MAge-AniM: a System for Visual Modeling of Embodied Agent Animations and their Replay on Mobile Devices
Authors:Chittaro L., Buttussi F., Nadalutti D.
Published in:Proceedings of AVI 2006: 8th International Conference on Advanced Visual Interfaces, ACM Press, New York, May 2006, pp. 344-351.
Abstract:Embodied agents are employed in several applications (e.g. computer-based presentations, help systems, e-learning and training, sign language communication for the deaf), but the process of developing them is still complex (e.g., modeling animations is one of the difficult and time-consuming tasks). Moreover, although mobile devices have recently reached a performance level that allows them to manage 3D graphics, most embodied agents run on desktop computers only. The aim of our research is twofold: (i) proposing a tool that allows novice users to approach the animation modeling process of 3D anthropomorphic agents in a simple way, and (ii) proposing a 3D player to display these animated agents on PDAs. Besides discussing in detail the proposed system, the paper reports about its informal evaluation and two of its applications: sign language animation for the deaf and mobile fitness training.
