CAREER: Animation Databases

动画数据库是动画模型和运动序列的存储库。本研究项目的目标是开发基于内容的动画数据库检索及相关技术。这些技术包括部分模糊查询解析、动画模型/运动比较、动画序列分割、冲突预测/解析以及处理多种动画格式。在这些技术的帮助下，一个动画创作工具包正在开发中。此工具包的功能是通过重用现有模型和运动序列来帮助生成新的动画序列。该项目在手语、医疗(为患者提供动画指导，比如物理治疗)、教育材料准备和科学可视化等领域产生了更广泛的影响。例如，一个语音到文本的系统正在与这个工具包集成。这一整合的目的是帮助为听力障碍者制作手语动画(基于口语)。此外，一些正在开发的技术(例如，碰撞预测/解决)在机器人等领域很有用。该项目的教育目标是：培养不同学科(特别是艺术与人文学科)的研究生和本科生，从事动画数据库的研究和开发。让K-12教师和学生使用动画创作工具包来准备和理解教育材料。这一项目的成果正在通过关于动画/多媒体数据库的课程、通过http://www.utdallas.edu/~praba/animdb.html/，网站出版研究论文以及通过向公众提供动画工具包来传播。

Animation databases are repositories of animation models and motion sequences. This research project's goal is to develop content-based retrieval and related techniques for animation databases. These techniques include partial fuzzy query resolution, animation model/motion comparison, animation sequence segmentation, prediction/resolution of collisions, and handling multiple animation formats. An animation authoring toolkit is being developed with the help of these techniques. The functionality of this toolkit is to aid in generating new animation sequences by reusing existing models and motion sequences. The broader impacts of this project on are in the fields of sign language, medical care (animated instructions for patients, say, in physical therapy), education material preparation, and scientific visualization. For instance, a speech-to-text system is being integrated with this toolkit. The purpose of this integration is to aid in generating sign language animations (based on spoken sentences) for persons challenged with hearing disabilities. Also, some of the techniques being developed (e.g., prediction/resolution of collision) are useful in areas such as robotics.The educational goals of this project are to:Train graduate and under-graduate students from different disciplines (especially Arts & Humanities) in the research and development of animation databases. Involve K-12 teachers and students in using the animation authoring toolkit for preparation and understanding of educational materials.The results of this project are being disseminated through courses on animation/multimedia databases, through a website http://www.utdallas.edu/~praba/animdb.html/, publishing of research papers, and by making the animation toolkit available to public.