We describe a new physics engine tailored to model-based control. Multi-joint dynamics are represented in generalized coordinates and computed via recursive algorithms. Contact responses are computed via efficient new algorithms we have developed, based on the modern velocity-stepping approach which avoids the difficulties with spring-dampers. Models are specified using either a high-level C++ API or an intuitive XML file format. A built-in compiler transforms the user model into an optimized data structure used for runtime computation. The engine can compute both forward and inverse dynamics. The latter are well-defined even in the presence of contacts and equality constraints. The model can include tendon wrapping as well as actuator activation states (e.g. pneumatic cylinders or muscles). To facilitate optimal control applications and in particular sampling and finite differencing, the dynamics can be evaluated for different states and controls in parallel. Around 400,000 dynamics evaluations per second are possible on a 12-core machine, for a 3D homanoid with 18 dofs and 6 active contacts. We have already used the engine in a number of control applications. It will soon be made publicly available.

/pdf/mujoco-a-physics-engine-for-model-based-control-14yyrss43u.pdf

MuJoCo: A physics engine for model-based control

We present a learned model of human body shape and pose-dependent shape variation that is more accurate than previous models and is compatible with existing graphics pipelines. Our Skinned Multi-Person Linear model (SMPL) is a skinned vertex-based model that accurately represents a wide variety of body shapes in natural human poses. The parameters of the model are learned from data including the rest pose template, blend weights, pose-dependent blend shapes, identity-dependent blend shapes, and a regressor from vertices to joint locations. Unlike previous models, the pose-dependent blend shapes are a linear function of the elements of the pose rotation matrices. This simple formulation enables training the entire model from a relatively large number of aligned 3D meshes of different people in different poses. We quantitatively evaluate variants of SMPL using linear or dual-quaternion blend skinning and show that both are more accurate than a Blend-SCAPE model trained on the same data. We also extend SMPL to realistically model dynamic soft-tissue deformations. Because it is based on blend skinning, SMPL is compatible with existing rendering engines and we make it available for research purposes.

SMPL: a skinned multi-person linear model

A morphable model for the synthesis of 3D faces

Additive manufacturing (AM) is poised to bring about a revolution in the way products are designed, manufactured, and distributed to end users. This technology has gained significant academic as well as industry interest due to its ability to create complex geometries with customizable material properties. AM has also inspired the development of the maker movement by democratizing design and manufacturing. Due to the rapid proliferation of a wide variety of technologies associated with AM, there is a lack of a comprehensive set of design principles, manufacturing guidelines, and standardization of best practices. These challenges are compounded by the fact that advancements in multiple technologies (for example materials processing, topology optimization) generate a "positive feedback loop" effect in advancing AM. In order to advance research interest and investment in AM technologies, some fundamental questions and trends about the dependencies existing in these avenues need highlighting. The goal of our review paper is to organize this body of knowledge surrounding AM, and present current barriers, findings, and future trends significantly to the researchers. We also discuss fundamental attributes of AM processes, evolution of the AM industry, and the affordances enabled by the emergence of AM in a variety of areas such as geometry processing, material design, and education. We conclude our paper by pointing out future directions such as the "print-it-all" paradigm, that have the potential to re-imagine current research and spawn completely new avenues for exploration. The fundamental attributes and challenges/barriers of Additive Manufacturing (AM).The evolution of research on AM with a focus on engineering capabilities.The affordances enabled by AM such as geometry, material and tools design.The developments in industry, intellectual property, and education-related aspects.The important future trends of AM technologies.

The status, challenges, and future of additive manufacturing in engineering

We present an interactive system that lets a user move and deform a two-dimensional shape without manually establishing a skeleton or freeform deformation (FFD) domain beforehand. The shape is represented by a triangle mesh and the user moves several vertices of the mesh as constrained handles. The system then computes the positions of the remaining free vertices by minimizing the distortion of each triangle. While physically based simulation or iterative refinement can also be used for this purpose, they tend to be slow. We present a two-step closed-form algorithm that achieves real-time interaction. The first step finds an appropriate rotation for each triangle and the second step adjusts its scale. The key idea is to use quadratic error metrics so that each minimization problem becomes a system of linear equations. After solving the simultaneous equations at the beginning of interaction, we can quickly find the positions of free vertices during interactive manipulation. Our approach successfully conveys a sense of rigidity of the shape, which is difficult in space-warp approaches. With a multiple-point input device, even beginners can easily move, rotate, and deform shapes at will.

