The behavior of computer-generated crowds in movies and video games could soon appear much more realistic, thanks to new software that gives each character a complex personality of its own.
The software has been demonstrated in a simulation of Pennsylvania Station, in New York City, depicting more than 1,000 commuters, law-enforcement officers, entertainers, and tourists going about their business. Each individual demonstrates complex, rational behaviors that collectively create a much more lifelike representation of human activity, says Demetri Terzopoulos, a professor of computer science at the University of California, Los Angeles.
This sort of realism is important in games and motion pictures, says Norm Badler, director of the Center for Human Modeling and Simulation at the University of Pennsylvania. Even though simulated crowds tend to form part of the backdrop to the foreground action, they will stand out if their behavior is unrealistic, he says. "The whole animation should look plausible."
Until recently, crowd-animation algorithms have typically been based on some form of flocking activity, in which each character moves in a particular way depending upon how its neighbors move. This works fine for depictions of animal behavior, such as the well-known wildebeest stampede in Disney's The Lion King, says Terzopoulos. But in simulated humans that should evince some cognitive capacity, this sort of movement can appear aimless and random, says Badler.
The "autonomous pedestrians" designed by Terzopoulos and graduate student Wei Shao, on the other hand, are governed by three different layers of behavior. A motion layer handles basic movement, such as walking, running, standing, and sitting. On top of this sits a reactive layer, which allows the characters to respond to obstacles or other characters they encounter; it also enables them to perform simple behaviors that people normally take for granted, such as walking around a bench in order to sit on it.
But where the real complexity comes from is the top, cognitive layer. "This is where the agent is able to think ahead about what it's going to do in the future," says Terzopoulos. "It's a comprehensive cognitive model of people from the ground up."
For example, a character may be charged with the simple task of catching a train. But it knows that, in order to perform this task, it must carry out a number of subgoals, such as purchasing a ticket and finding the train platform. In fact, even these subgoals can have further subgoals, such as finding the ticket office and choosing the shortest ticket line to stand in.
This is a complex planning problem that can be exacerbated by a character's failure or success in meeting each of its subgoals, says Terzopoulos. "If you want to catch a train, but there are no tickets left, then you have to replan and maybe buy a ticket for a later train."
To make characters' behavior still richer, animators can also give them desires, which might make them stop off to buy a soda from a vending machine or pause to watch some street entertainers. Terzopoulos's software even manages to capture the way in which two crowds of people, moving through a narrow corridor, naturally form two opposing lanes.
More at:http://www.technologyreview.com/player/07/12/19RoweVideo/2.aspx
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Cellportraits---Find Perfect And Unique Gifts
What Company Is Offering:
The narcissistic artist you're shopping for is sure to be entranced by a new and utterly unique work of art: his own DNA portrait. Just send in a few drops of blood, and Phil Fisette, an immunologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and founder of Cell Portraits, will search your loved one's cells for an aesthetic arrangement of chromosomes to immortalize on film. The images are then custom-colored to the client's preference, generating a modern piece of art. Prices range from $250 to $500.
Cell Portraits is based in Madison, WI. They specialize in providing clients with a picture of their chromosomes (microscopic structures of DNA inside the cells of the body) so they can be displayed as art. Their art is truly unique in that the chromosome images used in each piece are an actual picture of the clients DNA or genetic material. They work with each client to capture the natural photogenic beauty of their (or a loved one’s) chromosomes to create a work of art that is as unique as it is personal.
How It Works:
Select size, color, and print material preferences via the online order form.
You will receive an email confirming your preferences along with an attached instruction manual (pdf format) to acquaint you with the blood collection process.
A ChromoKit™ for the collection of your cell sample will be sent to the address that you provide.
Place 2 drops of blood into the provided sample collection tube and add the cell-growth medium.
Send your sample back to Cell Portraits via a pre-addressed, pre-paid envelope that is included with the kit.
More at:http://www.cellportraits.com/
The narcissistic artist you're shopping for is sure to be entranced by a new and utterly unique work of art: his own DNA portrait. Just send in a few drops of blood, and Phil Fisette, an immunologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and founder of Cell Portraits, will search your loved one's cells for an aesthetic arrangement of chromosomes to immortalize on film. The images are then custom-colored to the client's preference, generating a modern piece of art. Prices range from $250 to $500.
