From visual input to modeling humans

We present an overview of our recent methodology for modeling humans that is based on the use of computer vision methods to analyze human motion and extract invariants of the motion in a parameterized way that captures the nature of this motion. This basic parameterized motion can then be altered based on additional user input in the form of parameters to create a wide variety of human motions. This paradigm of modeling and animating human motions is a deviation from the traditional approach to animation which is based either exclusively on an animator's skill to produce convincing human animation or the use of motion capture data with no sophisticated analysis. Our approach clearly demonstrates that the synergy between computer vision and computer graphics methods is crucial in modeling human motion both external and internal. We demonstrate several examples of this approach including human walking and the modeling of human anatomy and physiology.