/pdf/as-rigid-as-possible-shape-manipulation-4ir0osawg2.pdf

As-rigid-as-possible shape manipulation

We present an algorithm for fast, physically accurate simulation of deformable objects suitable for real time animation and virtual environment interaction. We describe the boundary integral equation formulation of static linear elasticity as well as the related Boundary Element Method (BEM) discretization technique. In addition, we show how to exploit the coherence of typical interactions to achieve low latency; the boundary formulation lends itself well to a fast update method when a few boundary conditions change. The algorithms are described in detail with examples from ArtDefo, our implementation.

/pdf/artdefo-accurate-real-time-deformable-objects-k0xljv5b47.pdf

ArtDefo: accurate real time deformable objects

In this paper, we present an approach for fast subspace integration of reduced-coordinate nonlinear deformable models that is suitable for interactive applications in computer graphics and haptics. Our approach exploits dimensional model reduction to build reduced-coordinate deformable models for objects with complex geometry. We exploit the fact that model reduction on large deformation models with linear materials (as commonly used in graphics) result in internal force models that are simply cubic polynomials in reduced coordinates. Coefficients of these polynomials can be precomputed, for efficient runtime evaluation. This allows simulation of nonlinear dynamics using fast implicit Newmark subspace integrators, with subspace integration costs independent of geometric complexity. We present two useful approaches for generating low-dimensional subspace bases: modal derivatives and an interactive sketching technique. Mass-scaled principal component analysis (mass-PCA) is suggested for dimensionality reduction. Finally, several examples are given from computer animation to illustrate high performance, including force-feedback haptic rendering of a complicated object undergoing large deformations.

/pdf/real-time-subspace-integration-for-st-venant-kirchhoff-426u3yjvpp.pdf

Real-Time subspace integration for St. Venant-Kirchhoff deformable models

We extend approaches for skinning characters to the general setting of skinning deformable mesh animations. We provide an automatic algorithm for generating progressive skinning approximations, that is particularly efficient for pseudo-articulated motions. Our contributions include the use of nonparametric mean shift clustering of high-dimensional mesh rotation sequences to automatically identify statistically relevant bones, and robust least squares methods to determine bone transformations, bone-vertex influence sets, and vertex weight values. We use a low-rank data reduction model defined in the undeformed mesh configuration to provide progressive convergence with a fixed number of bones. We show that the resulting skinned animations enable efficient hardware rendering, rest pose editing, and deformable collision detection. Finally, we present numerous examples where skins were automatically generated using a single set of parameter values.

/pdf/skinning-mesh-animations-10dfrwpkfv.pdf

Skinning mesh animations

We present a technique which allows subtle nonlinear quasi-static deformations of articulated characters to be compactly approximated by data-dependent eigenbases which are optimized for real time rendering on commodity graphics hardware. The method extends the common Skeletal-Subspace Deformation (SSD) technique to provide efficient approximations of the complex deformation behaviours exhibited in simulated, measured, and artist-drawn characters. Instead of storing displacements for key poses (which may be numerous), we precompute principal components of the deformation influences for individual kinematic joints, and so construct error-optimal eigenbases describing each joint's deformation subspace. Pose-dependent deformations are then expressed in terms of these reduced eigenbases, allowing precomputed coefficients of the eigenbasis to be interpolated at run time. Vertex program hardware can then efficiently render nonlinear skin deformations using a small number of eigendisplacements stored in graphics hardware. We refer to the final resulting character skinning construct as the model's EigenSkin. Animation results are presented for a very large nonlinear finite element model of a human hand rendered in real time at minimal cost to the main CPU.

EigenSkin: real time large deformation character skinning in hardware

In this paper we describe how to simulate geometrically complex, interactive, physically-based, volumetric, dynamic deformation models with negligible main CPU costs. This is achieved using a Dynamic Response Texture, or DyRT, that can be mapped onto any conventional animation as an optional rendering stage using commodity graphics hardware. The DyRT simulation process employs precomputed modal vibration models excited by rigid body motions. We present several examples, with an emphasis on bone-based character animation for interactive applications.

/pdf/dyrt-dynamic-response-textures-for-real-time-deformation-4oisqanxaa.pdf

Doug L. James

Papers

ArtDefo: accurate real time deformable objects

Real-Time subspace integration for St. Venant-Kirchhoff deformable models

Skinning mesh animations

EigenSkin: real time large deformation character skinning in hardware

DyRT: dynamic response textures for real time deformation simulation with graphics hardware