Cell Portraits is based in Madison, WI. They specialize in providing clients with a picture of their chromosomes (microscopic structures of DNA inside the cells of the body) so they can be displayed as art. Their art is truly unique in that the chromosome images used in each piece are an actual picture of the clients DNA or genetic material. They work with each client to capture the natural photogenic beauty of their (or a loved one’s) chromosomes to create a work of art that is as unique as it is personal.
How It Works:
Select size, color, and print material preferences via the online order form.
You will receive an email confirming your preferences along with an attached instruction manual (pdf format) to acquaint you with the blood collection process.
A ChromoKit™ for the collection of your cell sample will be sent to the address that you provide.
Place 2 drops of blood into the provided sample collection tube and add the cell-growth medium.
Send your sample back to Cell Portraits via a pre-addressed, pre-paid envelope that is included with the kit.
More at:http://www.cellportraits.com/
Argus Information & Advisory Services closed a significant investment led by Oak Investment Partners
What Company Is Offering:
Argus Information & Advisory Services, LLC provides information, scoring solutions and advisory services to financial institutions. Argus clients include the largest credit card issuers and largest consumer financial services providers. Argus products and services assist financial institutions in making marketing and risk management decisions. Argus helps these institutions manage the tradeoffs among price, product, risk and customer behavior along the customer lifecycle to increase profitability.
How Much They Got From VCs :
Argus Information & Advisory Services announced that it closed a significant investment led by Oak Investment Partners, a leading growth equity firm with a 30-year history of investing in high growth industry innovators. The investment will be used to expand Argus' product offering, develop its international presence, enhance its technology platform, and expand its workforce to support its growing client base.
About VCs:
Oak Investment Partners is a multi-stage venture capital firm with a total of $8.4 billion in committed capital. The primary investment focus is on high growth opportunities in communications, information technology, financial services information technology, Internet new media, healthcare services, and consumer retail. With a 30-year history, Oak has achieved a strong track record as a stage-independent investor funding more than 450 companies at key points in their lifecycle. Oak has been involved in the formation of companies, funded spinouts of operating divisions and technology assets, and provided growth equity to mid- and late-stage private businesses and to public companies through PIPE investments. Oak has helped innovators exploit new business opportunities and anticipate trends through long-term relationships that endure the changing economic landscape.
www.oakvc.com
More at:www.argusinformation.com
Argus Information & Advisory Services, LLC provides information, scoring solutions and advisory services to financial institutions. Argus clients include the largest credit card issuers and largest consumer financial services providers. Argus products and services assist financial institutions in making marketing and risk management decisions. Argus helps these institutions manage the tradeoffs among price, product, risk and customer behavior along the customer lifecycle to increase profitability.
How Much They Got From VCs :
Argus Information & Advisory Services announced that it closed a significant investment led by Oak Investment Partners, a leading growth equity firm with a 30-year history of investing in high growth industry innovators. The investment will be used to expand Argus' product offering, develop its international presence, enhance its technology platform, and expand its workforce to support its growing client base.
About VCs:
Oak Investment Partners is a multi-stage venture capital firm with a total of $8.4 billion in committed capital. The primary investment focus is on high growth opportunities in communications, information technology, financial services information technology, Internet new media, healthcare services, and consumer retail. With a 30-year history, Oak has achieved a strong track record as a stage-independent investor funding more than 450 companies at key points in their lifecycle. Oak has been involved in the formation of companies, funded spinouts of operating divisions and technology assets, and provided growth equity to mid- and late-stage private businesses and to public companies through PIPE investments. Oak has helped innovators exploit new business opportunities and anticipate trends through long-term relationships that endure the changing economic landscape.
www.oakvc.com
More at:www.argusinformation.com
Big Stage --create and integrate a life-like 3D avatar of themselves into everything from famous movie scenes, TV shows and video games etc
What Company Is Offering:
Big Stage is a media company whose breakthrough technology allows users to easily create and integrate a life-like 3D avatar of themselves into everything from famous movie scenes, TV shows and video games, to music videos, short video clips, virtual worlds, still images, user-generated content, instant messages, emails, social networks and more - instantly. Big Stage will launch to consumers in the second quarter of 2008.
