Bringing Virtual Humans to Life
In this article we look at the State of the Art of Human Animation in the worlds of Film and Video games. We then explore the implications of endowing truely life like Virtual Human Avatars with Artificial Intelligence. The Video below, 'Project Emily' by Image Metrics Inc, provides a powerful introduction to the State of the Art of Human Facial Animation.
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The Image Metrics character animation experience includes everything from photorealistic creatures
and humans, to cartoon-style animals from worlds both real and imaginary. Translating actors' exact
performances onto digital characters in games, film and television. Using no markers or makeup,
Image Metrics captures facial performances using standard or high-definition video. Its computer
vision technology then analyzes that captured performance pixel-by-pixel, including subtle eye and
mouth movements, and applies that information to a 3D model. They have provided facial animation
for over 30 Video Games including Grand Theft Auto and feature films such as Harry Potter.
With their ability to create Virtual Humans that can not easily be distinguished from the real person
Image Metrics has opened up some interesting possibilities in the worlds of film , video games and
on-line worlds. The picture below helps put this in the wider context by illustrating the many different
environments which can be populated by Virtual Humans. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Image Metrics enables much more life like Avatars to be introduced into these environmemts and
also opens up some interesting opportunities. Once an Actors Digital Avatar is captured by the
Image Metrics process it can be driven by other Actors even if the original actor has died. A
film could for example still be completed using this technology even if the star has died half way
through production.
Imagine the opportunities for celeberities to franchise their Digital Avatar to many different clients.
The ability to use low cost third party actors to drive a Digital Avatar of a well known celebrity
equates to a wider market for that celebrity. For example a well known news anchor might agree
for his Virtual Human Avatar to appear on a number of chanels that he or she would not
otherwise have the time to prepare for in person.
If that same news anchor decides to retire and sell the rights to his Virtual Human Avatar to a
Business Entity then you have the interesting possibiliy of replacing real Human presentors
with a famous Virtual Human Avatar. Real people behind the scenes are still driving this Avatar,
although there may be different people depending on the channel or even the country in
which it is being broadcast.
Actors and Actresses who are now in their youth or in their prime could store their Virtual Human
persona using this technology. In their later years they can then still play youthful roles simply
by driving their stored youthful Virtual Human persona - forever young! We predict Image Metrics
Inc may find this a very popular application.
The potential for on-line appearances as Celebrity Virtual Human Avatars extends beyond film to
premium web sites, on-line Virtual Worlds and more.
Looking to the future and other environments, the potential for Holographic projections of
Virtual Humans onto say a stage becomes a fascinating prospect. Already leading
companies like Cisco have launched capabilities that can project holographic 3D images
of real humans onto a stage with dramatic effect. We are refering here to Cisco's On-Stage
TelePresence Experience, this was created by integrating Musion 3D Holographic
Projection Technology with Cisco Telepresence. It won't be long then before we see
Virtual Humans projected as 3D Hologrames to stage performances.
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| Click to View Holographic Projection Video |
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Let us move on now and consider removing the human factor further by combining photo
realistic Virtual Human Avatars with Artificial Intelligence to create
Electronic Virtual Intelligent Life!
Combining Virtual Human Avatars with Artifical Intelligence
There are already many Avatars on the web that present a basic Human appearance, indeed
on the Evil Avatar page of this web site you can talk to our very own Ms. LOUISE CYPHER
an Avatar powered by Artificial intelligence. However these Avatars are clearly not the photo
realistic Virtual Humans produced by companies such as Image Metrics Inc. Many of
todays Avatars use cartoon like preprocessed Flash images which are controlled by
artificilal Intelligence engines such as AIML. These interpret questions and conversational
input from Humans, typically using Text to Speech. When it answers the Humans questions,
the Artificial Intelligence software typically uses a natural voice engine to reply while at the
same time commanding the Avatar to move its lips in sync with the speech. Basic stuff but
pretty effective.
The ability to create a library of pre processed photo realistic Virtual Human facial images
and expressions, opens up the possibility of driving these images by Artificial Intelligence
software. This will have a huge impact on the quality of the user experience when interacting
with such Virtual Humans. For example such an Avatar could easily be programmed to
express emotional states when required, simply by invoking the library clip for say laughter,
or anger at appropriate points during the conversation. Todays Artifial Intelligence Engines
already have the ability to simulate emotional states. Take the case of Ms. Louise Cypher,
if you tell her to shut up, she will sulk and not talk back to you constructively untill you
say sorry!. A photo realistic Avatar could of course augment this with a corresponding set
of sulk expressions invoked from the video clip library.
The exciting aspect of this from the Business perspective includes the potential to
improve Customer Relationship management and interacton on web sites by exploiting the
'Emotional Empathy' that can be generated by such Virtual Humans. The Avatar can use its
emotional states and expressions to get a much more life like and thus more powerful
interaction / bond with the customer. The Avatar could augment its own conversation by
deploying the appropriate Facial and body langauge e.g. to help placate an angry
customer. Emotional Empathy could also clearly be exploited to great effect in e-learning
applications.
Leaving aside the fun money making opportunities, there are many applications here that
could have a social benefit. Consider the potential for such Virtual Humans to act as
companions for people that have learning difficulties or simply are on their own for prolonged
periods. Such companionship services becomes much more effective when the Avatar has the
Emotional Empathy capabilities that we have described.
The next few years will see in our view the realisation of a number of these Virtual Human
scenarios. The prospect of talking to an Emotionally Empathc 3D photo realistic Virtual
Human driven by Artifical intelligence in a Virtual World or even projected Holographically
into the real world is closer than you might think!
Image Metrics Inc.
We would very much like to thank Image Metrics Inc for their permission for us to include
the Emily Project Video in this Show Case Article. You can visti their web site be clicking here.
Musion Systems Ltd
We would very much like to thank Musion Systems Ltd for providing the Cisco Day 2 Video and their
permission for us to include it in this Show Case Article. You can visit their web site by clickng here.
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(c) Copy Right EVIL Limited 2008 - All Rights Reserved.
The Video on the web page is (c) Copy Right 2008 Image Metrics Inc
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