Automotive microcontroller benchmark takes energy efficiency into account
EnSilica partners Cross Border Technologies to boost sales growth in key European markets
Industry's first ultra-wideband Doherty amplifiers support broadband operation
Electronics Manufacturing Services boom for medical industry says analyst
Gemalto teams with Encore Networks for mission critical M2M communications as US shifts to wireless
Solar industry capital spending hits seven-year low in 2013 but upturn is on the cards
Apple's overseas tax evasion stirs debate over US tax code 
Could Intel enable USD200 Ultrabook?
Places2Be project aims to boost European leadership around FD-SOI 
Printed, flexible and organic electronics will enjoy a solid growth over the next decade says IDTechEx
Floating surge stopper provides unlimited overvoltage protection
Obsolescence groups tackles long term supply and conflict minerals challenges 
First 45nm embedded flash logic test chips sample
Wolfson to move integrated MEMS microphones to 8in wafers
Exploiting depth sensing for 3D interfaces and complex image analysis 
Animated characters brought to life by 3-D printing
August 03, 2012 // R Colin Johnson
The virtual world is being brought to life by reverse engineering the rendering operation that draws on-screen characters in video games and other software animations. Harvard University researchers will describe a patented new algorithm that uses three-dimensional printers to create personalized action figures from animations at next week's Siggraph 2012 show in Los Angeles.
Software animations create both realistic and fanciful characters, but their makeup and capabilities need not match those that are possible in the real world. Harvard's software, however, translates the primary characteristics of the on-screen characters into articulated components that together realize a figurine that can be created by a 3-D printer.
By observing the on-screen appearance and actions performed by the character, the Harvard algorithm determines the ideal locations for the character's joints—either ball-in-socket or hinged—then optimizes their size and location using the physics of the real 3-D world. Once the reverse rendering operation is complete, a detailed file is sent to a 3-D printer, which creates a completely assembled version of the action figure.
The Harvard researchers expect their invention to be useful not only for personalized action figures for consumers, but also for professional animators who today create mannequins by hand. With the reverse rendering algorithm, animators will be able to quickly create action figures which they can use to experiment with different stances and motions in real world recreations of virtual worlds.
Harvard’s Office of Technology Development has filed a patent which it aims to license to a cloud-based service that will used 3-D printers to create customized, user-generated figurines from existing animation software.
Funding for the product was supplied by the National Science Foundation, Pixar and the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. All news
-
Technology News
Automotive microcontroller benchmark takes energy efficiency into account
May 21, 2013
Today, cars are crammed with microprocessors, and many of them are not completely switched off when the driver parks and ...
-
Business News
EnSilica partners Cross Border Technologies to boost sales growth in key European markets
-
Technology News
Industry's first ultra-wideband Doherty amplifiers support broadband operation
-
Market News
Electronics Manufacturing Services boom for medical industry says analyst
-
Business News
Gemalto teams with Encore Networks for mission critical M2M communications as US shifts to wireless
-
Market News
Solar industry capital spending hits seven-year low in 2013 but upturn is on the cards
May 21, 2013
Although global capital spending during 2013 in the photovoltaics supply chain is expected to fall to its lowest level since ...
-
Market News
Apple's overseas tax evasion stirs debate over US tax code
-
Market News
Could Intel enable USD200 Ultrabook?
-
Technology News
Places2Be project aims to boost European leadership around FD-SOI
Technical papers
Filter Wizard
Check out the Filter Wizard Series of articles by Filter Guru Kendall Castor-Perry which provide invaluable practical Analog Design guidelines.
Linear video channel
READER OFFER
Read more
The development platform for i.MX 6Quad from element14 (built to the Freescale SABRE Lite design) is an evaluation platform featuring the powerful i.MX 6Q, a multimedia application processor with Quad ARM Cortex-A9 cores at 1.2 GHz from Freescale Semiconductor.
This month, Freescale and element14 are giving away five such platforms, worth £128.06 each, for EETimes Europe's readers to win. The platform helps evaluate the rich set of peripherals and includes a 10/100/Gb Ethernet port, SATA-II, HDMI v1.4, LVDS, parallel RGB interface, touch screen interface, analog headphone/microphone, micro TF and SD card interface, USB, serial port, JTAG, camera interface, and input keys for Android.
And the winners are...
In our previous reader offer, Pico Technology was giving away one of its recently launched PicoScope 3207B, a 2-channel USB 3.0 oscilloscope worth 1451 Euros. Lucky winner Mr L. Sanchez-Gonzalez from Spain should be receiving his PicoScope 3207B soon. Let's wish them some interesting findings with his projects.
Read more
Design centers
Automotive
December 15, 2011 | Texas instruments | 222901974
Unique Ser/Des technology supports encrypted video and audio content with full duplex bi-directional control channel over a single wire interface.
Follow us