A Synthetic-Vision Based Steering Approach for Crowd Simulation

International audienceIn the everyday exercise of controlling their locomotion, humans rely on their optic flow of the perceived environment to achieve collision-free navigation. In crowds, in spite of the complexity of the environment made of numerous obstacles, humans demonstrate remarkable capacities in avoiding collisions. Cognitive science work on human locomotion states that relatively succinct information is extracted from the optic flow to achieve safe locomotion. In this paper, we explore a novel vision-based approach of collision avoidance between walkers that fits the requirements of interactive crowd simulation. By simulating humans based on cognitive science results, we detect future collisions as well as the level of danger from visual stimuli. The motor-response is twofold: a reorientation strategy prevents future collision, whereas a deceleration strategy prevents imminent collisions. Several examples of our simulation results show that the emergence of self-organized patterns of walkers is reinforced using our approach. The emergent phenomena are visually appealing. More importantly, they improve the overall efficiency of the walkers' traffic and avoid improbable locking situations

Stochastic Activity Authoring With Direct User Control

Crowd activities are often randomized to create the appearance of heterogeneity. However, the parameters that control randomization are frequently hard to tune because it is unclear how changes at the character level affect the high-level appearance of the crowd. We propose a method for computing randomization parameters that supports direct animator control. Given details about the environment, available activities, timing information and the desired highlevel appearance of the crowd, we model the problem as a graph, formulate a convex optimization problem, and solve for a set of stochastic transition rates which satisfy the constraints. Unlike the use of heuristics for adding randomness to crowd activities, our approach provides guarantees on convergence to the desired result, allows for decentralized simulation, and supports a variety of constraints. In addition, because the rates can be pre-computed, no additional runtime processing is needed during simulation

Using blocks to construct 3D shapes and create transformation animations

The objective of this research is to develop methods by which we can use blocks to approximate the shapes of 3D objects and to generate shape transformation animations. Two graphic tools are developed. One assists the animator in constructing 3D shapes with bricks of different sizes and matching up the different shapes. The other tool helps the animator generate a transformation animation of those bricks. Using polygon shape data, these tools can procedurally place the bricks and control their animation. Several different methods for animation are introduced. Those methods provide different ways to generate animation paths of the blocks. The no path animation and the straight path animation are easy for the animator to create and the animation time is easily controlled. The flocking animation will provide more interesting effect

Crowd modeling: generation of a fully articulated crowd of characters

In this thesis I present a fast, efficient, and production friendly method to generate a crowd of fully articulated characters. A wide variety of characters can be created from a relatively few base models. The models that are generated are anatomically different from each another, while maintaining the same topology. They all have individual characteristics and features, that distinguish them from the others in the crowd. This method is easily adaptable to different kinds of characters, from hyper-realistic characters to highly stylized characters, and from human characters to insects like spiders. The crowd character models generated by this method are fully articulated and are ready to be animated

Procedural Generation of Human Settlements in 3D Worlds

Trabajo de Fin de Grado en Grado en Desarrollo de Videojuegos, Facultad de Informática UCM, Departamento de Ingeniería del Software e Inteligencia Artificial, Curso 2019/2020La generación procedimental es importante hoy en día en la industria del videojuego, ya que agiliza la creación de nuevo contenido permitiendo ahorrar recursos y dando al desarrollador la opción de centrarse en otras labores. En este contexto, se ha desarrollado una herramienta con el objetivo de generar asentamientos humanos virtuales, teniendo en cuenta que todos los elementos del mapa mantengan coherencia entre sí y resulten atractivos según el criterio de evaluadores humanos. Para la representación de los asentamientos se ha creado un mod del videojuego Minecraft que permite ejecutar los comandos necesarios para modificar el entorno. Se ha escogido esta plataforma porque permite generar mapas aleatorios coherentes con distintos biomas y superficies, gracias a ello se pueden probar los algoritmos en una gran variedad de situaciones y comprobar su adaptabilidad. Las bases y criterios que se contemplan en The GDMC Competition (Generative Design in Minecraft) han servido como referencia para el diseño de los asentamientos y la realización de pruebas con el fin de evaluar sus características. La versión implementada en este trabajo se ha enviado a la edición de 2020 del concurso. El resultado final del proyecto cumple los objetivos planteados pues permite generar asentamientos en Minecraft que replican la estética y organización de las civilizaciones humanas.Nowadays, the procedural generation is important in the video games industry since it accelerates the creation of new contents saving resources and giving the developers the opportunity to focuse on other tasks. In this context, a tool has been developed in order to create virtual settlement in Minecraft bearing in mind that every element from the map have coherence with each other and turn to be attractive to people. For the settling representation, a mod of the videogame named Minecraft that allows executing the necessary commands to modify the environment has been created. This platform has been chosen because it allows the creation of random coherent maps with different biomes and surfaces. Thanks to that, the algorithms can be executed in a large variety of situations and verify its adaptability. The bases and criterion contemplated in The GDMC Competition (Generative Design in Minecraft) have served as a reference for the design of the settlements and the test carrying out in order to evaluate their characteristics. The versión implemented in this work has been sent to the 2020 edition of the competition. The result of the project accomplishes the raised objectives as it allows the generation of Minecraft settlements that replicate the aesthetics and Organization of human civilizations.Depto. de Ingeniería de Software e Inteligencia Artificial (ISIA)Fac. de InformáticaTRUEunpu

Proceedings of the 9th Arab Society for Computer Aided Architectural Design (ASCAAD) international conference 2021 (ASCAAD 2021): architecture in the age of disruptive technologies: transformation and challenges.

