2.3. A Flexible Torso Model2.4. Shoulder Complex2.5. Clothing Models2.6. The Anthropometry Database2.7. The Anthropometry Spreadsheet2.8. Strength and Torque Display3. Spatial Interaction3.1. Direct Manipulation3.2. Manipulation with Constraints3.3. Inverse Kinematic Positioning3.4. Reachable Spaces44.1. Behavior Control of Articulated FiguresAn Interactive System for Postural Control4.1. An Interactive System for Postural Control4.2. Interactive Manipulation with Behaviors4.3. The Animation Interface4.4. Human Figure Motions4.5. Virtual Human Control5. Simulation with Societies of Behaviors5.1. Forward Simulation with Behaviors5.2. Locomotion5.3. Strength Guided Motion5.4. Collision-Free Path and Motion Planning5.5. Posture Planning6. Task-Level Specifications6.1. Performance Simulation with Simple Commands6.2. Natural Language Expressions of Kinematics and Space6.3. Task-Level Simulation6.4. A Framework for Instruction Understanding7. Epilogue7.1. A Road Map Toward the Future7.2. Conclusion

Editorial Reviews

"The book achieves [its] objectives." —SCS Simulator Quarterly

"Useful to human factors engineers . . . . Recommended." —Science & Technology

"The book is both entertaining and informative. One can read it for a general overview, while noting the wealth of detail available for specific topics." —Computing Reviews

From the Publisher

The problems of providing a synthetic or surrogate human for engineers and designers already familiar with computer-aided design techniques has been solved by Norman Badler's Computer Graphics Lab at the University of Pennsylvania. The breadth of that effort as well as the details of its methodology and software environment are presented in this volume, written for human factors engineers interested in understanding how a computer-graphics surrogate human can augment their analysis of designated environments. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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