Synthesis and Analysis Techniques for the Human Body: R&D Projects - 3D Modeling and Animation: Synthesis and Analysis Techniques for the Human Body - page 364

• Project IMUTUS: Interactive Music Tuition System is using 3-D tech-

nologies to reconstruct humanoid music teachers and demonstrate typical
methodologies for performing various musical instruments.

• Project SHOPLAB: The ShopLab-Network for Test and Design of

Hybrid Shop Environments based on multi-modal Interface Technol-
ogy is introducing the aspect of a virtual mirror augmenting the human body
for use in a commercial environment promoting shopping procedures.

• Project MIRTH: Musculo-skeletal Injury Reduction Tools for Health

and safety , where 3-D technology is being utilized for determining ergo-
nomics in the automotive industry design and training.

HUMODAN: An Automatic Human Model Animation
Environment for Augmented Reality Interaction

The objective of the HUMODAN project (IST HUMODAN, 2001) is to design,
develop and set up an innovative system for automatic recognition and animation
of human motion in controlled environments. The most relevant and distinctive
feature of this system with respect to existing technologies is that the individual
being recorded will not wear any type of marker or special suit or other types of
sensors. This system is expected to be highly useful in a wide range of
technological areas, such as TV production, tele-presence, immersive and
collaborative interactivity storytelling, medical diagnostic support, tele-opera-
tion, education and training.
In the field of multi-part systems, not much research work has been carried out
so far in human motion reconstruction. Two noticeable exceptions are the
simulation of human body motion in sports activities and the medical diagnosis of
damages in the locomotor system, for example, gait analysis. In this case, the real
motion of the sportsman has been recorded with video cameras. After adequate
processing, the trajectories of several points are applied as inputs to a mechanical
model of the human being. An Inverse Dynamics algorithm allows one to
calculate the overall motion of the person, as well as the internal forces that are
required to produce the motion, energy consumption, ground reactions, etc.
Further post-processing of these outputs will estimate specific indices, for
example, the performance of the athlete or the level of gait damage of a patient.
Investigations on motion patterns are still in course and there are not yet
automatic methods implemented.
Real-time dynamic simulation of mechanisms has been a very active research
field recently, with applications mainly in robotics and vehicle simulation,
considering different degrees of accuracy in the model. In this basis, HUMODAN