Procedural Animation Using Inverse Kinematics for Navigating Diverse Terrain
Jacob WILKIN
Software Development
Procedural Animation Using Inverse Kinematics for Navigating Diverse Terrain
My Thesis project is focused on building a skeletal IK( Inverse Kinematics) system that can support 3D procedurallyanimated animals.
The core goal of my project was to create a smooth simulation of locomotive animals using IK across uneven terrain with semirealistic behavior. Breaking it up into three main parts, I built a skeletal system in my engine, IK solvers that supported that skeletal system and its constraints, and layered procedural locomotion solvers for dynamic movement across terrain.
I chose this project because I am very passionate about animation and animation programming. I was especially interested in the field of Inverse Kinematics, but hadn’ t had much experience in it yet. Over the many hours of working on this project, I gained a deeper understanding of 3D animation math logic such as quaternions, iterative solvers, and constraining different joint types. Alongside the technical knowledge, I also learned more about the behavior and patterns of the animals I was creating.
The project features visual tests for the different IK algorithms used being two-bone IK, Forwards and Backwards Reaching Inverse Kinematics( FABRIK), and Cyclic Coordinate Descent( CCD). The four main pieces of the artifact are the robotic arm, snake, spider, and octopus.
104 SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT