Avatar Tracking Control with Generations of Physically Natural Responses on Contact to Reduce Performers’ Loads

Abstract

The real-time performance of motion-captured avatars in virtual space is becoming increasingly popular, especially within applications including social virtual realities (VRs), virtual performers (e.g., virtual YouTubers), and VR games. Such applications often include contact between multiple avatars or between avatars and objects as communication or gameplay. However, most current applications do not solve the effects of contact for avatars, causing penetration or unnatural behavior to occur. In reality, no contact with the player’s body occurs; nevertheless, the player must perform as if contact occurred. While physics simulation can solve the contact issue, the naive use of physics simulation causes tracking delay. We propose a novel avatar tracking controller with feedforward control. Our method enables quick, accurate tracking and flexible motion in response to contacts. Furthermore, the technique frees avatar performers from the loads of performing as if contact occurred. We implemented our method and experimentally evaluated the naturalness of the resulting motions and our approach’s effectiveness in reducing performers’ loads.