How It Works:
Big Stage , the service requires that users upload three pictures of themselves with a digital camera, and the Big Stage tool quickly converts them into a life-like 3D avatar. The proprietary technology automatically maps the contours of a user’s face to generate a replica of the user, fully equipped for animation, according to the company.
After users create and style their avatars, they can drop them into the library of Big Stage-enabled user and professionally created content. This highly personalized content can then be shared by users across social networks, mobile phones and other platforms, according to Big Stage.
More at: www.bigstage.com
Big Stage is a media company whose breakthrough technology allows users to easily create and integrate a life-like 3D avatar of themselves into everything from famous movie scenes, TV shows and video games, to music videos, short video clips, virtual worlds, still images, user-generated content, instant messages, emails, social networks and more - instantly. Big Stage will launch to consumers in the second quarter of 2008.
How It Works:
Big Stage , the service requires that users upload three pictures of themselves with a digital camera, and the Big Stage tool quickly converts them into a life-like 3D avatar. The proprietary technology automatically maps the contours of a user’s face to generate a replica of the user, fully equipped for animation, according to the company.
After users create and style their avatars, they can drop them into the library of Big Stage-enabled user and professionally created content. This highly personalized content can then be shared by users across social networks, mobile phones and other platforms, according to Big Stage.
More at: www.bigstage.com
Planaganza---For Planning Your Xmas Events And More
What Company Is Offering:
Planaganza is an online community that brings together event hosts and event vendors to plan memorable events.
Planaganza, the place for life’s events, was created to help individuals, organizations and socialites plan events by sharing ideas with and gathering ideas from other Planaganza members. Members create event pages that chronicle their planning, track invites, log RSVPs, organize event registration and provide event information to attendees.
Planaganza will introduce a comprehensive set of tools to let even the most amateur event planner craft a flawless event, meeting or gathering. Planaganza even lets you plan for those special life events like having a baby, going on a family vacation or remodeling your home!.
How It Works:
Planaganza offers several features to help make your event planning as simple as possible. You can upload pictures, create blogs and of course invite guests all with a few clicks. You also have access to a comprehensive vendor review database comprised of comments and ratings from people just like you! So if you’re stuck on which photographer to hire, read the vendor reviews and find out what other users think.
Planaganza is for any event you can plan in life. It’s not just for large conferences, expensive weddings or 10,000 people galas. Although it can be used to plan those events as well, Planaganza is also for your wine and cheese socials, your superbowl parties and your rowing team’s sports banquet. You don’t have to just plan the extravaganzas of life you can also Planaganza! Planaganza is just a play on the word extravaganza to let our users know that the site is accessible to all, for all events and socials.
More at:http://www.planaganza.com/
Planaganza is an online community that brings together event hosts and event vendors to plan memorable events.
Planaganza, the place for life’s events, was created to help individuals, organizations and socialites plan events by sharing ideas with and gathering ideas from other Planaganza members. Members create event pages that chronicle their planning, track invites, log RSVPs, organize event registration and provide event information to attendees.
Planaganza will introduce a comprehensive set of tools to let even the most amateur event planner craft a flawless event, meeting or gathering. Planaganza even lets you plan for those special life events like having a baby, going on a family vacation or remodeling your home!.
How It Works:
Planaganza offers several features to help make your event planning as simple as possible. You can upload pictures, create blogs and of course invite guests all with a few clicks. You also have access to a comprehensive vendor review database comprised of comments and ratings from people just like you! So if you’re stuck on which photographer to hire, read the vendor reviews and find out what other users think.
Planaganza is for any event you can plan in life. It’s not just for large conferences, expensive weddings or 10,000 people galas. Although it can be used to plan those events as well, Planaganza is also for your wine and cheese socials, your superbowl parties and your rowing team’s sports banquet. You don’t have to just plan the extravaganzas of life you can also Planaganza! Planaganza is just a play on the word extravaganza to let our users know that the site is accessible to all, for all events and socials.
More at:http://www.planaganza.com/
The Original Social Network
About Company:
There are so many different social networks out there, some good, and some bad. Imagine getting the best features of every single one of them, and putting them into one standard platform, and making it truly free and open for everyone to use.