The ASCAAD 2021 conference theme is Architecture in the age of disruptive technologies: transformation and challenges. The theme addresses the gradual shift in computational design from prototypical morphogenetic-centered associations in the architectural discourse. This imminent shift of focus is increasingly stirring a debate in the architectural community and is provoking a much needed critical questioning of the role of computation in architecture as a sole embodiment and enactment of technical dimensions, into one that rather deliberately pursues and embraces the humanities as an ultimate aspiration

FlexWAFE - eine Architektur für rekonfigurierbare-Bildverarbeitungssysteme

Recently there has been an increase in demand for high-resolution digital media content in both cinema and television industries. Currently existing equipment does not meet the requirements, or is too costly. New hardware systems and new programming techniques are needed in order to meet the high-resolution, high-quality, image requirements and reduce costs. The industry seeks a flexible architecture capable of running multiple applications on top of standard off-the-shelf components, with reduced development time. Until now, standard practice has been to develop specialized architectures and systems that target a single application. This has little flexibility and leads to high developments costs, every new application is designed almost from scratch. Our focus was to develop an architecture that is suited to image stream processing and has the flexibility to run multiple applications using the same FPGA-based hardware platform. The novelty in our approach is that we reconfigure parts of the architecture at run-time, but without incurring in the time and added constraints penalty of FPGA-partial-reconfiguration techniques. The architecture uses a hierarchical control structure that is well suited to parallel processing, and allows single cycle latency reconfiguration of parts of the processing pipeline. This is achieved using relatively little resources for the distributed control structures. To test the developed architecture a complex film-grain noise reduction algorithm was implemented on an off-the-shelf hardware platform developed by Thomson-Grass Valley. The system meet all the requirements and had very little load on the hierarchical control structures, there is growth headroom for much complexer control demands. The architecture has been ported to other hardware platforms, and other applications have been implemented as well. The run-time reconfigurability has proven to be a key factor in the success of the FlexWAFE.Kürzlich gab es eine Zunahme der Nachfrage nach hochauflösenden digitalen Medieninhalten in den Kino- und Fernsehenindustrien. Derzeit vorhandene Systeme entsprechen nicht den Anforderungen, oder sind zu teuer. Neue Hardware-Systeme und neuer Programmiertechniken sind erforderlich, um den hochauflösenden, hochwertigen, Bildanforderungen zu genügen und Kosten zu verringern. Die Industrie sucht eine flexible Architektur zur Ausführung mehrerer Anwendungen auf Standard-Komponenten, mit reduzierten Entwicklungszeiten. Bis jetzt ist gängige Praxis, spezialisierten Architektur und Systeme zu entwickeln, die eine einzelne Anwendung zielen. Dieses hat wenig Flexibilität und führt zu hohe Entwicklungskosten, jede neue Anwendung ist fast von Grund auf neu konzipiert. Unser Fokus war es, eine für Bild Verarbeitung geeignet Architektur zu entwickeln dass die Flexibilität hat mehrere Anwendungen an dieselbe FPGA-basierte Hardware-Plattform zu laufen. Die Neuheit in unserem Ansatz ist, dass wir Teile der Architektur zur Laufzeit rekonfigurieren, aber, ohne das Zeit und constraints strafe von FPGA Partielle-Rekonfiguration-Techniken. Die Architektur verwendet eine hierarchische Kontrollstruktur, die zur parallel Verarbeitung gut geeignet ist, und Single-Cycle-Latenz Rekonfiguration von Teilen der Verarbeitungs-Pipeline ermöglicht. Dieses wird unter Verwendung relativ weniger Ressourcen für die verteiltes Steuerung Strukturen erzielt. Um das entwickelte Architektur zu testen ein komplexer Film-Korn-Rauschunterdrückung Algorithmus wurde auf einer von Thomson-Grass Valley entwickelt standard Hardware-Plattform umgesetzt. Das System erfüllt alle Anforderungen und hatte sehr wenig Last auf den hierarchischen Kontrollstrukturen, es gibt viel Wachstum Spielraum für viel kompliziertere Steuerunganforderungen. Die Architektur ist zu anderen Hardwareplattformen portiert worden, und andere Anwendungen wurden ebenfalls implementiert. Der Laufzeitreconfigurability ist ein Schlüsselfaktor im Erfolg des FlexWAFE gewesen

MaxControl: ein objektorientiertes Werkzeug zur automatischen Erstellung von 3D-Computeranimationsfilmen und dessen Integration in eine professionelle 3D-Animationssoftware

Durch die wachsende Computerleistung können 3D-Computeranimationen sehr komplexe Szenen mit ebenso komplexen zeitlichen Abläufen animiert darstellen. Jedoch ist neben der Erstellung einer komplexen Szene auch deren Animation entsprechend aufwendig, wenn keine Automatisierungen genutzt werden können. Das in dieser Arbeit entwickelte Werkzeug MaxControl ist ein System zur automatischen Animation von nicht-interaktiven 3D-Animationsfilmen. Dies wird durch die Simulation von Verhaltensweisen erreicht, die den 3D-Objekten zugewiesen werden