Interactive Design of 3D Computer-Animated Legged Animal Motion

A visually interactive approach to the design of 3D computer-animated legged animal motion in the context of the PODA computer animation system is presented. The design process entails the interactive specification of parameters that drive a computational model for animal movement. The animator incrementally modifies a framework for establishing desired limb and body motion as well as the constraints imposed by physical dynamics (Newtonian mechanical properties) and temporal restrictions. PODA uses the desired motion and constraints specified by the animator to produce motion through an idealized model of the animal's adaptive dynamic control strategies.