Developers can extend the tosn platform, users can manipulate it to increase the return on investment to them. True centres of influence are revealed and rightly benefit from their exposure, through a matrix of win-win scenarios.
Front of mind awareness is exponentially increased by the use of our proprietary platform, which we’ve rolled out to every single country in the globe. Customised and tweaked to suit each socio-economic environment.
With grand plans to offer the network as true open source, with absolutely no restrictions on use, as soon as we’ve exited our BETA stage, there is no better time to get involved.
More at:http://www.theoriginalsocialnetwork.com/
There are so many different social networks out there, some good, and some bad. Imagine getting the best features of every single one of them, and putting them into one standard platform, and making it truly free and open for everyone to use.
Developers can extend the tosn platform, users can manipulate it to increase the return on investment to them. True centres of influence are revealed and rightly benefit from their exposure, through a matrix of win-win scenarios.
Front of mind awareness is exponentially increased by the use of our proprietary platform, which we’ve rolled out to every single country in the globe. Customised and tweaked to suit each socio-economic environment.
With grand plans to offer the network as true open source, with absolutely no restrictions on use, as soon as we’ve exited our BETA stage, there is no better time to get involved.
More at:http://www.theoriginalsocialnetwork.com/
ooVoo is the next evolution in online communication ---Video Messaging
What Company Is Offering:
ooVoo is the next evolution in online communication — a remarkably easy way to have a face-to-face video conversation with friends, family or colleagues, no matter where they are in the world.
How It Works:
ooVoo is a free program that uses technology to bring affordable and high-quality voice communications to people all over the world.
ooVoo is a great way to connect with friends, family, and colleagues using full video and sound. Organize a family get-together, share breaking news, or heckle your friends during your favorite sporting event. It's easy.
Talk is cheap. Actually, it's free. With unlimited one-to-one and multiparty video calling (with up to five participants), you can eliminate long distance and local phone charges.
You just need a broadband Internet connection to see your friends talk to you. For your friends to see and hear you, all you need is a webcam, microphone, and speakers (headset recommended).
Purchase a webcam or headset at the ooVoo Store.
Video allows a face-to-face experience. It's the next best thing to being there in-person. Make a connection, enhance collaboration, and improve communication. See your baby nephew wearing the new outfit you sent him, share the joy of your friend's new job or watch a client's reaction to your sales pitch.
How It Will Help Business People:
ooVoo is a great business tool. Research shows that video increases audience attention and builds speaker credibility while tightening bonds and teamwork in a business environment. Video makes information easier to understand, reduces meeting fatigue, and makes it easy to identify who is speaking. Use it to connect to remote offices, to join board meetings, and to meet with colleagues.
More at:http://www.oovoo.com/
ooVoo is the next evolution in online communication — a remarkably easy way to have a face-to-face video conversation with friends, family or colleagues, no matter where they are in the world.
How It Works:
ooVoo is a free program that uses technology to bring affordable and high-quality voice communications to people all over the world.
ooVoo is a great way to connect with friends, family, and colleagues using full video and sound. Organize a family get-together, share breaking news, or heckle your friends during your favorite sporting event. It's easy.
Talk is cheap. Actually, it's free. With unlimited one-to-one and multiparty video calling (with up to five participants), you can eliminate long distance and local phone charges.
You just need a broadband Internet connection to see your friends talk to you. For your friends to see and hear you, all you need is a webcam, microphone, and speakers (headset recommended).
Purchase a webcam or headset at the ooVoo Store.
Video allows a face-to-face experience. It's the next best thing to being there in-person. Make a connection, enhance collaboration, and improve communication. See your baby nephew wearing the new outfit you sent him, share the joy of your friend's new job or watch a client's reaction to your sales pitch.
How It Will Help Business People:
ooVoo is a great business tool. Research shows that video increases audience attention and builds speaker credibility while tightening bonds and teamwork in a business environment. Video makes information easier to understand, reduces meeting fatigue, and makes it easy to identify who is speaking. Use it to connect to remote offices, to join board meetings, and to meet with colleagues.
More at:http://www.oovoo.com/
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