Session details
fmx/conference
19:00-20:00
Friday May 05
Bertha-Benz-Saal
fmx/technologies
The "Artificial Actors" Project
Research at the Institute of Animation
research.animationsinstitut.de
Volker Helzle/Institute of Animation, Robin Reyer/, Sebastian H. Schmidt/, Stefan Habel /
The "Artificial Actors" Project
Research at the Institute of Animation
research.animationsinstitut.de
Volker Helzle/Institute of Animation, Robin Reyer/, Sebastian H. Schmidt/, Stefan Habel /
The "Artificial Actors“ project at the Animation Institute is focused on finding new ways to automate various aspects of character animation. A team of artists and computer scientists is concentrating on the animation and representation of the human face in film, computer games, and other interactive applications.
Volker Helzle will give an overview about the developed tools and techniques. One of the final results is the Facial Animation Toolset for Maya. It combines powerful tools for believable facaial animation and is available at no cost form the project website.
Sebastian H. Schmidt will present his recent Diploma Thesis (Bauhaus University Weimar) about "GPU based Real-Time Facial Animation" where he explores the capabilities of graphics hardware to achieve more believable facial animations.
Stefan Habel developed a framework for so-called "Autonomous Virtual Agents". He will explain this approach of a basis for real-time virtual characters, and as an example of a possible implementation show an agent that is able to react to users by using a face detection system.
Finally Robin Reyer will give an insight into an upcoming project dealing with totally convincing and realistic digital characters.
The "Artificial Actor" Project at the Institute of Animation is financed by the federal state Baden Württemberg.
The "Artificial Actors" project is supervised by Volker Helzle who holds a bachelor’s degree (Dip. Ing. FH) in Audiovisual Media from the Stuttgart Media University (University of applied science).
Prior to joining the Institute of Animation, Volker worked for about 3 years as director of content development for Eyematic Interfaces Inc.
Volker HelzlePostgraduated Technical Director Robin Reyer has been working on lighting, shading - especially skinshading as well as skinshading for realtime - and rendering for different projects initiated by the research group at the Filmakademie.
Robin was studying Media Computer Science at the Stuttgart Media University (University of applied science), laying the cornerstone for further Technical Director studies at the Institute of Animation. In addition to the works for the research group he was involved in student projects working on shading, lighting and rendering for VFX, scripting and pipelining.
Robin ReyerSebastian H. Schmidt studied MediaSystems at the Bauhaus University Weimar. He used to work for the Research Project "Artifical Actors" at the Institute for Animation and since fall 2005 he is studying technical director at the Institute. In his recent Diploma Thesis (Bauhaus University Weimar) about "GPU based Real-Time Facial Animation" he explores the capabilities of graphics hardware to achieve more believable facial animations.
Sebastian H. SchmidtStefan Habel recently graduated from FH Wedel (University of Applied Sciences) with a degree in Media Information Science. He wrote his diploma thesis in close collaboration with the research project at the Institute of Animation, in which he developed a framework for so-called "Autonomous Virtual Agents". He will explain this approach of a basis for real-time virtual characters, and as an example of a possible implementation show an agent that is able to react to users by using a face detection system.
Stefan Habel 
