Artists Statement

This artistic animation, developed at the Advanced Computing Center for the Arts and Design of the Ohio State University (USA), demonstrates the use of physically based modelling and robotics,

The human and animal motion was produced using the PODA animation system, written by Michael Girard. PODA implements Girard’s research on modelling legged animal motion, incorporating many robotics techniques for body co-ordination, limb kinematics and dynamics. The multi-legged locomotion of gaits and dance seen in Eurhjthqr employs inversekinematic control of limbs in order to achieve goal-directed leg motions. A supervisory level of control over legged animal locomotion is provided by the animation system. Given the animator’s specification of a sequence of gaits and a desired path of motion in the horizontal plane, the locomotion model calculates the co-ordination of the animal’s legs in each gait, manages transitions between gaits and determines footholds which are computed to bring each of the legs to a dynamically stable supporting position.
Susan Amkraut animated the bird flocks in Eurhythmy using her FLOCK system. The choreography of the flocks was structured to move gradually from naturalistic flocking
patterns to more unnatural ones. [Source: THE JOURNAL OF VISUALIZATION AND COMPUTER ANIMATION YOL. 1, 15-17 (1990)]
Eurhythmy: Concept and process
Video:  An early version  Motion studies

ISEA Archives Video Channel:

• Michael Girard & Susan Amkraut (USA), National Centre for Computer Animation (SCAN), Groningen, The Netherlands  susanamkraut.com