Complex Character Positioning Based on a Compatible Flow Model of Multiple Supports

We present a new posture design paradigm for the positioning of complex characters. It is illustrated here on human figures. We exploit the Inverse Kinetics technique which allows the center of mass position control for postures with either single or multiple supports. For the multiple support case, we introduce a Compatible Flow model of the supporting influence. With this approach, we are able to handle continuous modification of the support distribution. By construction, Inverse Kinetics presents the same control architecture as Inverse Kinematics, and, thus, it shows equivalent computing cost and similar intuitive concepts. Furthermore, Inverse Kinetics for the center of mass and Inverse Kinematics for fixed end effectors can be combined to generate a posture displaying static balance, goal-oriented features, and an additional gravity optimization.